Only when evangelicals agree to look at Hollywood not just as an evangelistic tool, or a harmless entertainment provider, but also as an important participant in cultural discourse will they understand that as a major share of the movie market, they are in a position to shape that vital discussion.

This is from William Romanowski in a USA Today article.

There is a shift happening in Hollywood. It’s a gradual shift, but production companies are starting to take notice. Here’s how I see it:

• Music: In the 80′s, Christian music began to flourish. It was odd, strange that Christians would sing contemporary sounding songs. It wasn’t just the hymns or the praise. It was rock. It was Petra. I remember in my early years thinking how strange this was, but how cool it was. Finally, I could listen to some cool music that had a great message, encouraging message of hope and peace and faith. Today, you have everything from ska, punk, rock, rap, pop, swing to blues. And, there’s Christian blues. It’s almost an oxymoron.

• Books: In the 90′s, the new Christian “entertainment” was written fiction. Frank Peretti had released “This Present Darkness” and the sequel “Piercing the Darkness”. These books captivated me. I rarely read, but started reading because of this excellent fiction. My wife is an ardent reader of Christian romance Novels. Why? Because she doesn’t care for the trashy romance novels that fill most bookshelves.
• Movies: For this decade, I can only think that movies are next. The Passion of Christ has proven that there is a market. I doubt seriously that the multi-billion dollar business of Christian entertainment would leave the movie industry untapped. It’s the next logical step.

Redeeming entertainment.