Reel Spirit is your personal guide to spirituality in the movies. This insightful book includes 400 movies with reviews of films from various genres that span the history of the cinema, from the early 1900s through 1999. Inside you'll find a discussion of each of 150 "Main Attraction" movies, with a short synopsis of the story line and a review of the film's main spiritual ideas followed by related films and questions to help draw out themes and issues for discussion.

A spirituality guide highlighting video characters as mentors. "Gloria Hutchinson [gives] parents, teachers. . .everyone a guide to the moral challenges movies contain. Under her wise probing we hear. . .the subtext of grace."--William J. Bausch, author of The Yellow Brick Road

A comprehensive study of theology and film that explores how the Christian faith is portrayed in film throughout history.

As the cradle-religion I belong to has been, at every age, probing into her managing and conserving of the Mmysterious Ttreasures entrusted to her, with the enlightenment, offered by Vatican Council II, I too longed to scrutinize my own handling of Catholic Christian Ffaith. I wanted to examine whether the religion I practice personally was real or reel? tTrue or false? gGenuine or false? aAuthentic or artificial? hHeartfelt or routine? fFruitful or poisonous? oOriginal or counterfeit? sSingle-hearted or double-hearted? Certainly, as a priest I had lot of occasions like recollections and retreats regularly to regularly assess the genuineness of my religious holdings and practices. Though I began 10ten years back, gathering all my scribbles and journals of evaluation about my personal religion, I started putting them seriously into a book form only after Pope Benedict XVI announced year 2012 as the Year of Faith. I considered it a call from God who wanted to befriend me more intensely and to promote to my friends this habit of assessing ones own faith. This is how this book was conceived and shaped. This book can be considered as a self-imposed act of examining my conscience about the identity, nature, and application, and practice of religion in my life. I hope and pray this effort of mine will surely assist my readers do the same, not only during this Year of Faith as it would be ended 24 November 24, 2013;, but also later on in life when tumult of waves and trials is daunting against our faith and religion.

Increasingly, thinking Christians are examining the influential role that movies play in our cultural dialogue. Reel Spirituality successfully heightens readers' sensitivity to the theological truths and statements about the human condition expressed through modern cinema. This second edition cites 200 new movies and encourages readers to ponder movie themes that permeate our culture as well as motion pictures that have demonstrated power to shape our perceptions of everything from relationships and careers to good and evil. Reel Spirituality is the perfect catalyst for dialogue and discipleship among moviegoers, church-based study groups, and religious film and arts groups. The second edition cites an additional 200 movies and includes new film photos.

"Whole System Working" is an approach that enables people to find sustainable solutions to local problems. It is also a theoretical approach to organizational development that views groups of people who share a common purpose as a "living system". Based on King's Fund work over four years with health agencies and their local partners in housing, local government, the independent sector, transport, and local people, this book describes the founding principles which characterize the approach, gives examples of its application in practice, and answers common questions.

An exploration of people's fascination with the question of life after death and efforts throughout history to communicate with those who have died.