e~mergent kiwi

Grow your own

There has been lots of internet ink spilt in recent weeks by people seeking to define missional church. Save your words and simply go and watch "Grow your own," a slow moving British comedy drama. Against a backdrop of gardening, a complex range of issues are explored.

For those recently seeking to define missional, note
1. a story based in ordinary lives,
2. the conflict between comfortable pasts and painful new narratives
3. the ability to subvert existing unjust structures rather than start new shiny things
4. the power of what can happen when you trust yourself to organic processes
5. the importance of welcoming the stranger in whom are found the keys to unlock pain and grief and bring healing

That's missional church.

prince caspian

Went to see Prince Caspian, the latest Narnia installment, on Monday. First screening in New Zealand!!

Great movie. Better than Lion, Witch, Wardrobe - more humour, more humanity. Use of lighting was superb. Less overt theology though. Strong female characters, it was more a movie about Susan and Lucy than about Peter and Edmund.

sifting the spin and reviewing golden compass

I have a bit of fun being paid to write monthly film reviews for a church magazine. Which is great, except when I'm on January holiday. So with so much talk about Golden Compass, I decided to offer the job of reviewer to my 10 year old daughter. I've done this before with Lion, Witch, Wardrobe and she loved it. It gives the two of us time together, it gets her thinking about the movie and it is a serious buzz for her as she gets paid to be a writer. So we went on Sunday night and worked on the review together Monday morning.

My daughter walked out of the movie and announced somewhat crossly that she could not understand why the movie was rumoured to be anti-God. We had a good talk about that and she decided that the movie was not some much anti-God, but anti-groups that seek to control people's search for truth.

So I asked her what groups (including churches) could do to avoid controlling people and she decided that they should encourage free talk and allow people to think for themselves. (Which, I noted to her, was exactly why I had wanted to see the movie with her. So a good lesson learnt about needing to judge something for ourselves.)

So did she like the movie? Not at all. Too dark - the setting of dusty academia or chilly North. No characters to admire. Lyra is brave, but also too headstrong for my 10 year old.

I will put the full film review up once it's appeared in print. Until then, here's a side thought I was left pondering. Lyra grows up in an adult world and meets adults who harm children. What does a movie like Golden Compass mirror in terms of the formation of children? Isn't the most disturbing part of Golden Compass the fact that children can live in worlds made profoundly unsafe by adults who are meant to protect them and create a childhood to be a childhood?

atonement movie

Atonement = at-one-ment, the theological claim that in Christ, past and present and future are redeemed.

Atonement the movie is must see. Well acted, superb soundtrack, with wonderful moments of cimenatic beauty, and a intelligently complex plot. Theologically, the plot explores the complex realities of at-one-ment. Take the scene in which the adult Briony comforts the dying Frenchman. The red curtain against the white hospital ward is both artistic and theological profound.

Can you unravel the pain of the past?

Save this film for a Lenten movie series, alongside Lion, Witch, Wardrobe and Matrix. But you would want six movies for the six weeks of Lent. So what would be your other three movies?

recent film reviews

Here are a bunch of film reviews I've done in the last few months. The deal is that I write them for a monthly newspaper and they generously allow me to publish them on-blog at a later date. I try to do a mix of family films, arthouse, New Zealand films and populist and to engage each film firstly on it's merits as a film, and secondly to offer some gospel connections. It's a demanding discipline, but well-worth it because it keeps me gospel-thoughtful and culture-facing.

So here is Amazing Grace a probing of the life of William Wilberforce on the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery; Eagle vs Shark a New Zealand comedy; Mr Bean's Holiday a second attempt at turning TV comedy into cinema-tainment ; Shrek 3 a family movie in the Pixar animation stable; Once a wonderful film about migration and contemporary relationships, set in Dublin.

My other film reviews over the years have included:

Blood Diamond; Miss Potter; Out of the Blue; Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada; Inconvenient Truth; Over the Hedge; The Da Vinci Code here; Siones Wedding here; Praire Home Companion here; Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Mans Chest here; River Queen here; Brokeback Mountain here; Narnia here; Serenity here; The World's Fastest Indian here; Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

film and faith online

I am spending the day with my Bible College of New Zealand Faith and Film class. Rather than lecture, together we are working on a website, film and faith - online - from a Kiwi perspective. I am providing the coffees. They are writing the reviews and building the website (we are using a wiki) over the day. It will be fascinating to see what develops by the end of today.

Once we have the reviews up, the class and I will watch, fascinated, to see what happens. Two of the class learning outcomes are:

- elaborate some of the key characteristics of contemporary New Zealand culture as portrayed in New Zealand films and reflect on these from a Christian perspective
- identify ways in which film may be utilized as a point of engagement for the gospel within contemporary society

So, if we build a website about film, exploring film from a New Zealand and Christian perspective, what will result as a point of contemporary engagement? Will other's comment? Will other's want to join and add reviews (anyone can apply simply by asking)? Will the class keep wanting to write reviews once the day is done? Will the next class (I run Faith and Film every 2 years) want to build on today?

It's fun. It's a good way to learn and be together with students. It might even be useful. Imagine that. A seminary class that is actually useful!

why on earth would you preach a sermon on shrek?

As part of last Sunday's "gospel according to Shrek" service, a creative and talented church member added another verse to that well-known children's song, If I were a butterfly. Here is the Shrek verse.

If I were an ogre called Shrek, I’d sit enjoy God’s creation for a while
If I were a lovely princess, I’d thank you God with my beautiful smile
If I were a puss n boots cat, I’d thankyou God by tipping my hat
But I just thankyou father for making me me,

Anyhow, over the week, there has been some fairly hostile comments in response to my posting of my gospel according to Shrek sermon. One commenter asked: "Where do you guys come up with such ideas?"

A fair enough question that I've spent the week pondering. It's easy to see a finished product, and to forget that a fair amount of internal reflection goes on prior.

I was recorded today for my regular Viewpoint slot on local Christian radio and I considered the "why preach a sermon on Shrek question?" in the process. Here is my (verbal) introduction:

Good morning listeners. I went to see the movie Shrek 3 with my kids last week.

I came away pondering the question "what do I, as a Christian think about Shrek?" And "how do I, as a Christian father, help my kids think Christianly about the movie?"

Because, Shrek has a message. The message is this: In Shrek 1 and Shrek 2 and Shrek 3: "that it’s whats on the inside that counts."

That Shrek doesn't have to mean and nasty ogre, who eats people, and lives all by himself alone in the swamp. And when Shrek the ogre kisses the beautiful princess Fiona, she turns into her true self. An ogre-self.

And so Shrek is not your typical, Hollywood, once upon a time, beautiful princess, fairytale ending. Shrek is two ogres who live happily ever after.

Because it's what's on the inside that counts.

And my kids hear that message: Growing up in a world where outward beauty and outward body image are seen as so important.

Hence my question; What do Christians think about the Shrek message; "that its what's on the inside that counts" .... and I went on from there to offer a condensed version of my gospel according to Shrek sermon.

kiwi Christians watching Kiwi film

I teach a course called Gospel and Film. One of the learning outcomes is for students to identify ways in which film may be utilized as a point of engagement for the gospel within contemporary society.

I have suggested to the class that we build a class wiki together. In other words, let's look at a New Zealand film from a theological perspective and place our work on-line. This will occur over the weekend of August 3, and in preparation I've just built the wiki here. It took about 10 minutes using a site called www.wetpaint.com.

There are 8 members in the class and I will pair them, with each pair doing 2 New Zealand films each. Now we as a class are are open to suggestions. So, what are your top 3 New Zealand films that you would want considered from a theological perspective (asking questions like: In this film where are we? Who are we? What is wrong? Is there a remedy? What time is it?).

Leave your suggestions in the comments ...

film reviews: blood diamond and miss potter

Here are two recent film reviews I have written. The first is reviewing Blood Diamond, in which I conclude by pondering Danny (Leonardo Di Caprio) as a type of Christ figure.

The second is reviewing Miss Potter, in which I attempt a creative re-writing of The Tale of Miss Potter: "Once upon a time there was an author, and her name was Miss Potter. She lived with her mother in a home in London, underneath the shadow of overly protective parents. As a young woman, she was told one morning, "You may go into tea parties and (be chaperoned) down the lane with eligible young bachelors, but don’t go into the garden that is commercial book publishing."

My other film reviews over the years have included;

Out of the Blue; Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada; Inconvenient Truth; Over the Hedge; The Da Vinci Code here; Siones Wedding here; Praire Home Companion here; Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Mans Chest here; River Queen here; Brokeback Mountain here; Narnia here; Serenity here; The World's Fastest Indian here; Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

Lobotomised Christians and the Colonial Cringe of New Zealand: Interview with Steve Taylor

The latest CS Arts magazine is out (March 2007). The magazine is Christchurch produced and aims to resource the arts community from a Christian perspective. The design and layout is always top notch. This edition is called "The Big Picture" and the focus is film. It includes an interview with me; titled "Lobotomised Christians and the Colonial Cringe of New Zealand." Here is my 2 favourite parts:

"I often think Christians are lobotomised, walking around with heads that have no appreciation of beauty, creativity or image. Art, or engaging with film, reminds us that we are made whole in 'the image of God. To be authentic disciples, to be a true church, a whole church, we have to have these kinds of discussions."

and

"The danger for the church is that it thinks it always owns the conversation. Film is a chance for us to listen to someone else’s voice. We need to listen in a way that respects that voice and doesn't colonise it. That's the danger of using film. The other danger is it just becomes an illustration of your point. So the use of movie clips in sermons etc. It's like going to kindergarten, it's a good start."

For the entire edition, go here. I am on pages 6 and 7.

Reel spirituality

I read this to start my Reel spirituality class at BCNZ last nite. It was a great night. I'd forgotten how much I loved teaching this class in 2005:

I have a secret. It is deeply personal, so please treat it with respect. This is my secret: God speaks to me in the dark. With my eyes wide open.

The task of being a Christian has always been a conversation between faith and culture, between our stories and God’s story. The apostle Paul had developed the skills to engage the spirituality of his culture. Can we?

"Who are we?" is the question being asked by movies like Sione's Wedding. "What is wrong?" is the question being asked by Crash or Out of the Blue. "Is there a remedy?" is the question being asked by Shawshank Redemption, The Interpreter or The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

(A piece that I wrote for CS Arts and Touchstone back in December06).

out of the blue film review

Here is my latest film review; of the New Zealand film Out of the Blue.

This is the conclusion:
"Out of the Blue" proclaims that there is more to the New Zealand film industry than special effects at Weta Studios. We have Kiwi filmmakers who can tell our stories with style and maturity ... Such questions allow the Kiwi story of Aramoana to become a universal story. It allows us to move beyond a well-made docu-drama of courage under fire, to begin to ponder the moral and ethical questions of being human in a society full of metal things "well made." more.

My other film reviews include;
Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada; Inconvenient Truth; Over the Hedge; The Da Vinci Code here; Siones Wedding here; Praire Home Companion here; Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Mans Chest here; River Queen here; Brokeback Mountain here; Narnia here; Serenity here; The World's Fastest Indian here; Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

three new film reviews

I keep forgetting to put these up - monthly film reviews I write for a Denominational magazine, who kindly allow me to place them on the web once they have gone to print. With apologies, here are my 3 most recent film reviews:

my October review, in which I explore the cinematic use of sound to carry redemption in Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada;

my November review, in which I ponder the place of God in an Inconvenient Truth;

my December review, in which I enter the animated world of Over the Hedge;

I am teaching Gospel in film (Reel Spirituality) at Christchurch Bible College of New Zealand again this year and have just been to see New Zealand film Out of the Blue. It made me realise once again how much theological work is being suggested by our contemporary film makers and how important it is for us as Christians to be part of the conversation. Bring on the Gospel in film (Reel Spirituality) classroom.

My other film reviews include;
The Da Vinci Code here. (I also have written on the Da Vinci Code here; here and here; Siones Wedding here; Praire Home Companion here; Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Mans Chest here; River Queen here; Brokeback Mountain here; Narnia here; Serenity here; The World's Fastest Indian here; Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

cans film festival and spirituality2go

Last year, in speaking to Anglican curates in Nelson, I compiled a list of ways churches uses film under the following headings:
1. Environments
2. Devotion
3. Communication
3.1 Illustration
3.2 Dialogue
3.3 "Roll your own"
4. Community building
5. Missional dialogue
6. Film Festivals

(Full notes are here.)

I've just found another: 7. Spirituality of food. The Cans Film Festival is a clever title and great idea. Donate a can of food and you get free entry to participating (big hat tip to Hoyts, Readings, Sky) cinemas. The can of food goes to The Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. (For more go here). So film is being used to fundraise.

Now if I was the Salvation Army I would add in one more component. They've made a great start and could add significant value by considering spirituality2go. I discuss the theology of spirituality2go in my book (Out of Bounds Church?). In essence I apply Christian faith as pilgrimage to argue that the church needs to supply spiritual takeways to resource people 24/7 and beyond church gathered.

So, the Salvation Army should make up a spiritual film takeway. This could be given to people when they donate their can of food. It should thank people for sponsoring the Christmas Appeal. It should contain a link to a website so that people can see exactly what their can of food is being spent on. It should also contain a list of film questions, to help families discuss the film later. For example, the Taylor family donated 4 cans to watch Over the Hedge. Film discussion questions could include:
- Who was your favourite character and why?
- What was the impact of the new suburb on the animals?
- How would RJ describe the eating habits of your family?
- What can our family learn from this movie about including people?
Such questions help resource ongoing film reflection. This could all be attractively presented in the shape of a can ... you give a can, you get a can. In so doing, a great event (the Cans Film Festival) becomes a process.

da vinci code resources

I was asked to preach on the Da Vinci Code and the Bible at a local Anglican church this morning. I looked at how we can understand Scripture as inspired, and finished with some Winnie the Pooh and Piglet theology, as an example of the understanding of Scripture as the inspired word of God in community. It was a lot of fun. For those interested in the sermon download here

More resources:
Here is another sermon: Decoding Da Vinci - which explores 3 fictions and 2 facts about the movie.

Here is yet another sermon: Something about Mary - which explores the place of Mary and women in the Christian tradition.

Here is my film review of the movie.

four new film reviews

Here are 4 of my recent film reviews. I write these for a monthly Denominational magazine, who kindly allow me to place them on the web once they have gone to print. I've been a bit slack on the blog. My apologies. Feel free to review:

my May review, in which I ponder make believe, of The Da Vinci Code is here. (I also have written on the Da Vinci Code here; here and here;

my June review, in which I am disturbed by the place of domestic violence in comedy, in Siones Wedding is here;

my July review, in which I recommend avoiding Praire Home Companion, unless you are bored in Idaho or want to help a dying church reflect on their future in a changing world, is here;

my August review of Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Mans Chest is here. I conclude: Considering the trajectory of character and narrative in Dead Mans Chest offers an "All aboard" to Christian film reviewers wanting to probe beyond a puritanical fascination with the presence, or absence, of bad language and female breasts.

My other film reviews include; River Queen here; Brokeback Mountain here; Narnia here; Serenity here; The World's Fastest Indian here; Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

Currently I am reviewing The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

leonard cohen film review: i'm your man

In an effort to keep awake, I went movie hunting. I took a punt on Leonard Cohen: I'm your man and it was a great choice. The movie is a chronological journey through the life of a man I consider a lyrical genius. This is mixed with live concert songs from Came so Far for Beauty; artists like Nick Cave, Beth Orton and Rufus Wainwright singing Leonard Cohen's songs. There is also lots of interviews with Leonard, plus comment from Bono and the Edge which adds depth to the songs.

There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

I found lots to ponder in relation to creativity and spirituality and humanity. It was probably the jet lag but I find the movie quite moving. Now I am just hoping they release the sound track.

Trailer here

crash lands well: film review

Here's my latest film review: of Crash. I'm really pleased with these few lines... "I like movies that play with linear time and demand audience concentration. But such movies, when mixed with diverse characters and diverse plots, have to work harder to provide a satisfying ending. Crash lands well." For the full review go here.

I do these for a Denominational magazine, who allow me to place them on the web once the monthly magazine has been published. My other film reviews include; River Queen here; Brokeback Mountain here; Narnia here; Serenity here; The World's Fastest Indian here; Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

Next month I review (no prizes for guessing) Da Vinci Code.

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

pondering a Da Vinci spirituality

I went to The Da Vinci Code movie yesterday. The espresso congregation are using it as the topic of spiritual conversation. And I'm preaching on it this Sunday. I'll write a movie review at a later date, but in the meantime here are some questions I am pondering:

1. If Brown hoped that this would rekindle interest in "topics of faith", then how attractive to you is the vision of spirituality offered by Brown?

2. Was it not the Gnostics who celebrated the spirit as much more important that the body. Doesn't that lead to a body-bad, self-flagellation at odds with the body-affirming, creation loving way of Jesus?

3. Doesn't all the symbolism smack of some deeper level elitism. A spiritual search involving a Harvard professor, the curator of a famous museum, a police cryptographer and an enormously wealthy English doesn’t exactly sound to me like a very accessible spirituality.

4. a) I am struggling to understand why Mary Magdalene is so important. If it's because she's married to Jesus, then her identity is sourced in marriage. But isn't that a bit demeaning to woman, that they only become famous because of who they are married to? Doesn't that undercut the "sacred feminine" so central to the book?

b) And if Jesus is just a human who died as Teabing suggests, then Mary is just the wife of another human. So why search for her grave 2000 years later?

5. In the movie, Robert Langdon recounts a story of experiencing Jesus present with him as a child. If Jesus has died, then how can this presence be? Or does this leave the door ajar to a risen Jesus?

river queen

Here's my latest film review: of River Queen ... The film follows Sarah's search for her child, a search set against the backdrop of the viscous fighting between Maori and Pakeha that is part of the history of the Whanganui River. for full review

I do these for a Denominational magazine, who allow me to place them on the web once the monthly magazine has been published.

My other film reviews include;
Brokeback Mountain here;
Narnia here;
Serenity here;
The World's Fastest Indian here;
Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here;
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here
Next month I review Crash.

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

brokeback mountain film review

Here's my latest film review: of Brokeback Mountain. I do these for a Denominational magazine, who allow me to place them on the web once the monthly magazine has been published.

Brokeback Mountain. A film review by Steve Taylor. The date is 1963. The location is Signal, Wyoming and the mountain is Brokeback. Two young unemployed cowboys (Jack Twist, played superbly by Jack Gyllenhaal, and Eniss Del Mar, played by Heath Ledger) will spend the summer on its slopes. Mustering sheep against a stunning backdrop ... For the full review click here

My other film reviews include;
Narnia here;
Serenity here;
The World's Fastest Indian here;
Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here;
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here
And look at next month for review of a New Zealand film called River Queen.

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

narnia film review

Here's my latest film review: of Narnia. I am especially proud of this one because it is the first film review I have co-authored with my daughter.

Eight-year old Shannon is a Narnia nut, so I asked if she was willing to co-review the movie with me. She took the job ever so seriously; sitting beside me with pen and paper, contributing sentences, telling me I was too complicated, giggling at good word phrases. In return, I shared the film reviewers fee with her. Her first paid writing gig aged 8!

"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; A film review by S and S Taylor.

Equipped with pencil, pad and probing review questions, eight year old Shannon Taylor took her father, Steve, to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The following film review is a family affair." for more

This review is another of the monthly reviews I do for Touchstone magazine and are reprinted here with their permission. Other reviews include;

Serenity here;
The World's Fastest Indian here;
Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here;
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

I have just completed a film review of Brokebank Mountain; and that will go up in a month (as per my web agreement with my paper-based client).

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

Narnia as atonement theology beyond the stone table

The stone table cracks. Aslan, who has given his life for Edmund, returns from the dead. This was my childhood understanding of the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe. In doing so, I was trading on traditional atonement theories; Jesus/Aslan as substitute, giving his life for someone else. So I was pleasantly surprised in watching the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, to find a number of layers added to traditional understandings of the atonement.

A brief overview of atonement through the ages: Throughout the centuries; 3 main ways of understanding atonement - how Christ made at-one-ment for humanity – have starred.

Victor – Christ is the victor. Pushed to extremes, Jesus becomes the bait, which the devil swallows hook, line and sinker. In doing so, the devil is tricked. This is one of interpreting the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Aslan tricks the witch because he knows a deeper magic.

Inspiration – Christ is the greatest example of love. The manner of his life and death are a triumph of love. This in turn, motivates us in our Christian lives. And so the Witch whispers in Aslan's ear of his foolishness, thinking that love could triumph.

Substitution – Christ offers himself in our place. The problem of sin demands a legal payment. Christ becomes this payment.

Contemporary concerns: Handled poorly, these understandings present serious problems for Christians. Do we want to follow a God who tricks people (Victor)? What should be the place of sacrificial love in Christian behaviour, particularly when relationships become abusive (Inspiration)? How vengeful does this make God? What sort of Father would sacrifice his son (Substitution)? These concerns warn us that traditional atonement theories need to be handled with care.

I found it fascinating that in the movie, the motives for Aslan’s death all come from the mouth of the witch. She urges adherence to the code of violence. She questions Aslan’s sacrificial love. This suggests we need to handle with care. Aslan suggests this is her "interpretation" (very postmodern word). In doing so, we are allowed a moment of hermeneutical suspicion. How much should we believe the White Witch? How much might her chilling icy darkness be distorting her "reading"? Alongside this call for care, the movie brought some more metaphors to the surface.

Relational redemption: In recent years I have pondered 1 Peter 2:9, 10, where once those who were no people are now the distinctive people of God. This suggest a relational and communal understanding of at-one-ment, in which the significance of Christ births a distinct community.

In the movie, Aslan initiates the return of Edmund well before the stone table. He lets the wolf go and so Edmund is saved and the family is re-united. He encourages practices of forgiveness and the children move beyond distrust. Finally, they tumble out of the closet, back into the real world, as allies in shared adventure. Once no people, now the Pevenses children are a distinctive family. Such at-one-ment is secured by Aslan well before the stone table and suggests quite a fresh understanding of the atonement.

Integrator of Creation - In Colossians 1, the at-one-ment of Christ offers integration to every atom and molecule. Christ’s death is cosmic in significance and tree hugging a normative Christian practice.

In the movie, the mice eat away Aslan's ropes. The trees talk. The breath of life redeems stone creatures. The movie offers a vision of at-one-ment which is environmental in its scope and global in its concern. The death and life of Aslan are integrally linked to the whole planet. We are offered and environmental angle on at-one-ment.

Conclusion: The Bible describes the atonement in many ways (Jesus as victor, as sufferer, as martyr, as sacrifice, as redeemer, as reconciler, as justifier, as adopter, as pioneer, as merciful). The Biblical data is like a diamond, reflecting the beauty of at-one-ment in many different facets. It is sad when we get locked into one part of the diamond and limit Jesus death to one narrow interpretation.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe suggests we adopt a hermeneutic of suspicion toward traditional atonement theories. We are forced to ponder how much we should trust the words and motives of the White Witch. The movie then turns the at-one-ment diamond, hinting at a relational redemption achieved through Jesus life as well as death. It suggests a cosmic view of the at-one-ment of creation.

Further reading:
I have a chapter on contemporary atonement images being published in Proclaiming the Atonement, edited by Mark Baker (forthcoming from Baker Books)
For Narnia quiz go here.
For Narnia church service go here.
For my reflection on atonement in another contemporary movie, go to Open Letter to Mel Gibson.

Serenity film review

Here's my latest film review: of the science fiction movie Serenity in which I explore the movie, the ethics of fundamentalism and the place of spirituality in science fiction.
Buckle in for a wild ride. The movie Serenity is a fast-paced science fiction thriller that weaves the viewer through the complex debris of space junk and intriguing moral choices ...for more

This review is another of the monthly reviews I do for Touchstone magazine and ie reprinted here with their permission. Other reviews include;
The World's Fastest Indian here;
Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here;
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

Further Serenity resources:
The official movie site is here; and the Serenity movie trailer is here.

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

worlds fastest indian film review

I've just added the worlds fastest indian (my latest film review) to the blog.

On the 13th of October, 2005, Invercargill rolled out their red carpet for the world premiere of "The World’s Fastest Indian." The movie is based on the true story of local man, Burt Munro, whose love of speed is expressed in a dream of testing his classic 1920 Indian motorcycle on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA .... For the full review click here.

For the world's fastest indian movie trailer click here. For more of my reviews; here's September's review for Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2. Download film review and here's October's review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Download film review

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

my film reviews online

I've started writing regular film reviews for a New Zealand denominational newspaper. It fits in which my BCNZ teaching of Gospel and Film, keeps me watching the movies and provides a bonus income stream. I have the editor's permission to place the reviews on-line, with a month delay to honour the pace of the print media. So I am adding a "Film review" section to my blog.

Here's a (September) review for Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2 in New Zealand. Download film review

Here's an (October) review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Titled: Blessed are those who eat chocolate. Download film review

Further resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

whale rider, women and leadership

The 2002 movie Whale Rider is set in a small New Zealand coastal village. Yet the themes are universal. Dare I suggest the movie should be compulsory viewing for anyone interested in both the emerging church and the future of the church? ... As the movie explores the struggle of a young woman to express her leadership, could we in turn dare to explore the place of women in the emerging church?

An article I wrote, titled Women and apostolic leadership and reflecting on women and leadership in relation to the movie Whale Rider and some New Testament data is now online here.

The short history is that I preached some of it as a sermon at Opawa, at Digestion, our evening congregation. Then I decided to blog it, because the issue of women and leadership is really important to me. Then Next wave editor Charlie Wear somehow caught a sniff of it and asked to use it. I added in a bit from the movie Whale Rider, to hopefully make a more accessible introduction and to add some more layers to the New Testament.

Somewhat ironically, there is also a review of my book, out of bounds church?, in the same next wave issue. Roger Overton is mostly complimentary (heck, "for anyone looking to find out what emerging church is all about, this is the book to read ... a far more interesting read and a far more accurate description of what's going on in emerging churches" [than McLaren's Generous Orthodoxy] is high praise). However, in the out of bounds church review, Roger has a "problem [with] the way Mr. Taylor exegetes scripture." That's me. Mr Taylor :) So I like the irony of being considered problematic around Scripture by Roger, yet offering something Scriptural the Whale Rider article at the same time, in the same issue.

contemporary Christian approaches to film

I am being interviewed by a University student about Christians and film. They have read my blog stuff around film and spirituality, (including this paper on how churches use film) and have just fired me another round of questions. It's been a fun exercise.

Question: Churches and Christians engaging with movies is a way of engaging with contemporary culture. Is the underlining thought behind this: film is a reflector of culture?

Steve's response: Yes that is certainly one dimension. Film is involved in a "dance" with the public. Before a film is released, Hollywood test-drive movies before an audience and then seek feedback. So there is a sense in which film reads culture and culture reads film. So looking at film is a useful window into cultural worldviews.

But I think there is a second reason. Christians are not the only people asking questions about meaning and life. So for me, looking at film becomes an act in humility, a wanting to listen for insight. I went to watch The Island a few weeks ago. At one level that is an action film. At another it is asking deeper questions, about the ethics of cloning, about whether being human also includes memories. So as a Christian going that movie helps me think about what it means to be made in the image of God.

Question: On your blog dated Feb 24, 2005, it says to research your course that 50 yrs ago Christians were not allowed to see movies or have them taught at theological colleges. I would like to elaborate on this a little: What was your source, who were the Christians, where did they live, and finally what does this say about the Christian community at the time? Now to the new movie criticism: Why is it here (I think this is answered above)? When did it arrive? What is its future?

Steve's response: I think that comment is not original to me, but is made by Robert Johnstone, in Reel Spirituality. A 1965 book title proclaimed, I Lost It At the Movies. Movies were an evil, the last temptation of Christians. This was quite a widespread Christian response. It shows a Christian community that had a more fortress-like approach to faith, that were reacting to a Sunday night competitor. It also shows a immature, unformed approach to movie watching.

Question: And the change?

Steve's response: Well in the last 5-10 years there have been quite a number of books by Christian authors exploring the positive influence of film. They are urging a more mature engagement with plot and narrative. They are recognising that Christianity is not only about morals, but also affects the ethics of being human. They are adopting a more mature approach to the Bible also, realising that the Bible has some quite R-rated scenes (David and Bathsheba is one such example). So the issue is not R-rating, but how is the material being handled.

Question: Do only Christians attend your Gospel and film class and who are they generally: younger people, European, Maori etc, people interested in movies perse and not spirituality perse?

Steve's response: Generally Christians yes, but that is because I teach in a largely Christian environment. The Theology and Religious Studies Department at the University of Otago run a Spirituality and Film course and that attracts a wide range of people. The relationship between Christians and film is made more complex because we are within a Western culture and that culture has been hugely influenced by a Christian meta-narrative. I set my class a debate question; Is Lord of the Rings a Christian film? Back and forth they go; Tolkien was a Christian. But he did said he didn't write a Christian book. Yet he is influenced by so many Christian ideas such as good and evil. But he also includes Nordic influences. But the film director was Peter Jackson and he wasn't a Christian. But in a postmodern world, reader-response theory reigns. So the viewer can find Christian themes. Heaps of fun and it illustrates nicely the complexity of the issues.

Question: Do the general movie going public demand these perspectives? If not, how would you go about getting their attention if this is the intention? In any case, are people on the whole interested in spiritual perspectives on movies?

Steve's response: Their is a danger that Christians "colonise" film. Christians got very excited about The Matrix. But equally so do Buddhists. I don't think it's fair to the art form if Christians claim a film as Christian.

I am personally comfortable to say; hey following Jesus is a decision, it is a bit like taking the red pill or the blue pill in the Matrix. I am comfortable to say, hey, lets talk about what it does mean to be human after The Island, and I think the Bible does say that all humans should be treated with dignity, whether they are cloned or not. And I do think that we need to honour memory and tradition more within human people and cultures.

Above all I want to get people talking. Most churches are blank, white walls, while our movies are sophisticated visual storytellers. Christians need to be watching movies and talking about movies so we are mature in our engagement. We're not reduced to moral pronouncements. We're pointing out that You've got Mail was disappointing because it never engaged with the issue of a capitalist society in which a large bookshop can make redundant a small bookshop. We're saying, hey, in Whale Rider, what does it mean to re-weave the ropes to our history and tradition without excluding minority voices.

first day of my new job

I did my first "day" at a new job today. I was asked to review a Film Festival movie, called Sedition, for a New Zealand denominational magazine. They paid for tickets and a writing fee, and (I hope) get a funky film review.

I get to add to my stash of film reviews (as model assignments for the BCNZ gospel and film course), to publicise myself as a gospel and film lecturer and to spread some of my ideas. And above all, to enjoy a movie.

The first thing I discovered was that reviewers have mana. The movie theatre offered me a free ticket in exchange for a "good review"! If the trial goes well, it might become monthly and regular. I'm suggesting syndication in New Zealand!

Holy-Wood film festival

Bible College NZ Christchurch in association with the Damah International Film Festival (Seattle), St Christophers Avonhead and Opawa Baptist present the first Christchurch Holy-Wood Film Festival.

July 22-24, 2005. 6-8pm, 8-10pm Fri/Sat 3-5pm, 7-9pm Sun. FREE MOVIES Supper and popcorn $5. Mobile food carts on site for those who wish to purchase pizza/coffee etc.

Movies, discussion, film:church, debate: "Is LoTR a Christian Movie?" with students from Bible College of New Zealand.

View flier - 96K

Venue: Bible College of NZ, 70 Condell Ave, Papanui and other venues. To RSVP or for more info call: 03-3544270 or chchatbcnzdotacdotnz.

how can churches use film?

How can churches use film? This was an assignment I set my Gospel and film class.

Help, they began to cry. There is very little in books Steve. There is very little on the web Steve. So I compiled the following notes for them, under the following headings.
1. Environments
2. Devotion
3. Communication
3.1 Illustration
3.2 Dialogue
3.3 "Roll your own"
4. Community building
5. Missional dialogue
6. Film Festivals

The notes are here (download file) if you want. Please respect the copyright notice. And if you think of any gaps, or find them helpful, I'd love to know.

gospel and film; djing gospel and culture

Friday (tomorrow) I'm with the anglican curates and priests in the nelson diocese. They've asked me to speak on "priests connecting with film." The notes are photocopied and the videos are ready to go.

Then Saturday I'm with various anglican youth leaders, exploring the DJing gospel and culture.

I'm really looking forward to it. I always enjoy new connections and new conversations but for some reason I am really, really looking forward to this. If I can pin down why, I'll let you know.

redemption is all around us

The movies I'm watching seem to be stuck on facing the past. They're all asking the same theological question - can a past, can my past, be redeemed?

The Interpreter - how will Sylvia respond to the present pain of her country? Can she be redeemed from her experiences of ethnic cleansing?

Whale Rider - as Paikea asks her grandfather about her past. Can she take those ropes that define leadership as masculine, and redeem them, so that her village can face its future with courage and hope?

In my Fathers Den - as Paul Prior faces the pain of his past and secrets of his father's den. Can he move on from unresolved guilt and shame? Can he find a space to mourn and grieve?

Our culture is busy discussing redemption. What gospel resources can we offer into the bitterness of ethnic cleansing, post-colonialism and incest? So I'm also re-reading Exclusion and Embrace by Miroslav Volf and The Faces of Forgiveness by LeRon Shults and Steven Sandage.

motorcycle diaries at film church

Tonite we're watching Motorcycle Diaries at Gospel and film class . (Plot summary here.)

Since one of the aims of the course is to identify ways in which film may be utilised as a point of engagement for the gospel within contemporary society, and since the assessment includes a piece of work on how a Christian church could use and interact with the medium of film in communicating the Christian message, I've put together the following questions for a "popcorn" discussion.

[9 Q's on Motorcyle Diaries for Film Church]

1. The trip through Central America occurred in 1952. How old where you at this time? What do you know of the events of this period of time?

2. What was the main theme in this film? What did you take away from it?

3. What was the most powerful scene in the film for you?

4. Consider the genre of road trip movies. They are a common movie theme; Thelma and Louise, Bonnie and Clyde, Mulholland Drive, Kings of the Road etc. How does "road trip" genre help you read this movie?

5. “Accented cinema” is defined by Hamid Naficy as follows; If the dominant cinema is considered universal and without accent, the films that diasporic and exilic subjects make are accented. [...] [T]he accent emanates not so much from the accented speech of the … characters as from the displacement of the filmmakers. What strikes you as you listen to the “accented” cinema that is Motorcycle Diaries?

6. Theologically, this movie sheds some interesting light on the theme of the Incarnation. Luke’s gospel is shaped by the “travel narrative”, for in Luke 9:51, Jesus “sets his face toward Jerusalem,” yet it takes until Luke 19 for Jesus to get there. In Philippians 2:5-11, we see a “kenotic” Christology, in which Christ empties himself, becomes poor and humble. In the movie, Ernesto’s swim across the river on his birthday, can be seen as a “kenotic” movement, to cross the gap, choosing to live amongst the poor and marginalised. What strikes you about the Incarnation of Christ as you watch the movie?

7. This is a movie about the transformation of two young idealistic men. Describe the evolution in the two main character’s from beginning to end. How did they change? What of yourself can you see through these characters?

8. Has an engagement with people’s real life ever changed your perspectives on life?

9. Like the movie, many of us have experienced a “loss of innocence”, a time when we faced the reality of human suffering and injustice. How has watching this film opened your eyes? How has it changed you?

Note 1: thanks to brian for the initial spark.

Note 2: Anyone at Opawa want to actually help me kick this off in real-time, ie monthly film and discussion?

writing for koder: theology and art as looking

I have completed my first writing project for these few days. I have just sent a 2,500 word piece to a German publishing company. Earlier this year, I was really delighted to be asked, in honour of an 80 year old German artists birthday, to write something for a book, on his work. I loved the boundary crossing such a request represented: English to German, young to wise, PhD theology of emerging church research to article on artist.

What did I write? Well I traced some links around an art piece (great view here). I noted the way that discipleship in John 1 is framed around the verb "to look." And how looking at Jesus unsettles, or displaces, our identity. I then explored American Beauty, and what we "see" as we accept it's invitation to look closer. I then made some link with art historians and philosophers like Lacan, Barthes and Freedberg, who argue that the gaze is in fact a dialogue, with the potential to encounter us, resurrect (to use the words of Barthes) us.

So I concluded that looking is in fact a life-changing act. So now go back to Koder's art and look closer, at that face in the cup .... and it looks back at you, asking where you are in relation to the table of Jesus and the bodies of Christ... looking as a life-changing act?

Anyhow, it should all be published (in German and English) in August. I wonder how I will sound in German?

re-releasing the passionate response to the passion

With Easter, movie theatres in various countries are re-screening Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ. In May last year I wrote an article for Reality magazine on the movie, exploring various film and theology angles in the movie, including the place, or otherwise, of redemptive violence in Christian theology. It's proving a popular read again, being no. 1 at the moment on Reality website. I got a fair bit of flack for it at the time in Letters to the Editor. Anyhow, it's located here if you want to read it.

film quiz - Jesus as movie star

Every few weeks in the gospel and film class I am teaching this semester, I have a film quiz. The class are in teams: Fox, Bollywood and Sundance. I fire 5 questions at them, and the overall winner at the end of the semester will receive a BCNZ Academy. Lots of fun, good crowd breaker, and often the information makes good teaching points.

Here's the questions from last week.

Question 1: The longest film ever made, at 6 hours, is Jesus of Nazareth? True or False

Question 2: Which religious film - The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Story ever told, Ben-Hur - was a Top 10 film for the entire decade of the 1920s?

Question 3: Ben Hur was a box office smash in 1959. Made for a then unprecedented $15M, it earned more than $70M at the US box office. Did it win 7 or 9 or 11 Oscars?

Question 4: Put the top 3 movies of 2004 in the correct order:
Shrek 2, Spider-man 2, The Passion of the Christ.

Question 5: Less than 0.1% of people who watched The Passion of the Christ came to faith? True or false.

Update: For the curious, the answers are ...

Answer 1: False – The longest film ever made is The cure of Insomnia, 1987, is 87 hours.

Answer 2: This is a tricky question, as both Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur feature in the top-10. Former at no. 3, latter at no. 4. This shows the power of religious film in the early days of Hollywood.

Answer 3: Ben Hur (the remake of 1920s’ movie mentioned above) won 11 Academy Awards.

Answer 4: According to here, the order is Shrek 2, Spider-man 2, The Passion of the Christ.

Answer 5: Less than 0.1% of people who watched The Passion of the Christ came to faith? True, according to research from Barna group here. Note that many more were affected in terms of discipleship. Barna concludes by noting the power of movies for spiritual transformation, but not as one-shot magic bullets.

is church as boring a healthy motivation for creativity

"I went to the Easter Vigil service at the Anglican Cathedral in Pittsburgh. It was snowing, and I was aware of the proper setting for a tremendous religious experience. But the people in the church seemed bored, and the clergymen [sic] seemed to be hurrying to get it over with. I left with the feeling that, rather than rolling the rock away from the tomb, they were piling it on. I went home, took out my manuscript and worked it to completion in a non-stop frenzy."
- Tebelak, creator of the 1973 musical/movie Godspell.

(In Tatum, Jesus at the Movies. A Guide to the First Hundred Years. Polebridge Press, 1997)

where is the gospel in film?

Last nite I kicked off teaching in gospel and film. It struck me in preparation that 50 years ago, Christians weren’t even allowed to attend films, let alone have them taught on at a theological College.

Why a gospel and film course? I suggested 5 reasons;

1 - New Dialogue partners: In the words of Douglas Hall, "Who is telling the worlds story?" For many years theology turned to philosophy to listen to a telling of the world’s questions and dreams. Today the world’s story; conversations about meaning, life, God, spirituality are occurring everyday on our big screens. Theology needs a new dialogue partner.

2 - Looking closer: The film American Beauty invited us to look closer at the life of suburban America. What happens when you look closer? Well in one scene, as the hearse drives past, the invitation "look closer, becomes spiritual dialogue, "God is looking right at you … you can look right back." It is interesting that in the book of John, Jesus plays in a similar way with the metaphor of looking closer (John 1). Will we take the challenge of Jesus, and the opportunities provided by film, to "look closer" at our world?

3 - The First shall be last: We might be evangelised. How seriously will we take the gospel as presented by a movie maker like Spielberg in Amistad?

4 - Tell me a story: Film allows us to explore stories together. Around coffee, amid plot and interpretation, comes the time to consider the narratives of culture and the narratives of Christ.

5 - Funding a new cultural imagination: "Gospel and film" is more than how film might shape the church. A Kingdom vision will also want to ask how the church can influence film. We need film industry people who are Christians. Note the words are chosen with care. We need not Christian film makers (ala Left Behind), but film makers who are Christians.

We then had a great discussion around R-rating the Scriptures – plenty of sex and violence - and WWJW (What would Jesus watch)?

meeting mels Jesus at the movies

Research just out shows that Mel Gibson's The Passion had no lasting impact on faith. Given the inadequacy of its theology, all I can say is thank God.

Only 16% of viewers said it had affected their religious beliefs, while 9% prayed more and 8% attended church more. Interesting that half of movie goers in the US were Christians (53%). That means that a good number of Christians could watch Jesus being beaten and flogged, yet remain unmoved in faith and practice.

As for its evanglistic potential, the research found the apparent absence of a direct evangelistic impact by the movie. Despite marketing campaigns labeling the movie the "greatest evangelistic tool" of our era, less than one-tenth of one percent of those who saw the film stated that they made a profession of faith or accepted Jesus Christ as their savior in reaction to the film’s content. Let me repeat that - one-tenth of one percent!

Does this mean movies missionary potential is limited? Well, the research found that while 41% of adults had seen a movie in the last 2 years that caused them to think more seriously about faith, they were more likely to be active religiously before hand.

This would suggest that movies are not a postmodern magic bullet.

christian and lesbian interaction: reviews of allie eagle and me

The film "deftly side-steps the conventions of dry art-historical biography, fusing personal history, inter-generational dialogue and politics with a delibaretely light touch." from here

and from here; "In the film, Allie Eagle talks about the way audiences and critics have often locked her work into a feminist time warp. This concern is the driving force behind her new show, in which she embraces the Christian faith of her childhood."

This is what makes the film interesting; the collision of worlds, where the word Christian sits alongside the rating ** and ++ (Two stars indicate lesbian content, two pluses feminist content.)

Reweaving

I always find it hard to assess my public speaking. On Thursday I talked to a conference of NZ missiologists and theologians. It was a tremendous privilege for me, as a 35 year old, to address such a distinguished audience. Paul was there to listen:

It was stimulating experience. It was a real priviledge to see / hear the giftedness and learning of both a friend and an important young voice in local and international sense ... Steve's metaphor of re-weaving the broken rope as a way of reflecting on task of theological scholarship in Aotearoa New Zealand was wonderfully provocative and evocative. He lightly reflected on themes on brokenness, the marginalised voices in society, welcoming the stranger, hospitality, story-telling, friend-making, plural perspectives, inclusion, exclusion. I'm sure that the metaphor will have been wonderfully enriched by interdisciplinary conversation over the remainder of the conference.

Thanks Paul.

whale rider, the bible and mission

Today I am travel to Auckland for 4 days. I am speaking at a theological conference. I am using a scene from Whale Rider as my main "text," and focusing on theology as re-weaving the broken ropes.

I am weaving in 2 texts: Emmaus Road (Luke 24) and Abraham's visit by "strangers" (Genesis 18). I am asking 3 questions: who are our strangers? what is our table? what does hospitality mean? Full abstract is here.

I have really enjoyed preparing, I trust the participants enjoy it equally!!

UPDATE: This went well; despite some technological hiccups, and managing to naively hit some trip wires around the whole gay and lesbian debate. (Duh. Me and my big talking mouth.) People loved the creativity and freshness. Best of all, I learnt some things in conversation afterward, and so the learning goes. It was a huge buzz to have Paul drop by. Thanks mate.

Reading Whale Rider: Reweaving in Godzone

This is the abstract of a paper I am going to give in July in Auckland. It's up on the web here.

Reweaving in Godzone: theological scholarship in Aotearoa New Zealand

The movie Whale Rider has placed New Zealand on the screens of the world. The movie explores many themes, including the place of the ancient and historic in a culturally fluid context.

In one scene, Paikea asks her Koro about their past. Koro takes a rope he is using and shows Paikea the strands of the rope, woven together, as an illustration for how the past is woven into the present. Koro then uses the rope to try to start an outboard motor, only to have it break in his hands. He goes to find another rope, only to be greeted by the roar of the outboard motor. Paikea has re-woven the rope. This scene becomes a metaphor for the movie.

In this paper I will apply this metaphor of re-weaving the broken rope to the task of theological scholarship in aotearoa New Zealand.

Our theological scholarship occurs in a broken landscape. This includes the decline of church attendance, the cultural divides that mark our society and stain of responses to global terrorism. The broken ends of these ropes need to be acknowledged.

The task of theological scholarship can be described as a re-weaving the ancient ropes.

This paper will reweave the Emmaus Road narrative into the rope of theological scholarship in Aotearoa New Zealand. This means facing the brokenness of ethnocentricity, violence and marginality and weaving in themes of hospitality, welcoming the stranger and table fellowship. This paper will thus challenge the notion of theological scholarship as an individual elite rational enterprise.

This paper will argue for first: excavating the unheard stories, and the task of theological scholarship is to mine the edges, to allow the voice of the voiceless to speak. This can be applied to a number of areas, including the voice of popular culture.

Second: excavating the non-rational insights, and the task of theological scholarship is to allow ways of knowing, to “let our hearts burn,” not only through words, but in community and ritual. New ways to research, as evidenced in recent trends in practical theology are thus insightful.

Third: excavating in missional community, and the task of theological scholarship is to include the edges, rather than exclude. Scholarship thus must be an inclusive, missional enterprise.

passion(ate) letter to mel

My article on Mel Gibson and the passion, they one that caused so much trouble (see here and here) has been published and is now also published on the web.

Headings include;
My movie of disbelief
The framing
The framing of violence
Gender relationships
Over-hyped
Evangelism by art

Please, if you are a Kiwi and you read it, why not also go and buy a copy of the magazine, as they have kindly put this online a monthly earlier than normal, due to the circumstances surrounding it.

open letter to mel gibson

Dear Mel

I went to your film today. I am a Christian and so want to be part of the Kingdom extended. I am a pastor and so have a certain interest in Jesus. I am a theologian, who did a Masters on the atonement in contemporary culture, and so have a certain professional interest in how Jesus death is portrayed.

So today I went to your film ...letter continues under headings of
my movie of disbelief
the framing
the framing of violence
the over-hyped
evangelism by art

I would love feedback;

PS I have taken the article down. Reality magazine want to print my Open Letter to Mel. Due to the legalities of print vs www, I have taken the letter of this website. The Reality issue is due out April 19, and at that time you can read it.

meeting mels Jesus

there's a lot of talk in cyberspace and cafe table about The Passion. I get an allergic rash at some of the way's evangelicals are responding. I mean, Mel puts millions into the movie and we respond with a few tacky tracts. Why can't we let art be art?

Yet having watched the art, the questions are raised. They hang there, waiting. I am pondering preaching on these questions.