In “Facing East,” Frederica Mathewes-Green told of her journey into Christian faith and then into the Antiochian Orthodox Church. In this interview we hear that story and gain a deeper understanding of icons, mystery and celebration as she leads us through “The Open Door” and into the sanctuary of a typical Orthodox church.

 

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In “Facing East,” Frederica Mathewes-Green told of her journey into Christian faith and then into the Antiochian Orthodox Church. In this interview we hear that story and gain a deeper understanding of icons, mystery and celebration as she leads us through “The Open Door” and into the sanctuary of a typical Orthodox church.

 

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In “Facing East,” Frederica Mathewes-Green told of her journey into Christian faith and then into the Antiochian Orthodox Church. In this interview we hear that story and gain a deeper understanding of icons, mystery and celebration as she leads us through “The Open Door” and into the sanctuary of a typical Orthodox church.

 

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By any account Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ was a wake up call for Hollywood. Combining what Gibson called art and what evangelicals saw as an evangelistic opportunity, Hollywood saw the potential for faith-fueled films. Into the gap stepped billionaire Phillip Anshutz with his Walden Films. Fox launched Faith Movies and got behind movies like One Night with the King. Armed with vision a $100,000 budget and amateur actors, Sherwood Baptist produced Facing the Giants (FTG), which when partnered with some marketing muscle of Christians in Nashville and a widespread grassroots marketing campaign has already generated $5 Million in Box Office. But Facing the Giants also became the center of a firestorm within the faith community itself, revealing a division pitting those who believe the art and craft of the film is as important as family and faith friendly content against those who seem willing to forgive substandard moviemaking if the film is made by Christians or honors faith and family. So while FTG is making money and Christian marketers are urging the faith community to support this film, it languishes with a 7% positive rating by film critics at rotten tomato and less than 17% by Christian film critics. Our subject is Facing the Giants: Film and Faith. Why Art and Craft Matter. Our guests are film critics Michael Medved and Stephan Ulstein and film producer Jennie Spohr.

 

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By any account Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ was a wake up call for Hollywood. Combining what Gibson called art and what evangelicals saw as an evangelistic opportunity, Hollywood saw the potential for faith-fueled films. Into the gap stepped billionaire Phillip Anshutz with his Walden Films. Fox launched Faith Movies and got behind movies like One Night with the King. Armed with vision a $100,000 budget and amateur actors, Sherwood Baptist produced Facing the Giants (FTG), which when partnered with some marketing muscle of Christians in Nashville and a widespread grassroots marketing campaign has already generated $5 Million in Box Office. But Facing the Giants also became the center of a firestorm within the faith community itself, revealing a division pitting those who believe the art and craft of the film is as important as family and faith friendly content against those who seem willing to forgive substandard moviemaking if the film is made by Christians or honors faith and family. So while FTG is making money and Christian marketers are urging the faith community to support this film, it languishes with a 7% positive rating by film critics at rotten tomato and less than 17% by Christian film critics. Our subject is Facing the Giants: Film and Faith. Why Art and Craft Matter. Our guests are film critics Michael Medved and Stephan Ulstein and film producer Jennie Spohr.

 

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By any account Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ was a wake up call for Hollywood. Combining what Gibson called art and what evangelicals saw as an evangelistic opportunity, Hollywood saw the potential for faith-fueled films. Into the gap stepped billionaire Phillip Anshutz with his Walden Films. Fox launched Faith Movies and got behind movies like One Night with the King. Armed with vision a $100,000 budget and amateur actors, Sherwood Baptist produced Facing the Giants (FTG), which when partnered with some marketing muscle of Christians in Nashville and a widespread grassroots marketing campaign has already generated $5 Million in Box Office. But Facing the Giants also became the center of a firestorm within the faith community itself, revealing a division pitting those who believe the art and craft of the film is as important as family and faith friendly content against those who seem willing to forgive substandard moviemaking if the film is made by Christians or honors faith and family. So while FTG is making money and Christian marketers are urging the faith community to support this film, it languishes with a 7% positive rating by film critics at rotten tomato and less than 17% by Christian film critics. Our subject is Facing the Giants: Film and Faith. Why Art and Craft Matter. Our guests are film critics Michael Medved and Stephan Ulstein and film producer Jennie Spohr.

 

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A Dick Staub Interview. Segment 4. The late Rich Mullins (1955-1997) opted out of the CCM craze (Contemporary Christian Music) and chose to live and teach among Native Americans on a reservation in New Mexico. This follower of Jesus was a modern-day Thoreau in two ways. 1) he lived life on his own terms instead of conforming to culture around him; 2) he thought a lot and communicated his thoughts through his life and words. Mullins was seen as an enigma in CCM, often barefoot, unshaven, and badly in need of a haircut, Mullins did not look like the average American gospel music writer. Unlike most artists, Mullins did not consider his music his primary ministry, but rather a means to pay his bills. Instead, his ministry was the way he treated his neighbors, family and enemies. His concern about today’s religious life is captured in this quote, “I really struggle with American Christianity. I’m not really sure that people with our cultural disabilities, people who grow up in a culture that worships pleasure, leisure, and affluence, are capable of having souls, or being saved.” He often called St Francis of Assisi his hero and modeled his life after him by showing great compassion towards the poor and taking a vow of poverty. Here is the last interview I did with Rich in 1997 before he died tragically in a highway accident.

 

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The late Rich Mullins (1955-1997) opted out of the CCM craze (Contemporary Christian Music) and chose to live and teach among Native Americans on a reservation in New Mexico. This follower of Jesus was a modern-day Thoreau in two ways. 1) he lived life on his own terms instead of conforming to culture around him. 2) he thought a lot and communicated his thoughts through his life and words. Mullins was seen as an enigma in CCM, often barefoot, unshaven, and badly in need of a haircut, Mullins did not look like the average American gospel music writer. Unlike most artists, Mullins did not consider his music his primary ministry, but rather a means to pay his bills. Instead, his ministry was the way he treated his neighbors, family and enemies. His concern about today’s religious life is captured in this quote, “I really struggle with American Christianity. I’m not really sure that people with our cultural disabilities, people who grow up in a culture that worships pleasure, leisure, and affluence, are capable of having souls, or being saved.” He often called St Francis of Assisi his hero and modeled his life after him by showing great compassion towards the poor and taking a vow of poverty. Here is the last interview I did with Rich in 1997 before he died tragically in a highway accident.

 

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The late Rich Mullins (1955-1997) opted out of the CCM craze (Contemporary Christian Music) and chose to live and teach among Native Americans on a reservation in New Mexico. This follower of Jesus was a modern-day Thoreau in two ways: 1) he lived life on his own terms instead of conforming to culture around him; 2) he thought a lot and communicated his thoughts through his life and words. Mullins was seen as an enigma in CCM, often barefoot, unshaven, and badly in need of a haircut, Mullins did not look like the average American gospel music writer. Unlike most artists, Mullins did not consider his music his primary ministry, but rather a means to pay his bills. Instead, his ministry was the way he treated his neighbors, family and enemies. His concern about today’s religious life is captured in this quote, “I really struggle with American Christianity. I’m not really sure that people with our cultural disabilities, people who grow up in a culture that worships pleasure, leisure, and affluence, are capable of having souls, or being saved.” He often called St Francis of Assisi his hero and modeled his life after him by showing great compassion towards the poor and taking a vow of poverty. Here is the last interview I did with Rich in 1997 before he died tragically in a highway accident.

 

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The late Rich Mullins (1955-1997) opted out of the CCM craze (Contemporary Christian Music) and chose to live and teach among Native Americans on a reservation in New Mexico. This follower of Jesus was a modern-day Thoreau in two ways: 1) he lived life on his own terms instead of conforming to culture around him; 2) he thought a lot and communicated his thoughts through his life and words. Mullins was seen as an enigma in CCM, often barefoot, unshaven, and badly in need of a haircut, Mullins did not look like the average American gospel music writer. Unlike most artists, Mullins did not consider his music his primary ministry, but rather a means to pay his bills. Instead, his ministry was the way he treated his neighbors, family and enemies. His concern about today’s religious life is captured in this quote, “I really struggle with American Christianity. I’m not really sure that people with our cultural disabilities, people who grow up in a culture that worships pleasure, leisure, and affluence, are capable of having souls, or being saved.” He often called St Francis of Assisi his hero and modeled his life after him by showing great compassion towards the poor and taking a vow of poverty. Here is the last interview I did with Rich in 1997 before he died tragically in a highway accident.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download