Tony Watkins » Writing

Focus: The Art and Soul of Cinema

Tony Watkins — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:34:00 +0000

Once more good intentions of keeping up with blogging have gone the way of most good intentions. Anyway, the book, Focus: The Art and Soul of Cinema was officially published last Friday. My copies arrived on Monday – always an exciting moment to see the results of so much hard work nicely printed (11 pt Palatino on a very crisp white paper if, like me, you care about such things – and I realise most don’t) with a lovely cover.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Films have never been more popular or, with the increase in television channels and home rentals, so readily available. But how much of what we watch do we really understand? Focus: The Art and Soul of Cinema explains how films communicate the worldview of the film-maker, helping us to engage more fully with the films we watch – and so to enjoy them more. With a passion for film and a deep concern to develop a robust Christian understanding of our culture, Tony Watkins equips us to recognise and respond to the messages in today’s movies. Essential reading for anyone who enjoys films and who wants to get more out of their viewing experience.

There is a little more blurb, but since it’s people saying nice things about the book, modesty prevents me from putting it here. You can get more information from the Focus microsite. You can even read all the nice things there, as well as see what’s in the book, read a sample extract and get additional resources.

If you feel inclined to buy a copy – at the bargain price of £8.99 – you can do so in a number of ways. Here’s three, all with different advantages: order it through a bookshop (the ISBN is 978-1-904753-15-5), buy it through the Damaris shop or buy it from Amazon.co.uk via the books page on my website (which has the small advantage of a little commission from Amazon helping towards our support, as well as encouraging more sales on Amazon). Wherever you buy from, it really helps when people leave reviews on the Amazon website(s) – it has a huge influence on what people buy.

Some recommended books on film and faith At the risk of being seen as a shameless self-promoter,...
Dark Matter Dark Matter: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Philip Pullman...
Doctor Who I co-wrote Back in Time: A Thinking Fan’s Guide...

The book

Tony Watkins — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:50:00 +0000

Well, I’m behind schedule with just two weeks to go and a lot of revisions to do as well as writing appendices and other stuff. I’m pleased with what I’ve done, though, and hope it will make a valuable and distinctive contribution.

More soon – when I have some time again!

tony

Philip Pullman book True to my word, here I am telling you...
More on the book Here’s an outline of what the book will include:...

Current writing project

Tony Watkins — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 13:31:00 +0000

It’s about time I said something about my current writing project. I am getting towards the end of writing a book about engaging with film at a worldview level. There are a number of books written by Christians which look at connections between films and theology – some of them extremely good. Robert K. Johnstone’s Reel Spirituality is one of them (one day I will get around to putting my various bibliographies on this site – but not yet). But there is very little on how to understand, analyse and respond to what films are saying on their own terms.

I don’t think we treat a film fairly if all we’re doing is looking for parallels with the Christian story, or if we are preoccupied with how films handle explicitly theological issues. Thinking at a worldview level is much broader and requires us to consider what the film is saying about the nature of reality, the nature of human beings, how we know truth, how we know right and wrong, and what humans most need in order to attain fulfilment. All of these have a theological dimension to them, but a worldview approach allows us to think outside of a narrow framework and really hear what is being said. Then we can hopefully respond in richer, fuller, more helpful ways.

The plan is for me to finish writing by the end of July (I’m a long way behind at the moment) and for the book to be published in the spring of 2007. I’ll keep you posted!

No related posts.

Mini interview on Publishers Weekly

Tony Watkins — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 13:37:00 +0000

As well as reviewing Dark Matter, Publishers Weekly also conducted a short email interview with me which was published in Religion BookLine. Here’s an extract:

. . . rather than a screed against Pullman’s books—which portray the Church as a corrupt corporation and God as a sick old man whose place has been taken by an evil usurper—Watkins, a British Christian cultural critic, offers what he hopes will be an aid for Christians and non-Christians in understanding Pullman’s criticism of organized religion and faith.

“I primarily wrote it for fans of Pullman’s work who are not Christians,” Watkins told RBL in an e-mail interview from England. “His Dark Materials is full of theological and philosophical themes, and Pullman is vociferous in his opposition to religion and the idea of God. So I think that fans who want to really understand Pullman’s writings should understand a Christian perspective on them. I think that also makes it valuable for Christians who want to know how to respond to it. I don’t believe that we should be scared of books which say things we disagree with, but that we should enter into constructive dialogue.”

Kimberly Winston, Religion BookLine, 12 April 2006

For the full interview, follow the Read More link below.

Interview with Philip Pullman (from 2004) I interviewed Philip Pullman back in 2009, before I started...
More on the book Here’s an outline of what the book will include:...

Review of Dark Matter: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Philip Pullman

Tony Watkins — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 13:27:00 +0000

My Review of Dark Matter: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Philip Pullman has now been published in the USA by IVP. Publishers Weekly, a major trade publication for the book world, has published a favourable review:

‘Philip Pullman’s acclaimed His Dark Materials trilogy, a sweeping retelling of Milton’s Paradise Lost and The Fall , has caused great controversy among Christian readers. Watkins, a self-proclaimed Christian and managing editor for Damaris’s CultureWatch Web site, offers a perspective on Pullman’s work that is anything but dark and is sure to enlighten the debate among Christians. Watkins explains that while his intention is to provide readers the opportunity to appreciate Pullman in general, he also believes fervently that “it’s helpful for all fans of Pullman’s work-Christian or otherwise-to understand a Christian perspective on it.” The book is divided into three parts, the first a walk through Pullman’s life and background and the second an overview of the major dimensions of each book in the trilogy. It is not until the third section that readers will find what they are really looking for: a critical evaluation of major themes and story dimensions such as dæmons, sin and the infamous “death of God” – an assessment that is smart and wisely restrained. Watkins’s critical appreciation of Pullman’s trilogy will surely appeal to a Christian audience, but will reach well beyond this market to a general readership looking for a solid, substantially sourced, and well-written analysis of this beloved work of literature.’

Publishers Weekly, 3 April 2006

Philip Pullman book True to my word, here I am telling you...
Dark Matter Dark Matter: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Philip Pullman...
Philip Pullman’s next book is a reworking of the story of Jesus. And a denial of the truth of Jesus. Children’s author Philip Pullman says Jesus wasn’t the Son...

Playing God: Talking About Ethics in Medicine and Technology

Tony Watkins — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 08:58:00 +0000

Number four in the Talking About series created problems for us in trying to find the right subtitle. The Playing God bit was easy, but trying to summarise the area of interest in just a very few words was tricky. The ‘ethics in medicine’ part is straightforward enough – looking at issues relating to the beginning and end of life in particular. But ‘technology’ could mean anything from the composition of pencil leads through to nano technology. The area we’re focusing on is really to do with transhumanism (the technological development of human beings) and artificial intelligence – questions relating to the nature of humanity, in other words.

Anyway, here’s the blurb and contents list:

As advances in technology push back the boundaries of the possible, are we losing sight of the question of whether it is right to do everything that science makes possible? From (premature) birth to (endlessly delayed) death, more and more decisions have to be made. How can Christians find a way through the moral minefield that new technology presents, and how can we talk about these things in a way that helps, rather than browbeats, our friends? Playing God: Talking About Ethics in Medicine and Technology begins to help readers think about these questions by engaging with recent films, books and television programmes.

Contents

Introduction to the Talking About series by Tony Watkins

Introduction by Nick Pollard

Rethinking Life and Death – (read this sample chapter)
by Nick Pollard

I Give You Dominion: A Biblical Perspective on Ethics in Medicine and Technology
by Dr Trevor Stammers

Killing Me Softly – Vera Drake and Million Dollar Baby
by Tony Watkins

Paddling in the Gene Pool – Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake
by Caroline Puntis

Built Free – I, Robot
by Peter S. Williams

Docs on the Box – TV medical dramas
by Dr Rebecca Lewis

My Sister’s Keeper (Jodi Picoult) – Study Guide
by Louise Crook

The Island – Study Guide
by Tony Watkins

Life after God? The Ethical Teaching of Peter Singer
by Dr Peter May

Background to the quotes

For further reading

Spooked: Talking About the Supernatural Books 3 and 4 in the Talking About series...
Sex and the Cynics: Talking About the Search for Love The Salvation Army published a very positive review which...
Truth Wars: Talking About Tolerance The second book (technically it’s number 2, but it...

Spooked: Talking About the Supernatural

Tony Watkins — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 08:45:00 +0000

Books 3 and 4 in the Talking About series were published in early May this year. I was satisfied with the first two, but very pleased with how these two have ended up. They have a better balance of material in them, for one thing.

Here’s the blurb and contents list for Spooked:

‘I’ve never been someone who needed organised religion. But I’ve always been someone with a deep belief in a higher power’. George Michael’s comments on the Parkinson show sum up what many people feel about the supernatural. Why is it that so many people today see life as being more than just what can be explained rationally, yet are resistant to the gospel? How can Christians engage with those who are happy to talk about spirituality, but less interested in talking about Jesus? Spooked: Talking About the Supernatural begins to address these issues by engaging with recent films, books and television programmes.

Contents

Introduction to the Talking About series by Tony Watkins

Introduction by Nick Pollard

Deliver Us From Evil – (read this sample chapter)
by Nick Pollard

More Than Meets The Eye – A Biblical Perspective on the Supernatural
by Ian Hamlin

Entertaining Doubt – Derren Brown
by Mark Stafford

Scary, Scary Night – the films of M. Night Shyamalan
by Steve Couch

Putting Adult Ways Behind Us – children’s supernatural fiction
by Tony Watkins

Demons on Trial – The Exorcism of Emily Rose
by Rebecca Ward

Lost – study guide
by Emily Dalrymple

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke) – study guide
by Louise Crook

Chasing After the Wind – Logical Positivism and A.J. Ayer
by Peter S. Williams

Background to the quotes

For further reading

Truth Wars: Talking About Tolerance The second book (technically it’s number 2, but it...
Sex and the Cynics: Talking About the Search for Love The Salvation Army published a very positive review which...
Playing God: Talking About Ethics in Medicine and Technology Number four in the Talking About series created problems...

Truth Wars: Talking About Tolerance

Tony Watkins — Tue, 30 May 2006 15:03:00 +0000

The second book (technically it’s number 2, but it was published at the same time as Sex and the Cynics) is on one of the hottest issues in our culture: how do we relate to people with different worldviews and moralities? What does tolerance really mean?

Here’s the blurb and contents list:

‘Why can’t you be more tolerant? Surely Jesus isn’t the only way to know God.’

Christians increasingly face this challenge in today’s fragmented society. Does tolerance mean we have to accept every perspective as equally true? Can we still stand up for the uniqueness of Christ and for Christian morality? Truth Wars: Talking About Tolerance is an accessible and exciting introduction to thinking about these issues.

Contents

Introduction to the Talking About series
by Tony Watkins

Introduction by Nick Pollard

Ministry of Dissent – (read this sample chapter)
by Nick Pollard

All Inclusive – a biblical perspective on tolerance
by Tony Watkins

Testing Tolerance – Jerry Springer: The Opera and Behzti
by Tony Watkins

Lip Service – Saved!
by Louise Crook

Saved! – study guide
by Louise Crook

Hero – study guide
by Louise Griffiths

Not the End of the World (Geraldine McCaughrean) – study guide
by Tony Watkins

Doctor Who – study guide
by Tony Watkins

Definitely Maybe – the philosophy of David Hume
by Peter S. Williams

Background to the quotes

Further reading

Sex and the Cynics: Talking About the Search for Love The Salvation Army published a very positive review which...
Spooked: Talking About the Supernatural Books 3 and 4 in the Talking About series...
Playing God: Talking About Ethics in Medicine and Technology Number four in the Talking About series created problems...

Sex and the Cynics: Talking About the Search for Love

Tony Watkins — Tue, 30 May 2006 14:57:00 +0000

The Salvation Army published a very positive review which you can read on their website. Here’s the blurb and contents of the first book in the Talking About series.

Love: one of the deepest longings of the human heart, yet increasingly viewed with cynicism. Many people have been hurt too often to believe in love any more, or they just think that it can never last – and they settle for sex as an end in itself. How can Christians say that we were made for love – and that God loves us – in a context like this? Sex and the Cynics: Talking About the Search for Love is an accessible and exciting introduction to thinking about these issues.

Contents

Introduction to the Talking About series by Tony Watkins

Introduction by Nick Pollard

Happily Never After? (read this sample chapter)
by Nick Pollard

Up Close and Personal – a biblical perspective on love
by Steve Tilley

You Complete Me – love in the movies
by Caroline Puntis

Desperately Seeking Something – Desperate Housewives
by Annie Porthouse

Love Actually – study guide
by Steve Couch

Closer – study guide
by Louise Crook

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – study guide
by Caroline Puntis

The History of Love (Nicole Krauss) – study guide
by Tony Watkins

Out of Control – the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer
by Peter S. Williams

Background to the quotes

For further reading

Truth Wars: Talking About Tolerance The second book (technically it’s number 2, but it...
Spooked: Talking About the Supernatural Books 3 and 4 in the Talking About series...
Playing God: Talking About Ethics in Medicine and Technology Number four in the Talking About series created problems...

Talking About series

Tony Watkins — Tue, 30 May 2006 14:49:00 +0000

As well as writing or co-writing Dark Matter: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Philip Pullman and Back in Time: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Doctor Who, I have been editing a series of books which goes under the name of the Talking About series.

Each of the books takes the basic ingredients of what Nick Pollard has written in one of his articles for Idea magazine, and develops them into something more substantial, but still light and easily digested. Nick significantly develops his 800-word article into the opening chapter of each book. Then come some extra ingredients: a biblical perspective on the issue; articles on key aspects of the central theme; study guides on relevant films, books or television programmes; and an introduction to one or more key thinkers whose work still influences our culture. Some of these chapters have been developed from material published on Damaris’ CultureWatch website (www.culturewatch.org), others have been commissioned especially for the books. Finally, sprinkled throughout the mix are some relevant quotes (many of these quotes have come from another Damaris resource, www.ToolsForTalks.com – a collection of tools for Christian speakers.

I’ll introduce the books so far in separate posts.

Truth Wars: Talking About Tolerance The second book (technically it’s number 2, but it...
Spooked: Talking About the Supernatural Books 3 and 4 in the Talking About series...
Sex and the Cynics: Talking About the Search for Love The Salvation Army published a very positive review which...