Gender Identity and the Body
What does the biblical view of creation have to say in the transgender debate?
We're all surrounded by 'culture' – such as films, music, literature and art. These often have links to Christian beliefs. Here you'll find ways to relate Christian beliefs to the issues and questions raised by our culture, leading to some significant conversations.
What does the biblical view of creation have to say in the transgender debate?
Delve deeper into some of the religious and spiritual aspects behind the Star Wars series.
The sexual revolution has failed to live up to its promises. This book looks at how the Christian view offers a better story.
The landscape within which we do apologetics has changed. Our arguments can be sound, our evidence convincing (at least to us), but…
A sample chapter from Back in Time: A thinking fan's guide to Doctor Who.
Rachel Helen Smith considers two recent developments in film: horror and 3D. Karl Marx famously claimed, "Religion is the opiate of the…
What cultural shifts have led to the current gender debate?
A Study Guide to the film Little Miss Sunshine.
This resource provides extracts from Dr Paul Coulter's extensive study of The Shack.
One of the most moving films of 2008, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a powerful, haunting story about the horrors of the Holocaust.…
Some guidelines on how to run a film discussion evening and how to choose a suitable film.
Examine the role played by Christianity in the Magna Carta.
Swan Lake is a beautiful, tragic story. The delicate art of ballet sensitively describes both the joy and turmoil of its main characters.…
A review of the book and film of Watchmen.
Climate change is one of the key issues of our time. But what should we make of the fervour of the environmental movement?
How have artists tried to capture the paradoxes of the cross through their work?
A film review and discussion guide to 'Paddington'.
Having suffered a drawn-out divorce, a failed rebound relationship and a debilitating bout of depression, Elizabeth Gilbert decides to go…
In this book, Dan Strange highlights five compelling questions the world constantly attempts to answer – whether it’s aware of it or not.
Twenty questions to help us think more carefully about films - or to use in film discussion evenings.
How can we be transformed through suffering? Surprisingly, the eighties cult film The Karate Kid offers some insights. If you're unfamiliar…
I watched The Grey the other night, and thought it was disturbing, haunting, devoid of hope and the best film I'd seen in a long time. The…
The Shawshank Redemption has earned a reputation for being one of the most popular films of all time. Despite an unimpressive performance…
This helpful summary of philosopher Charles Taylor's work examines what it means to live in a secular age.
A challenging call, based on the Acts of the Apostles, to think about how persuasive our evangelism is.
Florence Gildea considers the background and consequences to 'Raunch Culture' and offers an alternative Christian view.
A list of some films that will generate some great discussions for a film evening - or just to enjoy with some friends.
A review of the film The Odd Life of Timothy Green.
The colour red suffuses We Need to Talk About Kevin. Red paint is smeared across walls and car window screens, red jam oozes out of…
'El Camino de Santiago' or 'the Way of St. James' spans 800km across France and Spain. With its destination believed to be the burial place…
A review of Doctor Who, Series 4 starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
What do we do when opportunities come our way? Do we sit back and watch them pass us by, or do we seize the day and chase our dreams? It is…
Big Mike walks as though every step is an effort. Head and shoulders taller and a good few inches broader than everyone he passes, dressed…
Dawn Bundy is a fifteen-year-old English girl. She is not especially attractive, and she doesn’t really fit in. Her best friends are…
A review of the TV series Spooks.
What can we learn from the film Bruce Almighty?
This paper takes a careful look at critical race theory, and argues that only the Bible offers real hope for the future of race relations.
This wide-ranging collection of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' writing and speeches offers plenty of food for thought.
A historical argument for linking the growth of freedom with the development of Christianity.
Review of a new book on Sharing Faith Using Social Media. The book also explores the use of different biblical paradigms for evangelism.
Four implications of 1 Peter 3:15 that will help you stand up and speak out about Jesus.
Why are so many of the films and TV shows we enjoy obsessed with the end of the world?
What does J.B. Priestley's play An Inspector Calls have to say to us about sin, responsibility and being human?
An examination of a life falling apart in the film 'Locke'.
At one time, every parent and child knew all about Nativity plays. Many will have memories and photographs of tea-towel-adorned shepherds,…
The second of the two films adapted from J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter novel begins at the place where the first left us hanging:…
The King's Speech is book-ended by two speeches. The first is a disaster, a deeply humiliating experience for Prince Albert, Duke of York…
In The Writing on the Wall, Maggi Dawn sets about doing what John Stott called "double listening" – "it means that we’re called…
Pete Atkinson considers the difference the Christianity made to the Roman Empire. 'Are You Not Entertained?' – The Gladiator Who…
When newspaper columnist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) meets homeless, schizophrenic Juilliard-dropout Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Jr. (Jamie…
Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a very unusual sort of criminal. Along with the pragmatic Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), he is paid to…
As Andy leaves for college, Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks), space ranger Buzz (Tim Allen) and what remains of the old gang confront the reality…
“It takes a worried man to sing a worried song.” So croons popular singer Paolo Nutini in a song on his latest album Sunny Side…
What would the world be like if no one had ever lied? Ricky Gervais's new film, The Invention of Lying, explores this question with the…
Based on the iconic 1980s cartoon series and film of the same name, Transformers is the story of Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), an ordinary…
A review of Lily Allen's CD It's Not Me It's You.
In 1959, the children of a new elementary school bury a time capsule containing their ideas of what they think the world will be like in…
It doesn’t take usually take too much persuasion to get me to try a new box set of DVDs, but I have to say that I was a little…
A review of the film Juno.
A review of the film I Am Legend.
Jodi Picoult is not an author to shy away from controversial topics. Her novels cover issues such as rape, suicide pacts and genetically…
A review of the film and book The Corporation.
In this talk, Andrew Fellows connects the use of films to the stage of subversion in the apologetics process. This can then be followed by…
William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language - yet we know little about his personal life. Jerram Barrs…
A review of Robbie Williams' biography examines his search for value and reassurance.
An exploration of the Christian themes and imagery in 'The Silmarillion' and 'The Lord of the Rings'.
Beyoncé is incredibly popular. What makes her music resonate so deeply with people?
How should Christians relate to culture today? In 'Created and Creating', William Edgar explores this vital question.
How has the way art depicts humanity changed over time? How should the truths of the Christian view of humanity shape creative practice?
Tim Keller's new book explores the question of how anyone in our age of scepticism could believe in Christianity.
An introduction to the new Ben-Hur film, with details of resources for churches and other groups.
A review of the Oscar winning film 'Gravity' considers the themes of isolation, death, sacrifice and rebirth.
The Lone Ranger (2013) has been such a flop at the US box-office that critics are heralding the death of the Western. Are these critics…
The setting for the video of 'No Light No Light', the second single from 2011's Ceremonials – a traditional church building complete…
A review of the film Lincoln.
A review of the film Les Misérables.
The dwarves have all the best songs. Whether they are singing raucous ditties about smashing Bilbo’s best crockery or low, mournful…
M (Judi Dench) is nothing if not pragmatic. Before the opening credits of Skyfall have even rolled, she has allowed not one, but two of her…
David Cronenberg built his reputation on making challenging, boundary-breaking films which explore sexuality, violence and death. So…
Some thoughts about the film Prometheus and the human search for meaning.
Margaret Atwood is one of the most important and influential writers alive today. Her fiction explores and reflects the current cultural…
According to the Romans, ‘bread and circuses’ were the key to keeping a population content. As long as their immediate physical…
An old lady in a headscarf is buying a pint of milk in a local shop. She’s surprised by the price of the milk, and disturbed by the…
A review of the recent Sherlock Holmes films and BBC TV series.
What happens when people are given free reign to do what they want with impunity? When there are no consequences for their actions because…
Perhaps a society truly becomes lost when it doesn't know how lost it is. This is the eerie suggestion put forward by Never Let Me Go,…
We imagine war is tough. We know it puts great strain on soldiers. But is war a drug? Even ‘the supreme drug of human…
Teachers lurk anxiously behind tinsel-covered curtains; excited children wait for their big moment; and nervous parents hope that their…
The Torchwood team have come a long way since their first rather dubious dealings with extraterrestrial invaders back in 2006. Billed as…
Bill Maher, a well-known American comedian, satirist and religious sceptic has added this comedy-documentary to the growing number of…
A review of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek film.
A review of the film Inkheart.
A review of Mamma Mia! - the movie.
A review of Russell Brand's My Booky Wook.
Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel The Kite Runner, set in the author’s homeland Afghanistan, became a Hollywood blockbuster…
Why do people do the things they do? It’s a question the world’s greatest philosophers, theologians, scientists and doctors…
A review of the film The Spiderwick Chronicles.
Why the growing popularity of Jane Austen? Is it accidental, a typical postmodern temporary fad, or is there some deeper reason for the…
A review of Batman Begins.
The biggest television hit in the USA since ER first aired has hit UK screens this year. Set in a wealthy and pristine suburban cul-de-sac,…
A review of Nick Barham's Disconnected: Why our kids are turning their backs on everything we thought we knew.
Kingdom of Heaven offers a very twenty-first century take on twelfth century history. In a war-torn world troubled by religious conflict,…
The Harry Potter publishing phenomenon has divided many Christians, unsure how they should respond. Jerram Barrs considers some of the…
In one poll, J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Lord of the Rings was voted the British public's best loved book. Jerram Barrs delves into Tolkien's…
An in-depth look at cognitive scientist Steven Pinker's book Rationality: What it is, Why it seems Scarce, Why it Matters
An exploration of the themes in The Greatest Showman, with questions for reflection and discussion.
In this book, Philip Ryken sets out the need for students to take a distinctively Christian approach to their studies – and all of life.
Andy Crouch’s award-winning book examines what a Christian posture towards human culture should look like.
A helpful talk for understanding transgender issues and thinking about how to respond to a transgender person.
Why does crime fiction fascinate so many people? What might this show us about people's concerns today.
What can we learn from the current obsession for nostalgia?
Advice for those of us who want to engage with the culture in which we live, presenting the Gospel with integrity and relevance.
'Whispers of Redemption' in Maleficent, Disney's makeover of Sleeping Beauty.
I write a weekly column for The Dallas Morning News as a contributor to their Texas Faith blog. This week we were asked, "What would Jesus…
A review of the film The Great Gatsby.
James Bond has been in the spying business for such a long time that he really ought to be up for a long-service award. But the…
"Make them remember you." The Doctor’s advice to Amy and Rory as they faced the Parliament of the Daleks (episode 1: 'Asylum of the…
The most recent strain of Brontemania, at large throughout 2011, included major film versions of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights and the…
Vincent Van Gogh is now a solid fixture in our cultural vocabulary. I need only mention sunflowers or a bandaged ear to conjure up his life…
How do you begin to tell stories about a war which claimed more than fifteen million lives? For children's author Michael Morpurgo, the…
One of the many changes which the Internet has brought into our lives is that it is remarkably easy to masquerade as something we're not.…
The world's only consulting detective steps into the 21st Century in the BBC series Sherlock. Benedict Cumberbatch portrays the titular…
Vampires are currently one of the biggest phenomena in popular culture. They are central to hit television series like True Blood, Being…
The sun rises over the townships of South Africa on 10th May 1994. And the question at the back of everybody's mind is posed aloud by the…
‘You can live your life without limitations and become anyone you want to be.’ Disease and injury, ageing and ugliness, death…
‘I don’t know if the story I want to tell you is entirely true,’ confesses the narrator at the opening of Michael…
Yet another film foray into Wonderland demonstrates the abiding charm of Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories. But Tim Burton’s…
How do we know who or what to trust? This is one of the key questions of the world we live in today. So many claims compete for our trust:…
Writer / directors Joel and Ethan Coen’s latest cerebral masterpiece is a fable on the purpose of morality, and the reasons for…
There are many people who will have switched off during the first five minutes of Skins, E4’s notorious wild-child. The show is…
The statistics are every bit as mind-boggling as the spectacle. A reported budget of $280,000,000 makes James Cameron’s Avatar one of…
Mark Meynell is disoriented by the reality-probing of Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives. There are three deaths. The first is when…
A review of the film Last Chance Harvey.
The Rev. Dr. Michael Ward is an Anglican minister and the author of Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis. It…
A review of the film of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons.
The title and witch-themed publicity made me a little unsure about whether a Christian should be joining the crowds flocking to this…
A review of The X-Files: I Want to Believe.
To my mind, one of the main interests of Philip Pullman’s controversial trilogy is not specifically related to the books. It lies in…
A review of the SF film Jumper.
It seems like we can't do without God; or anyway something like him. 'In each of us there is an empty hole in the shape of God', said…
A review of the film of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass.
A review of the book God Explained in a Taxi Ride.
A review of the film The Bourne Ultimatum.
A review of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Fiona Stewart find worlds of light and shade in her review of the film Bridge to Terabithia. Every day before catching the bus to school…
Review of Amazing Grace in the light of whether religion is a force for good or for bad.
Reviews of some of Joanne Harris' novels, including Chocolat.
A review of some of the ethics in The Family Man TV drama.
A review of the Manic Street Preachers' Lifeblood album.
Cricket is the new football, or so they say. This year’s [2005] Ashes Test Series between England and Australia has defined the…
A New Testament scholar reviews Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code.
I'm not sure exactly what makes someone a phenomenon, but anyone who has managed to win 62 music awards in two years and has produced a…