This article models an exercise in media literacy and theological reflection by identifying the Manichean worldview and redemptive violence prevalent in many Hollywood studio films and exploring some of the reasons these stories are told so often. Filmmaker interviews and commentaries reveal ways in which many filmmakers feel compelled by film's…

The four canonical gospels provide readers with few details of the life of Jesus as a boy. Many authors of children's bibles in America, however, have been happy to fill in some of the details. This article suggests that these retellings regularly create or adapt stories of Jesus' childhood to teach children virtues that serve to affirm…

This article reflects on the vivid images of reading presented in several popular fantasy novels, including "The Spiderwick Chronicles," "The Great Good Thing," and "The Neverending Story." It suggests that these images can be used to help children, youth, and adults reflect on the nature of reading and the potential power of reading sacred texts.…

This article is based on a study of hundreds of children's bible storybooks available in the United States from 1850 to the present and focuses on the way the biblical stories of Noah and Jonah have been retold for children. These children's bible storybooks lend insight into the American church's changing assumptions about the purpose of the…