Finding God at the movies

Last night I attended a special seminar about 5 ways that Christians and the Church have dealt with film. Having done what I could to pass on the news via the Internet, I was pleased to see 50+ present, so it apparently was an appealing subject. It was led by Rob Johnston & his wife Catherine Barsatti. Both of them teach on the theme of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

This was one event I really regret not having brought my notebook (paper and computer) to, as I would love to have written down some of the information that was shared, particularly some statistics about the influence of film today. Many people today will see a film before reading a book. They proposed that we're moving from a print culture to a film culture. This rings true to what I've observed. It seems many people process the world through what the see in films.

They proposed a spectrum of 5 reactions to films by the Church and Christians
1. Avoidance
2. Caution
3. Dialog
4. Appropriation
5. Divine encounter
These are similar to the 5 reactions of the Church and Christians to culture that Richard Neibuhr proposes in his classic book Christ and Culture.

As one who spends a lot of time during the week with people outside the Christian faith and worldview, I find film to be a valuable ground point to begin conversations with these people. It reminds me of Paul referring to the unknown God in his Athens sermon or quoting a Cretan poet in his epistle to Titus (1:12). Films can be visual parables. Jesus often used these parables or stories in His teaching, such as the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son(s).

When we did the youth Alpha Course several years ago, there were some excellent film extracts to go with the lessons. For those who preach and teach, films can provide some excellent illustrations. Last night they showed clips from a number of films. These clips can help us sometimes look at our current situation, as well as envision a different and more desirable future. Some films depict negative situations or qualities that one should do everything possible to avoid doing or being.

For me, the seminar piqued a desire to reflect more on film and theology. They have written a couple of books that I would like to read and reflect upon more: Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialog and Finding God in the Movies: 33 Films of Reel Faith.