Posted by Helen on: 05.21.2008 /
Yesterday I went to a lunch organized by my friend John Armstrong as part of his ACT 3 ministry.
The speaker was Jason Byassee and his topic was “The Christian and Film: Does God delight us or entertain us?” Jason has been an editor for Christian Century but is wrapping that up to take up a professorship at Duke University in the fall.
Until recently I would have said that listening to a written talk being read was an uninspiring experience. But listening to Jason Byassee (and Ken Trainor) have convinced me otherwise. Jason’s talk was eloquent with an undercurrent of humor – two things I always enjoy.
This was not a superficial diatribe against the evils of being entertained by the big screen. Jason began with a careful caution that while it’s tempting to include movie clips in worship and talk about movies in sermons, because people like that, it doesn’t encourage people to become better at spiritual disciplines such as being able to appreciate and use silence.
Jason then thoughtfully engaged with a couple of authors who, in his opinion, have elevated film to an unwarranted spiritual role.
One of those authors likens film to a sacrament. Jason had some good reasons for disagreeing with him. Film is not available free to all. People on minimum wage don’t discuss movies because they can’t afford to go see them. Grace which excludes the poor is not like God’s grace given through the sacraments. God does not offer grace only to the ‘bourgeousie’. His grace cannot be bought with money yet is free to all.
Also, in the sacraments Grace is poured out abundantly, whereas in movies the author likening them to sacraments only finds moments of grace here and there. There is no promise God will show up in movies whereas God promises to show up in the sacraments.
Jason also disagreed with an author who says movies should represent Jesus and we should venerate the representation. This is an extension of orthodox theology which says Jesus, being human, should be represented and the representation venerated. In that theology the command not to make images of God is overturned since God became visible through Jesus. Jason questioned whether the analogies of spiritual realities this author finds in film hold up. Evidently he compares the film reel to God and the light going through it that brings life to the film, with Jesus. Jason said it’s flawed because it’s modalism. I can think of a few other reasons :) The author also compares the three main characters in the matrix, with the Trinity.
Jason gives that author points for boldness in finding God in movies in so many places but asks whether these really can get at the mystery of God anyway? It’s not possible to show what no-one can show.
Jason is reluctant to include movie clips in worship because visual media is so powerful it inevitably outweighs what is said. It will make people think worship is cool but it won’t draw them deeper into worship.
Having said that Jason talked about how movies can include spiritual ideas. In one movie frogs fall from the sky with no reason – this evokes a Bible passage as well as portraying how unexpected God can be – he takes us by surprise; his ways are beyond us. (The producer evidently didn’t know that was in the Bible so he wasn’t deliberately invoking it)
Movies portray miracles more effectively than still art. Movies are only spyholes of grace not flooding torrents like the sacraments. They can be great without Jesus, unlike the sacraments. And we can’t eat them, we shouldn’t reverence them and they don’t make us into one body (even though we sit in one place to view them)
Movies can portray desire very well – sometimes better than worship. They’re good at showing heresy, especially gnosticism. Gnosticism involves escape through acquiring secret knowledge. The Truman Show and the Matrix portray this. In movies we watch people die for others but you never see one person die for another while watching a movie.
Jason closed with: movies are terrific but the real action is in church.
Jason’s talk was followed with a discussion time. John had said in closing that movies tend to portray a hopeless future and what movie last year portrayed redemption? I said that most family movies I go to portray redemption of character. I also said that the Christian circles I moved in often were quite escapist, like week the worship leader began by saying how wonderful it was to be here, our refuge from the world. John agreed on both points and Jason mentioned that movies are very good at portraying friendship. I said – and often the church is not good at that.
I enjoyed the other people I met at the lunch. About 25 people were there, none of whom I’d met before except John. Before Jason spoke, John had us quickly say where we were from and what we do. When I said I’m the website manager for Off The Map John jumped in and said “Off The Map is a wonderful organization, helping Christians connect with the culture!” It was kind of John to say that.
I was sitting next to Rich who was telling me how he’d moved from a pastorate in a more rules-based environment to a more open one. He attended an Off The Map event in DC in 2004. I also enjoyed talking with Jason, the speaker, who I was sitting next to too.
At the end I spoke to Laura, a BSF teaching leader, who was in between leader sharing day and everyone sharing day. That reminded me that sharing day is a fun time – the last day of the BSF year when people say what they learned all year and say goodbye to each other. I told Laura I liked how sharing day is a bridge to next year. Each fall the groups are shuffled so you’re in with different people. It’s hard to look forward to that on sharing day, if you really liked your group, but I told Laura I think sharing day helps because as you hear people from every group sharing what their year has been like, you think, wow, I’d like to be in a group with that person. That helps build a bridge to being in a new group with people you don’t know. Laura said she might say that at sharing day today. When I told her that I use things I learned as a BSF discussion leader online – principles of affirming others in group discussion – Laura got quite interested and asked about this blog. Laura, if you’re reading this, hi :) – I hope sharing day was wonderful!
This was the first in a series of lunches John is planning to have. It’s a bit of a drive for me but if I have time I might attend more of them.
Comment by: pamhogeweide
1Hey Helen, My online presence has been quite thin lately, but I want to comment on this before I get offline.
Well, We are the church, so the real action is always where people are, where ever they may be. I think films, which are just stories with pictures – they used to be called moving pictures – are another way for people to connect to one another through the metaphor of story and film. This can lead to insight about ourselves, others and the world around us as well as beyond us. I am a rabid, avid movie fan of all kinds of movies…(in case you can’t tell!)
Yes, good point about redemption of character. The non-family movies that I tend to watch are often rated R and nearly always have some element that is violent or sexual. I sometimes close my eyes, like when I watched Black Snake Moan…best film I saw last year with a powerful, powerful takeaway message of redemption in the midst of betrayal, anger and human weakness. But it had graphic sexual scenes, short, but quite graphic, and for me that is offensive. But the story was not, and so I endured the few seconds here and there to be on the journey of the story.
Also Pan’s Labyrinth. I nearly walked out of the theater due to this film’s violence edge in a couple of torture scenes. Closing my eyes was almost not enough of a buffer. But I hung in there, and what I remember from the film is the incredible message of sacrifice at purity of heart at the end. That transcended the violence for me.
Into the Wild also one of the best films I saw last year. Go find my review on my blog under Book Stories to see why I think this film and story has such a timely and important message. And I didn’t even have to shut my eyes a single time for this one!
Ok, last shout-out: I AM LEGEND. Great apocalyptic story, my favorite kind of story. Some day I will write an apocalyptic novel. The takeaway message of the film is enduring, no matter how many vampirish mutants have to be fought off to get there. It’s worth the fight. Good stuff.
Films are the stories of today. I don’t think we need to overly spiritualize them, such as the one author who called them sacraments. They are stories. And though it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, that we each have to figure out our boundary with what images to download into our minds, the power of a good story has always been compelling stuff. We are addicted to them. I think it’s cool if faith communities use that reality to connect to people and to help people connect to each other. I know of at least two churches that have film and talk nights. Intentional get togethers of groups of people to watch a film and then discuss it.
Ok, I am obviously jonesing to post on my blog soon. Sorry for blogging on your blog, Helen! ttyl
Comment by: Helen
2No need to apologize Pam – I enjoyed your comments!
I was bracing myself for someone to disagree that ‘the real action is in church’ so it was a pleasant surprise that you agreed! I know you’re proud of what your church accomplishes to help others so I shouldn’t be surprised.
Like you I tend to find some good themes in almost all movies, even if they are paired with elements that disturb me. Movies are generally for entertainment, but I also find myself fascinated by the themes/messages in them – my brain seems to get activated rather than turned off.
I noticed the selflessness that was demonstrated in I am Legend when push came to shove and was impressed. To me this is as powerful to me as any stories of sacrifice I’ve read in the Bible (sorry if that offends some people, but it is – what can you expect from an almost-atheist?)
I remember seeing you enthuse (wildly? :)) about Into The Wild. I haven’t seen it (yet). I’ve heard lots of good things about Pan’s Labyrinth but haven’t managed to see that yet either.
This morning my son and husband asked me what the reviewers are saying about Indiana Jones. I looked it up (the reviews are mostly good) but also said “It doesn’t matter, does it? We know we’re going no matter what they say!” Actually my daughter doesn’t want to go, but three of us are definitely going to be there this weekend.
I think talking about stories we’re all familiar with is powerful. These days that tends to be movies, for many of us. I was pleased Jason affirmed the value of that.