Why Do Heathens Make the Best Christian Films?

Why Do Heathens Make the Best Christian Films?, By Thom Parham

Secular filmmakers tend to observe life more objectively than Christians. They see the world the way it really is, warts and all. Christian filmmakers, on the other hand, tend to see the world the way they want it to be. Ignoring life's complexities, they paint a simplistic, unrealistic portrait of the world.
[...]
Perhaps the problem can be attributed to the fact that many evangelicals believe it's a sin to question God. But this notion is not scriptural. Jacob's name was changed to Israel, one who struggles with God—after his all-night wrestling match with the angel at Peniel. We are allowed to wrestle with God. Yet where are our stories about people of faith who struggle with God?
[...]
From Places in the Heart to The Apostle to Dead Man Walking, secular filmmakers have continually shamed us by treating Christian themes and subject matter with grace and depth, while our filmmakers have been too busy making apocalyptic schlock to notice. If we, as a community, can embrace and learn from what non-Christians are doing with the art form, then perhaps our next generation of filmmakers will be different. They will have to learn to make films for the mainstream, to embrace metaphor and eschew propaganda, and to be more objective observers—to wrestle with tough questions and to portray sin as it really is. If they do not, we will continue to be scandalized by the fact that heathens make the best Christian films.

Comments

[chase bowers]

This is a sad reality. Once Christians were known in the world for their creativity, now we simply FUBU everything...we make it For Us By Us. This is too small a thing.

[shawn]

we're also too busy getting pissed off that a homosexual actor "snuk" onto the cast of 'end of the spear.' unfortunately, he apparently is also a very good actor...something that can not be said for most "christian" stars. not good actors...not good musicians...not good artists...we're vanilla. just vanilla; that's all you get here.

we're really a bunch of *, when it comes down to it. i told my fiancee the other day that even if i REALLY acted like a jerk, and then witnessed to people about Islam, or Hinduism, or something, i wouldn't be making up 1/1,000,000,000 for the huge amount of * that we vomit all over the earth.

[Kevin Cawley]

Shawn-- everyone is welcome here-- even bitter people. But while you're here, please refrain from using profanity. I'm also glad to see that you're engaged! My wife is the greatest gift God could have given me-- and she is directly responsible for removing a great deal of the venom my from attitude. I hope your experience proves to be the same!

[shawn]

*grin* duly noted....

*insert muzzle here* and...just to clarify a bit; i was being critical of christians being critical of 'end of the spear'....just wanted to make sure my venom was being apportioned correctly.

not that that makes it alright, by any means...being a jerk only to jerks isn't any better; but that's still where i'm at. it's changing, though.

[RC of strangeculture]

Interesting post and explinations...I agree that what you say is true.

my wife and i just watched Junebug the other night, a really small film (Amy Adams got a supporting nomination at the academy awards for her role)...

anyways, i was really surprised to see the spiritual themes in this film and a number of observations of Christianity demonstrated in this film.

(you might enjoy a post a did a couple weeks ago http://strangeculture.blogspot.com/2006/02/what-i-learned-about-living-missional.html )

--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com

[js]

Kevin,

Good post. My wife and I just finished a Dorothy Sayers mystery novel. Read them. They are good examples of a thoughtful believer making a good book that includes all the warts. Only a couple minor characters in the books are believers. The main ones have scruples, but, for example in Strong Poison, Harriet Vane has been living with her boyfriend (and this in the 1930s). It's not the stuff of today's Christian fiction, but it's a good book and the theology is good as well. But, as you say, warts are included and the books are better for it. Indeed, we've read three of her books in the last few months and they've forced me to think more deeply about human depravity, how I love my wife, and even exegesis, all themes that Sayers beautifully weaves into her story.

[shawn]

kevin...your 'venom' comment stuck with me all evening. thanks for responding graciously; that was very christlike.

[Kevin Cawley]

JS-- Sayers is phenomenal. I read a fair bit of her stuff in college, though it has been a while. I think Walker Percy is good in this regard as well. Unfortunately, I don't get to read novels as often as I would like any more.

Shawn-- I'm just passing on what others have been gracious and bold enough to speak to me.

Everyone else-- this article has reminded me of another book I read a long time ago and didn't bring to Vancouver with me. Has anybody read Franky Schaeffer's book Addicted to Mediocrity?

[Call Me Ishmael]

Interesting thoughts for the 25th anniversary of “Chariots of Fire” (it won four Oscars in 1981, including Best Picture), one of whose stars was Ian Charleson (as Eric Liddell), who died of AIDS in 1990.