JR. lives in Dallas, TX with his wife Amanda. In addition to exploring the wonders that are the Lone Star state, JR. is the teaching pastor at Catalyst Community Church, a writer and blogger. His book, Empathy for the Devil, is available from InterVarsity Press. He's haunted by the Batman, who is in turn haunted by the myth of redemptive violence.
Bryne and JR. are joined by Clay Morgan of the StoryMen and Mikey Fissel of Reel World Theology to conduct a panel at the Baylor IFL Conference on Faith and Film. We explore the nature of possession films, and what they say about the Church and contemporary spirituality. A Q&A follows.
JR.’s paper from the Baylor IFL Faith and Film festival. Using Scott Poole’s Monsters in America methodology to examine two Scott Derickson films, JR. argues that possession films offer the Church a unique window into American culture.
Amy Dennis imagines what the parable of the Unmerciful Servant from Matthew 18 would sound like if Jesus had told it today.
The Zimzum of Love offers a powerful vision of marriage in language our culture can understand and engage. It’s not written for Christians, but Christians can use it as a guide to engage the larger world.
What would Jesus’ parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus sound like if he told it today? Here’s our friend Adam’s reimagined take on Luke 16:19-31.
What would Jesus’ strange parable of the Shrewd Manager sound like if he told it today? Here’s JR.’s reimagined take on Luke 16:1-9.
The Book of Life is an excellent story that demonstrates how much the Hispanic world has to contribute to the American experience. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun.
Just in time for Halloween (and the Baylor Film & Faith Symposium!), Bryne and JR. investigate the new “it” monster: Demons. From possession in popular culture to exorcising pastors, we ask how demons function in our world, and how we can respond to stories and experiences of possession.
What aspects of Christianity make it hard for you to really, fully follow Jesus? Maybe it’s how the Church treats LGBT people. Or a congregation’s attitude toward women in ministry. Maybe it’s Bible’s complicated, complex history of transmission, and the way texts are handled by some denominations. Or maybe there are some foundational doctrines that […]
The Boxtrolls is an excellent film that’s sure to land in my Top 10 of 2014. Beautiful, rich, funny and weird, you won’t see anything else like it this year.