Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

When I saw the title of this book and the picture on the front cover, I thought it was an interesting premise. This book didn't disappoint I am a big movie buff, so this book is right up my alley. This book uses 6 fictional characters to show how broken our world is. I think this book is a great conversation starter.

I wanted to read this but didn't realize it was expiring. My apologies for bad time management. Will leave a better review when I can find the book on Libby or something. Appreciate the gifted copy.

This was such a good read! I love marvel movies, and the Lord of the rings so I liked to see thoses movies and characters from a Christian perspective. I definitely agree with the author that Captain America is a lot like Jesus. I'd definitely recommend this book to any Christian who doesn't see a Christian perspective on nonchristian movies.

Wow! This Was a Very Interesting Read!

I’m a huge fan of Star Wars, Marvel and Harry Potter not to mention the other heroes mentioned. I was drawn to this book to to find out how Frank & Zach could even show how any of these movies could relate to christianity, scripture or Jesus. Would this help me to strike up conversations with friends… I was willing to dig in and see!

What did I find? Some of these surprised me a lot! I do feel this book could help to open conversation and ask questions that could ultimately point to Jesus. Definitely worth reading!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

Thank you, Netgalley and the author/publisher, for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book. This in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own.

Now that was a refreshing book!!!! I'm an absolute Marvel's fan. I like DC but my heart belongs to the MCU Universe. This book totally made me geek out. I love how the author was able to examine the recurring theme of a world plagued by evil and a savior (or saviors) who would eventually deliver the world in the most popular superhero movies from a Christian perspective and show how humanity unconsciously recognizes that there is evil in the world that can only be defeated by the work of a savior on our behalf, sounds like Jesus, right? While the heroes in those movies display many behaviors and character traits that Jesus showed, eventually they all had their flaws. The only perfect superhero is Jesus, but the others, like Captain America, come pretty close. Great book even for non-Christians!

Wasn't a fan of this one. I understand what the author was trying to go for but I feel it's wrong to use movies that clearly have things that go against God's Word and try to compare them to God. I think there are a lot of people that would enjoy this book but I'm just not one of them.

Rating: 5 stars!
I realized a while ago that most popular movies had the recurring theme of a world plagued by evil and a savior (or saviors) who would eventually deliver the world. I wondered if this demonstrated that humanity unconsciously recognizes that there is evil in the world that can only be defeated by the work of a savior on our behalf.

I admire Frank Turek and his ministry (cross-examined), so when I heard he was working on a book on this subject, I was extremely interested.

In Hollywood Heroes, Six fictional stories are used to demonstrate how popular films convey so much about our human nature, our fallen world, and our need for a savior.
Frank and Zach Turek have written a novel that is both engaging and entertaining. It was easy to read, and I believe it would be an excellent book for parents to read with their teenagers. I also believe it is incredibly helpful in equipping us to share the faith with others through pop culture.

If you love superhero movies or movies in general, I guarantee you will like this book!
Even if you're not a big movie buff, I think you'd enjoy this book.

*I received this book from NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review*

Hollywood Heroes
by Frank Turek
Pub Date: May 3, 2022
NavPress
Thanks to the author, NavPress, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Frank Turek is an American Christian author, Christian Apologist and public speaker at universities, conferences, and churches. He is the author of two books, Correct, Not Politically Correct and Stealing from God, and co-author of two more with Norman Geisler, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist and Legislating Morality. He hosts a call-in talk show called CrossExamined on American Family Radio. His television show, I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, airs on the NRB Network.
This book takes popular Hollywood movies and looks at them through a Christian lens.
I really enjoyed reading this book.
4 stars

We watch a lot of movies. During a pandemic when most of us are either locked down, working from home, or simply spending more time isolated from the general public, we tend to stay indoors and in our leisure moments, watch even more movies While some of us simply want to be entertained, in the midst of searching for nice movies to watch, there is a little child inside each of us craving for hope. This heart desires to be inspired by heroic acts and heroes who could save the world. Whether fantasy or sci-fi, drama or romance, we all want something good to happen in this world. With the popularity of Marvel movies, characters from Justice League, and memorable personalities from Harry Potter, Lord-Of-The-Rings, etc, these superheroes have captivated our imagination about special powers and unique abilities. These are skills that the common person does not have. Spider-man can swing. Harry Potter casts spells. Batman has his special gadgets and the futuristic Star Wars gives us an out-of-this-world experience. Common to all movies described in this book is the hero who aids mankind with the accomplishment of the greater good, and often to save the world. This hero figure essentially tells us that fictional characters represent hope and inspiration in real life. Throughout these movies, there are many other lessons we could glean from, such as questions about the divine, ethical dilemmas, the reality of evil, the downfall of arrogance, the consequences of personal choices, and the sanctity of life. Authors Frank and Zach Turek assert that these movies actually reveal our desire for God. With an intrinsic sense of good battling evil, these stories speak of salvation, justice, senseless evil, and the eventual culmination of good. These superheroes and gallant protagonists often represent the inner human need for retribution against evil and the victory of the good. Yet, they assert that however heroic or virtuous each of these heroes may be, they are a far cry from the God of the Bible. This book is essentially about how these Hollywood heroes reveal our hearts' desires and how they ought to point us to the Greatest Hero of all: God.

Characters like Captain America is called the "ideal" superhero because he seeks always to do the right thing and does not compromise on ethical decisions. In contrast, Iron Man is more hedonist than heroic. His special powers actually depend on his special suit. Without it, he is not much a superhero. Yet, we are more like Tony Stark in our earthly endeavors: Our struggle to define ourselves through our accomplishments. Harry Potter is an interesting edition. In fact, the creator of the series, JK Rowling admits that there are lots of "Christian imagery" in her writings and her entire series could be summed up in two Bible verses: 1 Corinthians 15:26 and Matthew 6:21! Themes of prophecy, morality, life, and resurrection are all there. The popular Star Wars and "Lord of the Rings" series has many spiritual themes too. Apart from the existence of good and evil, faith, salvation, redemption, and hope are also evident. Batman is a more controversial character. While he is often seen as the positive force for good, his own life is shrouded in darkness, with lots of symbolism of what it means to live in the dark cloud of secrecy while quietly wanting to make a positive difference to bring justice to the life of the city. The chapter on Wonder Woman brings out more interesting observations about what it takes to reveal truth in a fallen world. On top of the many heroic characteristics mentioned, her story tells of selfless love and sacrifice.

My Thoughts
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Interestingly, authors Frank Turek and Zach Turek begin the book, not with some reel character but a real-life person. Michael Monsoon was killed in action during a mission in Afghanistan. When insurgents hurled a grenade into his vicinity, in order to protect his two fellow Navy Seals near him, he sacrificed himself by using his own body to absorb the explosion. He is the true hero that many of us would admire. While he did not have superpowers like the ones mentioned in Hollywood, his act is no less noble. While the authors have consistently pointed to Jesus as the ultimate hero, they also remind us that as followers of Jesus, of how we all have glimpses of goodness inside us, but tempted by evil and sin. This contrasts sharply with the Person of Jesus Christ, who did all the good, overcame sin in spite of manifold temptations, and humbly submitted to God's will to die on the Cross. For that, He was resurrected and declared victorious. Even if we combine all the positive attributes of the Hollywood heroes mentioned in the book, they cannot hold a candle to the virtues of Jesus. Just like how the authors introduce a real human figure in the salvation of two Navy seals, he ends with the sacrifice of Jesus for the salvation of the whole world! Now, that is a powerful reality check. As individuals, we often see our small world as the real world. God sees the whole universe as His context, and yet is able to care for every individual where they are. His decisions are far greater than the ethical dilemmas faced in this world. His justice far exceeds the choices made in both fictional and non-fictional stories. His love easily overwhelms all the emotional and spiritual motifs mentioned in the humanly created characters. While we all seem to refer to the Hollywood characters as our superheroes, we need to remember that they are still characters flowing out of human imagination. This brings out the age-old question. If humans created the Hollywood heroes, the one who created humans in the first place would be a more significant creator! Some unbelievers might argue that if God created the world, then who created God? The simple answer would be: God is uncreated. He exists in eternity. Before the world began, God is already there. If we go on a cyclical manner of questioning God as if He is created, we will enter into a meaningless loop of uncertainty.

This book is a creative work of apologetics. The authors are passionate about sharing the gospel and answering the questions surrounding faith and Christianity. Throughout the book, they aim to show us why hero and superhero movies are so popular in the first place. That is because they reflect a huge part of the human craving for meaning and significance. What they cannot find in this world, they look toward the fictional stories as an embodiment of their desires. Sometimes, I wonder why people are so willing to embrace the Hollywood stories by willingly forking out their hard-earned cash to watch the movies. Yet, they quickly dispense of the gospel story that has been offered for free in many churches, Christian events, and even faith-based movies. If this book could encourage readers to be willing to hear the gospel again and to accept the person of Jesus Christ, this would have worth the price of the book. Otherwise, with so many themes and symbolism that we can all learn from, watching superhero movies will never be the same again. In a good way of course!

Frank Turek (DMin, Southern Evangelical Seminary) serves as the vice president of Southern Evangelical Seminary. He has appeared on numerous television and radio programs. He is also the President of CrossExamined.org, where he 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.

Zach Turek (Frank's son) is an officer of the United States Air Force. He is also a graduate of Southern Evangelical Seminary with an MA in Philosophy.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers, NavPress, and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.