Dr. James Dobson, who resigned as chairman of Focus on the Family in 2009 after more than 30 years with the group he founded, is issuing the book and film series, 'Building a Family Legacy, a project he considers the capstone of his career as one of America's most prominent conservative Christian expert on raising children. (AP file/Charles Dharapak)

The trailer for James Dobson's new film series, "Building a Family Legacy," played for a room full of religion reporters from around the U.S. at the annual meeting of Religion Newswriters Association, held Sept. 18-20 in Decatur, Ala. The reporters were listening to the filmed Dobson explain the new series, how he hopes it will be the bookend of a career of more than 40 years as conservative Christianity's best-known child-rearing expert.

The new series, produced along with his son, Ryan Dobson, uses clips from his 1970s "Focus on the Family," along with new material and a new set of study guides designed for group, church or individual use. The first film in the series will be broadcast in a free simulcast available Wednesday, Oct. 1, through Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014, from DrJamesDobson.org.

Mostly the trailer for the new series shown at RNA last week showed the expected: A heart-warming reminder that building a family legacy and communicating the gospel of Jesus to children is the most important work parents can have. The taped audiences laughed warmly at Dobson's anecdotes, radiating a sincere attention and respect.

Then came the unexpected, during a very short segment when Dobson talked about helping children through their first moments of rebellion against, inattention to, or disrespect of a parent's directions.

"Sometimes you have to get a child's attention," Dobson says during one of the more recent clips used in the trailer shown at RNA. He goes on to suggest grabbing the trapezius muscle that runs from the shoulder to the neck and squeezing it. Hard.

"After he goes down to the ground," Dobson said – and the room of reporters gasped -- "you say, 'I didn't enjoy that. I didn't get any pleasure out of that.'"

Dobson vs. Peterson

The inclusion of the remark during the trailer for the series came during a very bad week to affirm physical discipline of a child that drops him to the floor –not that there could be a good time for that. Photos of the marks left when NFL running back Adrian Peterson whipped his 4-year-old son had just catapulted the 29-year-old Minnesota Viking star into headlines, news shows and a blast of condemnation that's coming a full year before the trial he'll face on felony charges of injuring a child.

"I asked Dr. Dobson about that remark," Dobson's publicist said after the clip aired. "He was appalled that what he said might be misunderstood. He said he would never advocate abuse of a child. He loves children."

The reporters, eyebrows raised, suggested that the statement could be misconstrued.

Chances are good, however that those who sign up for the simulcast will understand the remark in the context of the wildly influential career Dobson has spent advocating firm, clear and loving parenting. Many of those who watch it will probably be children of some of the 80 million people who saw "Focus on the Family."

By his own admission, Adrian Peterson was merely disciplining his son as he had been disciplined by his parents. In Dobson's book, he describes his own, much-different legacy – that of a grandfather who prayed daily for his family, his pastor-father and gentle mother – "how 'the faith of our fathers and mothers' was preserved and handed down to the present generation," as Dobson puts it.

Designed to inspire and guide the building of a faith-filled family legacy, the book also includes short character-building stories to share with children. More information about the book and the entire series is available at DrJamesDobson.org.

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