Here’s today’s dispatch from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.

Luther meets the Pope. Joseph Fiennes, who played Protestant Reformation initiator Martin Luther in a 2003 biopic,  met Pope Francis in Vatican City yesterday. Fiennes is in the city with actress Mario Botto and the producers of Sony Pictures’ upcoming faith-themed film Risen which opens nationwide in U.S. theaters on February 19th.  The film is being screened at the Vatican today.

The epic tells the story of Resurrection through the eyes of Clavius (Joseph Fiennes), a non-believing Roman Military official determined to find Jesus’ missing body in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem.

AFFIRM Films (a Sony Pictures Entertainment company) originally acquired worldwide rights from LD Entertainment on Risen and will release the film in association with Columbia Pictures and LD Entertainment.  Starring Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love, Luther), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Peter Firth (“Spooks”) and Cliff Curtis (Live Free or Die Hard), and Maria Botto, and directed by Kevin Reynolds (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), the action drama will be released in theaters nationwide on Friday, February 19, 2016.

Risen’s screenplay is by Kevin Reynolds and Paul Aiello from a story by Paul Aiello. It is produced by Mickey Liddell (The Grey), Patrick Aiello (As Above, So Below), and Pete Shilaimon (In Secret), and executive produced by Robert Huberman and Scott Holroyd.

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11