Hollywood Heroes: How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God

by Frank Turek, Zach Turek

Overview

Captain America assembles the Avengers. Iron Man battles Thanos. Luke Skywalker duels Darth Vader. Aragorn charges Mordor. Batman confronts the Joker. Superman destroys Doomsday. Wonder Woman defeats Ares. We are captivated. Why?

We are entranced by stories that take us to a world where heroes fight evil and sacrifice themselves for a greater good because we long for our world to be free from pain, suffering, and struggle. That’s the real hope and promise of Jesus—when He returns to set things right.

In Hollywood Heroes, you’ll see how:

• Your favorite movie heroes are patterned after the Ultimate Hero—Jesus of Nazareth
• Big screen stories parallel the real-world fight between good and evil
• Movies and characters can impart inspiring biblical life lessons on justice, purpose, courage, strength, sacrifice, faith, and love

Hollywood Heroes begins with the true story of a US Navy SEAL who faced evil and sacrificed himself to save his teammates. Authors Frank and Zach Turek then use Spider-Man’s origin story to address the question: “Why would a good God allow evil?” You’ll then read how seven movie franchises—Captain America, Iron Man, Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Batman, and Wonder Woman—portray the battle against evil, providing a set of modern-day parables that reveal truths about God and His mission for us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641583534
Publisher:	The Navigators
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Dr. Frank Turek is a dynamic speaker and award-winning author or coauthor of four books: Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to make their Case, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, Correct, Not Politically Correct and Legislating Morality. As the President of CrossExamined.org, Frank presents powerful and entertaining evidence for Christianity at churches, high schools and at secular college campuses that often begin hostile to his message. He has also debated several prominent atheists including Christopher Hitchens and David Silverman, president of American Atheists.
Frank hosts an hour-long TV program each week called I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist that is broadcast Wednesday nights on DirecTV Channel 378 (NRBTV). His radio program called CrossExamined with Frank Turek airs on 186 stations every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. eastern and is available continuously on the free CrossExamined App.
Frank is a widely featured guest in the media as a leading apologetics expert and cultural commentator. He has appeared on hundreds of radio programs and many top TV programs including: The O’Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, Faith Under Fire, and Politically Incorrect. He also writes a column for Townhall.com and several other sites. A former aviator in the US Navy,
Frank has a master’s degree from the George Washington University and a doctorate from Southern Evangelical Seminary. He and his wife, Stephanie, are blessed with three grown sons.

Table of Contents

Preface To Get the Most out of This Book, Watch These Movies viii

Introduction Looking Death in the Face 1

1 Captain America 21

2 Iron Man 43

3 Harry Potter 69

4 Star Wars 93

5 The Lord of the Rings 119

6 Batman 145

7 Wonder Woman 171

8 The Ultimate Hero 199

Acknowledgments 223

Notes 225

What People are Saying About This

Lauren Green

I love this book because it shows what many Christians have been saying for years: Hollywood is making faith-based films but doesn’t really know it! Frank and Zach Turek have written an exegesis of the superheroes we all know and love, helping us understand that beneath the costumes and superpowers—or even super weaknesses, as is the case of hobbits—these heroes represent the only Superhero who truly saves . . . Jesus. And what’s more, this book sheds light on the foundational desire of every human heart. You see, just like they talk about in the book, the “hero gig” didn’t come naturally to Tony Stark (aka Iron Man); it doesn’t come naturally to us fallen sinners either. But what does come naturally to us is the need to be saved by someone more powerful and virtuous than we are. Our hearts crave it, yearn for it. Hollywood Heroes is your ticket to seeing how good-overcoming-evil is the grand narrative that sells out seats because it points to the Hero in the greatest story ever told, the gospel.

Alisa Childers

As a mom, I understand the concern many Christian parents have about the religious themes found in movies like Harry Potter and Star Wars. But as our kids mature and are exposed to culture, what if we could use those stories to teach discernment and initiate meaningful conversations about gospel truth? Hollywood Heroes will help you find on-ramps to sharing the gospel not only with your children but also with other people who might be resistant to religious language yet are enchanted by well-produced superhero films. My kids love the Marvel franchise, and I’ll be using this book as a guide to help them understand why they are so drawn to those movies—and how their favorite heroes point to the Ultimate Hero, Jesus Christ.

Connie Sellecca

Hollywood heroes like Captain America, Iron Man, and even my friend the Greatest American Hero have, for generations, told us stories of truth and justice in service of the greater good. And now, thanks to Frank and Zach’s brilliant work, we see how these Hollywood heroes reveal the Greatest Story Ever Told.

John Tesh

In this book, Frank and Zach Turek reveal an exciting and unique superhero allegory that produces a powerful weapon for sharing our faith!

Natasha Crain

Don’t think for a minute that this book is only for superhero-movie fans or even for movie fans in general. I had only seen one of the movies Frank and Zach discuss and yet was enthralled by the unique worldview connections they made and the powerful insights they brought to light. I love that Hollywood Heroes captures the reader’s imagination by showing and not simply telling—a rare achievement in apologetics. It’s a creative, engaging, and fresh work that I highly recommend—to movie buffs and non–movie buffs alike!

J. Warner Wallace

Nearly half of the world’s top-grossing movies of all time involve superheroes of one kind or another. Think about that for a moment. What’s behind our international, universal obsession with these fictional characters, and what does this fascination tell us about our shared longings and expectations? In Hollywood Heroes, Frank and Zach Turek open your eyes to what’s been hidden in plain sight. Don’t watch another superhero movie until you’ve read this book. Hollywood Heroes will help you leverage pop culture for the glory of God and turn Hollywood storytelling into an opportunity to share the gospel.

Max McLean

Neil Gaiman, paraphrasing G. K. Chesterton, wrote, “Fairy tales are more than true—not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.” Here Frank and Zach Turek give us a valuable resource to help us meet the Author of all stories as we explore the movies and stories that capture our imaginations.

Hillary Morgan Ferrer

What a delightful book! Hollywood Heroes is the perfect primer for teens, tweens, or really anyone who might not normally be interested in spiritual conversations. I foresee a whole series of family movie nights and dinner conversations sprouting from this book.

Andy Stanley

In Hollywood Heroes, Frank and Zach Turek remind us that the greatest story ever told has been told and retold countless times. Surprisingly, it’s been told and retold within the framework of some of your favorite movies!

Lee Strobel

Here’s a unique, creative, and compelling treatment of a phenomenon that is especially relevant in our culture today. You’ll be both entertained and enlightened by the provocative insights in these pages. Enjoy the journey—and apply the lessons to your life!

Sean McDowell

Hollywood Heroes is the book I wish I had written! It’s fun, insightful, and timely. Frank and Zach convincingly show that the story lines of some of the biggest superheroes today—such as Iron Man and Batman—point to our desire for an ultimate hero, which is best exemplified in the Christian worldview. If you want to think more deeply about the intersection of culture and faith (or if you just want an interesting read!), this book is for you.

Ray Comfort

The world is intensely fascinated by Hollywood. Wildly popular actors set trends, create fashions, and (tragically) reproduce millions after their own kind. But Hollywood Heroes uncovers a positive side to that which is so often negative. This powerful book has the potential to reach many with the gospel. Buy it, read it, then pass it on to unsaved loved ones, friends, and neighbors.