When humankind faces what it perceives as a threat to its very existence, a macabre thing happens in art, literature, and culture: corpses begin to stand up and walk around. The dead walked in the fourteenth century, when the Black Death and other catastrophes roiled Europe. They walked in images from World War I, when a generation died horribly in the trenches. They walked in art inspired by the Holocaust and by the atomic attacks on Japan. Now, in the early twenty-first century, the dead walk in stories of the zombie apocalypse, some of the most ubiquitous narratives of post-9/11 Western culture. Zombies appear in popular movies and television shows, comics and graphic novels, fiction, games, art, and in material culture including pinball machines, zombie runs, and lottery tickets. The zombie apocalypse, Greg Garrett shows us, has become an archetypal narrative for the contemporary world, in part because zombies can stand in for any of a variety of global threats, from terrorism to Ebola, from economic uncertainty to ecological destruction. But this zombie narrative also brings us emotional and spiritual comfort. These apocalyptic stories, in which the world has been turned upside down and protagonists face the prospect of an imminent and grisly death, can also offer us wisdom about living in a community, present us with real-world ethical solutions, and invite us into conversation about the value and costs of survival. We may indeed be living with the living dead these days, but through the stories we consume and the games we play, we are paradoxically learning what it means to be fully alive.

Living with the Living Dead: The Wisdom of the Zombie Apocalypse

Politics & Social Sciences

Garrett, Greg

Social Sciences

Oxford University Press

From the beginning, American cinema has been both a powerful mythmaker and a social critic. D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation, arguably the first feature film, shows us just how early in its history cinema had established its influence. In 1915 it was the first movie to be screened at theWhite House. After the screening, President Woodrow Wilson is rumored to have said, "It's like history writ with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all terribly true." Birth of a Nation famously portrayed the Klu Klux Klan in a favorable light, a portrayal that contributed to the modernresurgence of the group and brought racist depictions of African Americans imported from the minstrel show to the silver screen. Such white fantasies of black American life have played out on our movie screens for the last century. In response, filmmakers of color have created nuanced and indelibleportraits of race, as in Ava DuVernay's Selma or Barry Jenkin's Moonlight. Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman shows us just how far into our culture Birth of a Nation has reached.In this powerful new book, Greg Garrett brings his signature brand of theologically motivated cultural criticism to bear on this history. After more than a century of cinema, he argues, movies have altered our cultural perspectives in the same way that religious narratives have. And in fact,religious traditions offer powerful correctives to our cultural narratives. A Long, Long Way incorporates both cinematic and religious truth-telling to the subject of race and reconciliation. In acknowledging the racist history of America's national art form, Garrett offers the possibility of hopefor the future.

A Long, Long Way: Hollywood's Unfinished Journey from Racism to Reconciliation

Humor & Entertainment

Movies

Nowadays references to the afterlife-angels strumming harps, demons brandishing pitchforks, God enthroned on heavenly clouds-are more often encountered in New Yorker cartoons than in serious Christian theological reflection. Speculation about death and its sequel seems to embarrass many theologians; however, as Greg Garrett shows in Entertaining Judgment, popular culture in the U.S. has found rich ground for creative expression in the search for answers to the question: What lies in store for us after we die? The lyrics of Madonna, Los Lonely Boys, and Sean Combs; the plotlines of TV's Lost, South Park, and The Walking Dead; the implied theology in films such as The Dark Knight, Ghost, and Field of Dreams; the heavenly half-light of Thomas Kinkade's popular paintings; the ghosts, shades, and after-life way-stations in Harry Potter; and the characters, situations, and locations in the Hunger Games saga all speak to our hopes and fears about what comes next. In a rich survey of literature and popular media, Garrett compares cultural accounts of death and the afterlife with those found in scripture. Denizens of the imagined afterlife, whether in heaven, hell, on earth, or in purgatory, speak to what awaits us, at once shaping and reflecting our deeply held-if often somewhat nebulous-beliefs. They show us what rewards and punishments we might expect, offer us divine assistance, and even diabolically attack us. Ultimately, we are drawn to these stories of heaven, hell, and purgatory--and to stories about death and the undead--not only because they entertain us, but because they help us to create meaning and to learn about ourselves, our world, and, perhaps, the next world. Garrett's deft analysis sheds new light on what popular culture can tell us about the startlingly sharp divide between what modern people profess to believe and what they truly hope and expect to find after death--and how they use those stories to help them understand this life.

Entertaining Judgment: The Afterlife in Popular Imagination

History

From the inspirational author of The Ragamuffin Gospel and the critically acclaimed novelist of Free Bird comes a powerful contemporary retelling of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Jack Chisholm is "the people's pastor." He leads a devoted and growing megachurch, has several best-selling books, and a memorable slogan, "We have got to do better." Jack knows how to preach, and he understands how to chastise people into performing. What he doesn't know is anything about grace. This year, when it comes time for the Christmas sermon, the congregation at Grace Cathedral will look to the pulpit, and Jack will not be there. Of course, they will have seen plenty of him already--on the news. After an evening of debauchery that leads to an affair with his beautiful assistant, Jack Chisholm finds himself deserted with chilling swiftness. The church elders remove him from his own pulpit. His publisher withholds the royalties from his books. Worst of all, his wife disappears with their eight-year-old daughter. But just as Jack is hitting bottom, hopeless and penniless, drinking his way to oblivion, who should appear but his long-estranged father, imploring his prodigal son: "Come home." A true companion piece to Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel, The Prodigalillustrates the power of grace through the story of a broken man who finally saw Jesus not because he preached his greatest sermon or wrote his most powerful book, but because he failed miserably. Jack Chisholm lost everything--his church, his family, his respect, and his old way of believing--but he found grace. It's the same grace that Brennan Manning devoted his life to sharing: profound in nature and coming from a God who loves us just as we are, and not as we should be. "A wonderfully written story that is as entertaining as it is thought provoking." --Publishers Weekly, starred review ". . . the consummate final tale. What they have created is the Ragamuffin at his best, full of hope, full of love, and finally, full of belief in the goodness of God." --Phyllis Tickle, founding editor, Religion Department, Publishers Weekly "Brennan Manning's last work continues the powerful message of grace and forgiveness that has transformed so many lives. The Prodigal will transform you too." --Mark Batterson, New York Times best-selling author of The Circle Maker

The Prodigal: A Ragamuffin Story

Literature & Fiction

Manning, Brennan

United States

Zondervan

MARK STANDS OUT AMONG THE OTHER GOSPELS, and it is sometimes compared to an action-packed movie. There are many Hollywood-esque themes—some that keep us on the edge of our seats, some that make us cry, and some that leave us in wonderment.
The Gospel of Mark jumps right into the action of Jesus’ story. Mark offers little by way of introduction, mentioning nothing about Jesus’ family tree. Unlike Matthew and Luke, he doesn’t include the story of Jesus’ birth. His account begins with a Scripture quote and moves right into the preaching of John, the wandering prophet. Jesus doesn’t just arrive; He is announced.
Like the original Greek version of this Gospel, The Voice of Mark is raw and to the point. Who is the Son of Man, and what should that mean in believers’ lives?
All who have ears to hear, let them listen.
 (4:9, 23; 7:16)
About the Writers:
(photo) Greg Garrett is the author of the critically-acclaimed novels Free Bird and Cycling, the memoir Crossing Myself, and non-fiction books including The Gospel Reloaded (with Chris Seay), and The Gospel According to Hollywood. He is professor of English at Baylor University and writer in residence at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest.
(photo) The former editor of CCM magazine, Matthew Paul Turner is the author of The Christian Culture Survival Guide, Provocative Faith, and the memoir Churched. With a focus on sharing spiritual relevancy in today's culture, Matthew is a frequent speaker at college and twenty-something events across the country. 
Thomas Nelson Bibles is giving back through the God’s Word in Action program. Donating a portion of profits to World Vision, we are helping to eradicate poverty and preventable deaths among children. Learn more and discover what you can do at www.seegodswordinaction.com.

The Voice, The Voice of Mark, Paperback: Let Them Listen

Religion & Spirituality

Turner, Matthew Paul

Christian Books & Bibles

Thomas Nelson

The Voice is the product of the best minds in the emerging generation of Christian leaders.
Together they are helping young people fall in love with the Scriptures. Instead of confining God's Word in the framework of biblical criticism, The Voice highlights the beauty of God's communication to His people. In The Voice, the voice of God is heard as clearly as when He first revealed His truth.
This retelling of the Book of Hebrews is designed to help postmodern readers understand how Jesus completes the law and prophets. David Capes has written a compelling comparison of the unusual character from Genesis, Melchizedek, and the Liberator found in the New Testament, Jesus. His story is followed by the complete text of Hebrews retold by Greg Garrett. This is the first time the Book of Hebrews has been examined from a postmodern perspective.
Features Include:
<ul>
<li>The Voice translation</li>
<li>Commentary by New Testament scholar, David Capes</li>
</ul>

The Voice, The Voice of Hebrews, Paperback: The Mystery of Melkizedek

Capes, David

Cancer &amp; Theology is an anthology of sixteen essays addressing the difficult questions of faith raised by illness and death. The essays, penned by a diverse collection of Christian thinkers, are often raw and always honest. Cancer &amp; Theology provides unique insights about the presence of God and the importance of community in the midst of grief and uncertainty. List of contributors: Paul Amlin, Kester Brewin, Adam Walker Cleaveland, Adam J. Copeland, Abigail Rian Evans, David Fitch, Nate Frambach, Greg Garrett, Tony Jones, Joshua Longbrake, Brian McLaren, Carol Howard Merritt, Brandon Lyman Mick, Andy Root, Mike Stavlund, and Greg Syler A portion of all proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Leukemia &amp; Lymphoma Society.

Cancer & Theology

Jones, Tony

Fitch, David E.

Root, Andrew

McLaren, Brian D.

Brewin, Kester

Howard Merritt, Carol

Rian Evans, Abigail

Elbow Co.

This book will thrill movie buffs and casual fans alike. In an engaging style, author Greg Garrett looks at the theological elements in dozens of classic and new classic Hollywood films, including a discussion about what the new openness to spirituality in the movies might mean for the future of American cinema and American religion.

The Gospel according to Hollywood

Westminster/John Knox Press

Spider-Man. Batman. The X-Men. The Fantastic Four. Comic books and the characters they have spawned have become twenty-first-century mythology. Greg Garrett helps us see the profound depth that can be found in the glossy, fast-paced, and often violent world of comics, graphic novels, and the films they inspire. Holy Superheroes! provides extensive discussions of some of our most beloved comic heroes and concludes with an appendix of twenty-five comics and graphic novels for discussion of spirituality and comics.

Holy Superheroes! Revised and Expanded Edition: Exploring the Sacred in Comics, Graphic Novels, and Film

Comics & Graphic Novels

Graphic Novels

Where is God in the midst of suffering? How do people find strength and comfort in times of terrible adversity? Award-winning writer Greg Garrett addresses these questions and others as he helps readers grapple with the question of where God can be found in times of tragedy. He explores the theological themes of biblical stories and American myths and discusses how these stories have shaped our beliefs about God. He further examines what these foundational narratives reveal about our understanding of God, how they inform how we live our lives, and how we experience God's presence in the midst of grief and suffering. This well-written volume is engaging reading for clergy, chaplains, pastoral counselors, and all who must find the courage and faith to support individuals and families in times of suffering and grief.

Stories from the Edge: A Theology of Grief

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