Craig Detweiler

An essential guide for not only fostering genuine personal expression, but also the courage to share our most meaningful work with others—all without pretense or artifice.Author, filmmaker, educator, cultural commentator, and Variety Mentor of the Year recipient, Craig Detweiler, has taught thousands how to launch creative projects with intention, awareness, and confidence. As a result, his students have founded festivals, started companies and schools, written acclaimed graphic novels, and directed movies for Marvel. Now, at a time when generative AI can aggregate text and images in seconds, Detweiler shows why “honest creativity” is one of the core tenets that separates humans from machines. Readers will learn, not only how to prioritize ideas, but also how to develop their own method for producing cohesive, whole, and enduring works; escaping comfort zones; and cultivating a like-minded community that both motivates and challenges. This groundbreaking approach promises to help creators turn problems into possibilities by first honing their ability to innovate and then preparing them to handle the feedback—both positive and negative—that is inevitable when private work is displayed in the public sphere. For Detweiler, creating honestly is a way of honoring the gift of life, and his transcendent guide shows us how we can excel in an act that is, fundamentally, both uniquely human and magnificently divine.

Three media experts guide the Christian moviegoer into a theological conversation with movies in this up-to-date, readable introduction to Christian theology and film. Building on the success of Robert Johnston's Reel Spirituality, the leading textbook in the field for the past 17 years, Deep Focus helps film lovers not only watch movies critically and theologically but also see beneath the surface of their moving images. The book discusses a wide variety of classic and contemporary films and is illustrated with film stills from favorite movies.

Three media experts guide the Christian moviegoer into a theological conversation with movies in this up-to-date, readable introduction to Christian theology and film. Building on the success of Robert Johnston's Reel Spirituality, the leading textbook in the field for the past 17 years, Deep Focus helps film lovers not only watch movies critically and theologically but also see beneath the surface of their moving images. The book discusses a wide variety of classic and contemporary films and is illustrated with film stills from favorite movies.

How to Film Truth explores the history of documentary film as a search for truth by filmmakers, and a journey of discovery for subjects and audiences. This process, the act of documenting, exploring, and reflecting on our reality in all its created beauty, wonder, and mystery can itself be a devotional practice. The history can be seen as moving from actuality to ecstasy, from propaganda to empathy, and finally to confessional, emotional, personal, and communal healing. ""This marvelous little book is ideal for anyone desiring to understand and/or produce documentary films. Charting the relationship between advances in technology and the creative process, Wells reveals the historic sources that gave rise to today's documentary subgenres. Laced with insights from luminaries such as Blaise Pascal and St. Augustine, Wells has created the perfect primer. Highly recommended."" --Robert Covolo, Torrey Honors Institute Justin Wells is a graduate of California State Long Beach (Philosophy), Fuller Theological Seminary (Theology and Art), and Art Center College of Design (Film). He works in the film industry as a camera technician and documentary filmmaker.

From Actuality to Ecstasy explores the history of documentary film as a search for truth by filmmakers, and a journey of discovery for subjects and audiences. This process, the act of documenting, exploring, and reflecting on our reality in all its created beauty, wonder, and mystery can itself be a devotional practice. The history can be seen as moving from actuality to ecstasy, from propaganda to empathy, and finally to confessional, emotional, personal, and communal healing. ""This marvelous little book is ideal for anyone desiring to understand and/or produce documentary films. Charting the relationship between advances in technology and the creative process, Wells reveals the historic sources that gave rise to today's documentary subgenres. Laced with insights from luminaries such as Blaise Pascal and St. Augustine, Wells has created the perfect primer. Highly recommended."" --Robert Covolo, Torrey Honors Institute Justin Wells is a graduate of California State Long Beach (Philosophy), Fuller Theological Seminary (Theology and Art), and Art Center College of Design (Film). He works in the film industry as a camera technician and documentary filmmaker.

How should a follower of Christ engage the popular media culture? By becoming a mystic Sr. Nancy challenges Christians today to delve deep into the rich theological tradition of the church as the root and foundation for recognizing the beauty of God present in all that is truly human. The artists of popular culture sometimes unwittingly seek transcendence while grappling with some of humanity's most profound existential longings. The cultural mystics of today point out those needs of humanity in the culture's artifacts in order to enter into dialogue with those who seek something beyond what this world satisfies. The anthropological-sacramental-incarnational paradigm presented gives us this ability to take a sacred look of the culture and offer the joy of the Gospel, Christ who is the answer of all humanity's yearnings ""When you see words and phrases like 'cultural mysticism, ' 'transcendence, ' and 'TV as art' on the contents page, there is an urge to look further. Sister Nancy continues a fine US Christian tradition, both Catholic and Protestant: the quest for meaning in movies. She extends this search in this social media age to a wide range of communications and popular arts."" --Peter Malone, Cinema Desk, SIGNIS, World Catholic Association for Communication ""Sister Nancy's unique approach to popular culture and spirituality is a revelation. We so seldom think that we can all be theologians and mystics, but Nancy leads us to wonder about God's self-communication and presence in storytelling, and introduces ways of seeing our world that lead to contemplation, reflection, prayer, and action."" --Rose Pacatte, film critic, National Catholic Reporter ""Sister Nancy, in A Sacred Look: Becoming Cultural Mystics, offers a monumental contribution to the literature of spiritual formation and theology of film. . . . This masterful examination of entertainment art as theological source in the service of mysticism deserves wide circulation and a long shelf life."" --Scott Young, President, Culture Connection Sr. Nancy Usselmann is a Daughter of St. Paul and the Director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles, California. She is a media literacy education specialist and theologian, a national speaker, blogger, and reviewer of films on bemediamindful.org.

Christianity Today Book Award WinnerSelfies are ubiquitous. They can be silly or serious, casual or curated. Within moments, smart phone users can capture their image and post it across multiple social media platforms to a global audience. But do we truly understand the power of image in our image-saturated age? How can we seek God and care for each other in digital spaces?Craig Detweiler, a nationally known writer and speaker and an avid social media user, examines the selfie phenomenon, placing selfies within the long history of self-portraits in art, literature, and photography. He shows how self-portraits change our perspective of ourselves and each other in family dynamics, education, and discipleship. Challenging us to push past unhealthy obsessions with beauty, wealth, and fame, Detweiler helps us to develop a thoughtful, biblical perspective on selfies and social media and to put ourselves in proper relation to God and each other. He also explains the implications of social media for an emerging generation, making this book a useful conversation starter in homes, churches, and classrooms. Each chapter ends with discussion questions and a photo assignment for creating a selfie in response to the chapter.

Today the world is literally at our fingertips. We can call, text, email, or post our status to friends and family on the go. We can carry countless games, music, and apps in our pocket. Yet it's easy to feel overwhelmed by access to so much information and exhausted from managing our online relationships and selves.Craig Detweiler, a nationally known writer and speaker on media issues, provides needed Christian perspective on navigating today's social media culture. He interacts with major symbols, or "iGods," of our distracted age--Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Pixar, YouTube, and Twitter--to investigate the impact of the technologies and cultural phenomena that drive us. Detweiler offers a historic look at where we've been and a prophetic look at where we're headed, helping us sort out the immediate from the eternal, the digital from the divine.

In this book, Craig Detweiler examines forty-five films from the twenty-first century that resonate theologically--from the Lord of the Rings trilogy to Little Miss Sunshine--offering groundbreaking insight into their scriptural connections and theological applications.Detweiler writes with the eye of a filmmaker, leads Hollywood and religion initiatives at Fuller Seminary, and even came to faith through cinema. In this book, he unpacks the "theology of everyday life," exploring the Spirit of God in creation, redemption, and "general revelation" through sometimes unlikely filmmakers. It's the first authoritative book that dissects up-to-date movies selected by the popular Internet Movie Database. This book is recommended for teachers, students, pastors, film fans, and those interested in the intersection of Christianity and culture.

A lighthearted analysis of modern pop culture considers what lessons can be learned from today's movies, music, television, and more, exploring how its popularity and successes reflects today's society. Original.