News
Finding Faith After Abuse-Undaunted-The Early Life of Josh McDowell Debuts on DVD Oct 16
DALLAS – Sept. 17, in the
year of our Lord 2012 – Millions of people know Josh
McDowell as a leading apologist for the Christian faith, a
presence for decades on college campuses, a humanitarian and the
author of more than 138 books including New Evidence That
Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter.
But far fewer people know Josh McDowell as the child of an
alcoholic father and a physically challenged mother; a boy who
suffered years of sexual abuse by a man who worked on the family
farm.
Welcome to UNDAUNTED—THE EARLY LIFE OF JOSH McDOWELL. With this
award-winning, “pull no punches” docudrama, McDowell takes
viewers into the terrible circumstances of his boyhood,
ultimately lifting them up with the inspiring, true story of how
he came to faith and learned to forgive his tormenters.
“I am very sure that this will get people to have more
confidence to share their own testimony,” McDowell told the
Christian Post. “When I look into the audience, wherever I
speak, I know that a third of them have suffered some kind of
sexual abuse.”
Distributed by EchoLight Studios, UNDAUNTED, which features and
is narrated by McDowell, dramatizes the life of an 11-year-old
who curses God for the abusive life he faces. Finding escape in
athletics and the Air Force, McDowell eventually enters college,
trying his best to intimidate and humiliate the few Christians
on campus. A challenge to him to disprove the resurrection
starts a two-year investigation in the U.S. and Europe. Becoming
convinced that the evidence supports Christian claims, the
former skeptic begins attending church, eventually giving his
life to Christ. Over a period of a year and half, McDowell grows
in his faith, eventually forgiving his father (who quit drinking
in response and became a powerful Christian witness in his
hometown) and finding and forgiving the abusive farmhand.
Ultimately, these encounters with grace lead the young McDowell
to offer his life to God’s service.
The powerful film recently earned two Crown Awards for Best
Evangelistic Film and Best Documentary from the International
Christian Visual Media Conference. UNDAUNTED is written and
directed by award-winning filmmaker Cristobal Krusen.
"We couldn’t be more proud to partner with Josh McDowell, who
has the strength to share this personal part of his life story,”
EchoLight Chief Global Strategist Christopher Morrow said. “It’s
an honor to work with someone who has had such an impact all
over the world.”
In addition to McDowell, UNDAUNTED features Allen Williamson
(ABDUCTION) as Josh as a young man, John Klicka (FOR THE GLORY)
as the boy Josh and Tom Emmott as his father.
UNDAUNTED will be available Oct. 16 through such leading online
and retail providers as Amazon.com, LifeWay Christian Stores and
Family Christian Stores, among many others.
About Josh McDowell
Since 1961, Josh McDowell has crisscrossed the world sharing the
Good News about Jesus with the Josh McDowell Ministry under the
umbrella of Cru (the U.S. division of Campus Crusade for Christ
International). He has spoken to more than 25 million people,
through 26,000 talks, in 125 countries. Josh has written or
co-written more than 138 books including New Evidence That
Demands a Verdict, named by Christianity Today as among the most
influential Christian books of the past 60 years. In addition,
Josh’s humanitarian relief efforts have sent more than $46
million worth of aid to help children in the former Soviet
Union.
Learn more at
Josh.org.
For more information, visit:
EchoLight.com/undaunted