Posted by Jim Hollis on 09/13/05 21:52

Picked up the "BH" dvd set today. My set has the roadshow book repro
allright. However, I was most gratified to find that the "Schuller
propoganda" booklet WAS NOT included. Wonder if someone at WB realized they
had put something in that best be left out after a bunch had already been
shipped??
"Mr. Mike" <mjq@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:1fh8i15bfb1bkbcl4crqr8479cegcuvbgu@4ax.com...
> Included with the Ben-Hur box set to be released on Tuesday is a
reproduction of
> the souvenir book which was sold in theatres when the movie was first
shown.
>
> There is also some religious propaganda included, a 9-page pamphlet by
Robert
> H. and Robert A. Schuller!! This thing seemingly has the imprimatur of
Warner
> Brothers, because its back cover has credits and copyright information
from the
> film. Here is how this thing begins:
>
> INTRODUCTION
>
> We are honored and delighted to bring you this Bible study guide for
Ben-Hur: A
> Tale of the Christ -- a favorite of the Schuller family. Not only a
spectacular
> work of cinema, Ben-Hur delivers a simple message that resonates with
all of us.
> Ben-Hur tells the story of a man who, despite his imperfections and
flaws,
> despite life's trials and tribulations, ultimately finds meaning in life
through
> Jesus Christ. And that's the real meaning of the Cross: God is there to
guide us
> and to love us no matter what. On a personal note, Charlton Heston has
been a
> frequent guest and longtime friend of "Hour of Power," and I know that
he views
> his portrayal of Judah Ben-Hur as more than just a role. He sees
Ben-Hur's
> struggle as an important one to share with the world because, like
Ben-Hur, all
> of us have to fight and overcome personal battles. It is our sincere
hope that
> through this Bible study guide, you can discover the power that Jesus
Christ has
> to transform your life, because through God, all things are possible!
>
> SYNOPSIS
>
> Ben-Hur is a moving saga of the life of Judah Ben-Hur -- the leader of a
> prosperous and politically powerful family in Jerusalem at the time of
the Roman
> occupation. Betrayed by a childhood friend, Messala, Judah loses
everything
> after being sentenced to life as a Roman galley slave for a crime he did
not
> commit. Through God's direct and indirect intervention, Judah survives
and rises
> from his captivity to become a transformed man.
>
> PREPARATION
>
> Ben-Hur is a film epic in scope and length, clocking in at 3 hours and
32
> minutes. This Bible study is a fully integrated approach, where the
study
> follows directly on the heels of watching the film. This one-day study
will
> require preparation, but churches (and even small group fellowships and
> families) can turn the study into an "event" by screening the film in
the
> afternoon, followed by a shared meal for all participants, then using
the Bible
> study to focus on God's Transformational Power.
>
> A NOTE ON THE FORMAT OF THIS GUIDE
>
> When you see "Leader:" in regular type, what follows are directions.
When you
> see "Leader:" in italic type, what follows is information to share with
the
> group. It can be read directly from this guide or paraphrased. Questions
printed
> in bold represent the questions that appear in the study guides. Read
these
> aloud and then allow participants to comment and take notes on the
discussion.
> Some suggested answers to the questions appear in your leader's guide in
> parentheses.
>
> LEADER'S GUIDE
>
> Leader: Make sure that everyone has a Bible, a worksheet, and a pen or
pencil.
> Open in prayer that God will use this film about ancient times to reveal
Himself
> and His purposes to us. Begin the study by asking people to share
briefly what
> they liked best about the movie. Take 4-5 brief comments, then comment
that what
> you liked the best was the home improvement sequence. People will look
puzzled
> -- so you can explain: Leader: The Apostle Paul tells us that our bodies
are the
> temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). We are houses, but we are in
need of
> severe renovation. C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, asks us to imagine
that we
> are living houses. We think we are in need of a little home improvement
to turn
> us into truly comfortable little cottages. The problem is that God wants
to
> remake us into palaces, which requires a painful teardown and
rebuilding. He is
> transforming us into houses that He intends to inhabit. Ben-Hur is a
movie about
> this home improvement project and we are going to go through it tonight
step by
> step as we look at how God transforms us.
>

[Back to original message]