Follow the Beard
Cinemagogue – redefining “entertainment”
“Cinema is a modern day pulpit. Movie theaters are not so different from church assemblies; people flock to their local multiplexes, group together, and find themselves moved by a worldview revealed in story form, allowing themselves to be emotionally led by directors and screenwriters who influence how we feel, think, and even act.
Whether a film moves us to tears, chills us to the bone or makes us laugh infectiously, you can notice its influence in repeated phrases, shared platitudes, and lives reflecting the characters that resonate with us, inspire us or repel us.
As cinematic storytelling transcends the multiplex. with television, home theater systems, mail order media, and films online, the engagement of this medium has inundated every corner of our lives, from public gatherings to our living room to our office computer. Literature and comic books become film, movies become immersive, online multiplayer worlds, which in turn generate comics and books until we are surrounded by shared stories.
Cinemagogue holds unswervingly to the notion that we are image-bearers of our Creator, a master storyteller whose narrative spans all of creation, a metanarrative in which we all play a part. Made in the image of our Creator, we have a yearning to both create, and be entertained, by narrative. People immerse themselves in story much like Christians treasure the story of Jesus. It is our hope that people would enjoy and engage cinema and storytelling mediums not just as “diversion” but with discernment, engaging the culture around us and reflecting on how it distorts and reflects the larger narrative of our lives.
At Cinemagogue, we explore the various literary and philosophical facets drawn on as new stories are told, common themes and historical roots. Ultimately, we place all stories against the controversial storytelling of Jesus Christ, who claimed not only to be truth incarnate, but the master storyteller who spoke the universe into existence, the central figure, the ultimate protagonist and hero in our shared narrative that is life.
Cinema, meet truth.” – James Harleman
I am highlighting another favorite blog today – Cinemagogue.com. The quote above came straight from there. James Harleman is the man behind it all. I came across his “Film and Theology” podcast a couple years ago, and it quickly became one of my favorites. Then a couple months ago I saw that he had a blog. So on top of listening to his Film and Theology podcasts, I was pretty excited to also be able to read his movie reviews and see his short video reviews for new releases on Cinemagogue. James Harleman has revolutionized the way I view movies and art as a Christian desiring to be in the world but not of it. I love the way James thinks and talks about the relationship between God, culture, and humans as God’s image-bearers. Many Christians tend to hide from the world and throw rocks from a distance at a culture which they know almost nothing about, but this is opposite of the way of Jesus. He went deep into culture. He entered into the world at a specific time and place, worked as a carpenter, and later was accused of being a glutton and drunkard who hangs out with “sinners”. But in the power of the Spirit (the same Holy Spirit who lives in us) Jesus remained pure. He never sinned. But He didn’t stay pure and righteous by avoiding the world around Him. Separating Himself from the world would have been the sin of omission – not doing what He should have been doing. But Jesus proved He was truly righteous and sinless by aggressively loving the world. We who call ourselves Christ-followers have no excuse for our fear and lack of love toward the culture and people God has placed us in the midst of. We have Almighty God living in us. Jesus even told his followers it was to their advantage that He leave and send us the Spirit than for Him to stay with us in person – John 16. I must admit I am still trying to learn what that means…
There just aren’t enough people in the world like Jesus or like James Harleman for that matter when it comes to loving, understanding, and engaging the culture around us. Some might call James a geek, but I call him a pretty sweet missionary – like the Apostle Paul quoting the Greek poets of his day to spread the good news of Jesus Christ (see Acts 17) . Did I mention that James Harleman is also a pastor? Anyway, enjoy this short video clip of James in his “geeked-out” office talking about one of my new favorite movies, How To Train Your Dragon. And go check out his blog. Subscribe to his Film and Theology podcast . Follow him on Twitter. It’ll be worth it.
I enjoyed this. I was a little surprised that he described the protagonist reaching out to the antagonist “not in conflict, but in friendship” as if those were somehow mutually exclusive. I think he could have expressed it better. Jesus reached out in conflict and in friendship. He often expressed friendship and conflict simultaneously (e.g. his conversation with the woman at the well).
If the protagonist and antagonist are not in conflict, their subsequent friendship is less appealing.
I think I know what he meant (don’t attack people who are different than you just because they are different, and you don’t understand them), but it seems a common oversight of Christians that we don’t recognize the need to hold conflict and friendship in tension together.