More often than not, discussions of religion in film dismiss the products of the Christian film industry as not worthy of serious consideration or scholarship. Whether this is because such films are viewed as artistically inferior, ideologically shallow, or both, the study of them has been neglected by the majority of religion and/or film scholars. Terry Lindvall and Andrew Quicke seek to fill this gap in the study of Christian films in Celluloid Sermons: The Emergence of the Christian Film Industry, 1930–1986.

Lindvall's earlier work, Sanctuary Cinema: Origins of the Christian Film Industry (2007) outlined the development of the Christian silent film industry, and documented its end with the coming of sound films. In that book, Lindvall demonstrated convincingly the ambivalence of Christians about the new medium, and how problems with funding and distribution ultimately ended the nascent Christian silent film industry. This new book takes up the story where that book ended, with Christians seeking to make use of the new technology of sound film. The strength of this book lies in its almost encyclopedic descriptions of the various Christian sound film companies, along with an analysis that shows their diversity of aims and approaches.

Aside from being immensely informative about the films made, Lindvall and Quicke clearly delineate the different approaches of the various Christian studios. Some chose to focus on the dramatization of Christian stories, whether from the Bible or the subsequent history of Christianity and its saints. Others made films with an evangelical purpose, whether through documentaries or fictional stories designed to create conversions. On the other hand, some film companies seemed to be “preaching to the choir,” as their films were intended as educational resources for the churches, to tell about mission work that had occurred or social ministry that was needed. As in the silent era, filmmakers were handicapped by the costs of filmmaking and film distribution, sometimes resorting to “four-walling” when they rented out local theaters to sell or give away seats in an effort to find an audience. Films were sometimes rented by churches, but these seldom generated much revenue, except for a few like the legendary A Thief in the Night (1972), which introduced the concept of the “Rapture” to a whole generation, long before the Left Behind books were written.

Christian film companies zealousy sought to break into larger markets, both for impact and revenue, and were occasionally successful. Theatrical release and acclaim greeted films like Martin Luther (1953) or The Hiding Place (1975), and television also provided a large market for films like Shadowlands (1985), which dramatized the romance of C. S. Lewis and Joy Gresham, or shows like the Lutheran claymation series Davey and Goliath (1961–71). Many films, however, seemed to be confined to showings in church basements, which usually destined them to oblivion.

With enough funding some films managed to reach more audiences. Billy Graham's World Wide Pictures produced numerous films to be shown globally for evangelical purposes, and Campus Crusade for Christ brought The Jesus Film (1979) around the world, claiming to have saved 225 million souls in the process. This is an extraordinary story of film translation and distribution, rivaled only by the story of the Indian Jesus film Karunamayuda (1978), which has been shown to millions of Indians. The power of such efforts at evangelism is demonstrated in the extent of political controversy they have generated in the countries where they occur; whether one approves or disapproves of such efforts, this is an important story of the impact of religious films that should be known by anyone interested in the influence of either film or religion in the modern world.

One important insight the book clearly delivers is that the Christian film industry was far from monolithic, as both liberal and conservative denominations made and funded films, and they were shown for diverse purposes: to create social consciousness about societal issues like racism or poverty; to scare non-Christians into converting; to dramatize stories with a Christian message, whether for Christian audiences or others; or to educate children about moral values. The churches themselves also changed as a result, as a greater awareness and appreciation of popular culture and media reached congregations, even as their concern with society outside the churches grew. The book ends with the demise of many Christian film companies, but, as with the silent era, one knows that a rebirth is on the horizon. The stories of the Left Behind films and those of Mel Gibson have yet to be told, which suggests that a third chapter of this history is yet to be written.

The alternative industry of Christian cinema has reached a huge population and has affected how all of us understand the relationship between media and religion. For this reason alone, Celluloid Sermons is an indispensable resource not only for the study of religious films, but for anyone seeking to understand the history of film and its influences.