Do you watch movies with your eyes open? You buy your tickets and concessions, and you walk into the theater. Celluloid images flash at twenty-four frames per second, and the hypnotic sequence of moving pictures coaxes you to suspend disbelief and be entertained by the implausible. Unfortunately, many often suspend their beliefs as well, succumbing to subtle lessons in how to behave, think and even perceive reality. Do you find yourself hoping that a sister will succeed in seducing her sibling’s husband, that a thief will get away with his crime, that a serial killer will escape judgment? Do you, too, laugh at the bumbling priest and seethe at the intolerant and abusive evangelist? Do you embrace worldviews that infect your faith and then wonder, after your head is clear, whether your faith can survive the infection? In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of his popular book, Brian Godawa guides you through the place of redemption in film, the tricks screenwriters use to communicate their messages, and the mental and spiritual discipline required for watching movies. Hollywood Worldviews helps you enter a dialogue with Hollywood that leads to a happier ending, one that keeps you aware of your culture and awake to your faith. ~ Product Description

Table of Contents

• • Foreward by Ralph Winter     9
  • Preface: God Loves Movies     12
  • Introduction     19
• Act 1: Storytelling in the Movies
  • 1  Sex, Violence & Profanity     32
  • 2  Stories & Mythology     60
  • 3  Redemption     79
• Act 2: Worldviews in the Movies
  • 4  Existentialism     92
  • 5  Postmodernism     119
  • 6  Other Worldviews     146
• Act 3: Spirituality in the Movies
  • 7  Jesus     176
  • 8  Christianity     199
  • 9  Faith     224
  • 10  Spiritual Warfare     238
  • Dénouement: Watching Movies with Eyes Wide Open     250
  • Index     257