Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue (Engaging Culture)
by Robert K. Johnston
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Book Summary Information
Author: Robert K. JohnstonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2006-12-01
ISBN: 0801031877
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Baker Academic
Book Reviews of Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue (Engaging Culture)
Book Review: AESTHETIC, CRITICAL, THEOLOGICAL, SPIRITUALLY FORMATIVE: An Engagement with hermeneutics
Summary: 5 Stars
PRAISE: What I enjoy most about this book is its attention to good interpretation, and an interface between theology and spirituality. Balanced appeal to critical and aesthetic reflection.
SUMMERY:
Robert Johnston argues for the positive attitude of the Christian towards film, particularly in virtue of its unique quality as an art form but also as a medium of cultural connectedness.
In the first chapter, Johnston introduces the subject by recognizing film's place in contemporary culture highlighting its relevance, but also recognizing that, while many may see film as mere entertainment, it has the potential for transformative value. As examples he tells how the movie Schindler's List allowed a security guard of a Swiss bank to recognize, understand, and reveal documentation of property stolen from Jews during World War II; of how the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast helped a young girl grieve her mothers death, and how the movie Becket brought Johnston himself perspective and inspired him to go in ministry.
The second chapter illustrates a brief history of the relationship between film and the church. It highlights the religious usefulness of film from its beginning at the turn of the century, through the controversial use of the illicit and the continuing confrontation with the church. This chapter continues to the evolution of the rating system (originating within the Catholic church), and the challenge behind identifying tasteful art.
Chapter three is an overview of theological approaches to film. It begins with avoidance, the now unpopular view that sees film (at least some of it) as corrupted and having damaging effects. The second approach is caution, the careful encounter with movies "from a clearly defined ethical and religious stance."(45) The third approach, what Johnston calls dialogical, is first recognized, differing from the previous two, by the willingness to view the movie on its own terms and "let the images themselves suggest meaning and direction."(49) Appropriation is the move of allowing movies to add to one's perspective of human reality and only then move on to a fuller theology, and finally divine encounter recognizes film's sacramental power in its artistic expression.
In chapter four, Johnston gives five reason's for a Christian's engagement with movies. The first is that recognition of God's common grace that present throughout human future. The second is that theology should acknowledge the Spirits work in the world, that "If the Spirit is active in and through the human spirit, then the potential for the sacred is present across human endeavors."(69) Third, that Christians ought to hear God's voice within and among non-Christians, just as God used the Assyrians to speak to Israel. Fourthly, God communicates through image as well as word, though many may see image as idolatrous and also hold reverence to the rationality of word. Fifthly, theology's narrative shape makes fruitful interaction with the story of film, and finally the nature of constructive theology is that of dialogical exchange between God's story and our story.
Chapter five argues that film is an art, and as art it has a sacramental quality. Chapter six continues this theme by identifying film as story. As a story, a film has a kind of structure in its flow from crisis to resolution, as well as characteristics - character, plot, atmosphere, and tone - with different characteristics being emphasized within different movies. Movies also have unique story-telling capabilities that are shaped by the editing, the framing, the sounds, and the special effects. Finally, as story - and indeed as a work of art - film exists in relation, or in dialogue, between filmmaker and viewer. A critical approach to film involves an understanding of the filmmaker, the viewer, the film itself, and the worldview that shapes the story within the film. All of these elements ought to be taken into account to aid understanding of the film and to preserve its intention, to join in the communion with the filmmaker and his/her intended audience, and appreciate its intended insight.
The seventh chapter looks at critiquing film. Again, the aim is to better appreciate the art of film, and avoid misunderstanding the intention behind it. Johnston introduces genre criticism, auteur criticism - understanding the film in terms of its creator(s), usually director; thematic criticism, and cultural criticism.
Chapter eight talks about responding to movies theologically. Theological criticism involves the experiences of transcendent realities, but also critically assessing the theological importance of those experiences.
Finally, chapter nine takes a look at the movies of Peter Weir as an example. It brings together all the elements discussed, from Weir's cultural concerns and his story telling praxis, to theologically responding on the experiential and critical axis.
SOME REFLECTION (OR PERHAPS RAMBLING)
An important element brought into discussion by Robert Johnston is the recognition of the sacred among common everyday life, as well as the importance of cultural literacy among Christians. Central to these themes is the depiction of art as an essentially human endeavor, and the power of story within the human encounter with God and neighbor. All of this involves a way of doing theology that is counter-intuitive to much contemporary Christianity that separates church from culture. Johnston's way of doing theology reflects a spirituality that arguably returns to existential authenticity as well as community.
Johnston's move of allowing a work of art to speak for itself, on its own terms, represents a responsible exegeses. This move argues for an expression of authenticity in humbly letting the human subject be affected by art, thereby letting God be God by leaving the human subject open to discovery. It also admits one's humanity by acknowledging (not just imposing) one's interrelatedness to others. This is seen in divine encounter and in the dialogical nature of art.
Johnston contrasts this exegesis by identifying a disposition towards cultural eisegesis. He understands what it means to come to a piece of literature - in this case film - with some prejudice. In discussing theological approaches, he notes that "Theologians who articulate an avoidance strategy do so from an ethical posture...and always move from their given theological perspective to the film under consideration, not vice versa."(42) Note that this presumes a perspective to be maintained instead of opening up to be informed. It may also presume that perspectives are static and necessarily competitive in nature. The avoidance approach is somewhat paradigmatic within most Christian reluctance towards appreciating the value of film today as well as all kinds of artistic expressions. This paradigm represents a posture the supposes that one cannot learn from an other. Hence, "[s]ince Christians, as they watch a film, already have the 'truth,' they will be tempted to chose from the movies they watch only those insights that illustrate their independently established viewpoints and ignore the rest."(71) This attitude is rooted in one's theological predisposition, perhaps well illustrated by Johnston's allusion to J.I. Packer who "concludes that God communicates best through word, not symbols", and that this conclusion is shared by "Noll, Wells, and Plantinga, who spoke of the need to avoid the entertainment culture in order to get back to reading and thinking."(75)
It is suggestive that the dominance of word over image represents a kind of logo-centrism, which allows the predominance in 'rational word' a dogmatic trust in one's own perspective (as words really are perspectival in nature). Therefore, this particular word over image privileging represents perhaps an intellectual gnosticism (special knowledge in one perspective) grounded in metaphysical dualism, resulting in a social gnosticism (our perspective verses their perspective) centered on special knowledge in the definable word. Hence a detraction from learning from others.
Johnston counters against this theological position by recognizing (1) the evocative power in art, and therefore of film, to put one in the presence of the transcendent, and (2) the dialogical nature of art, and therefore of film, which then dictates the importance of understanding film for the sake of cultural literacy and connectedness. In this connectedness, film as art brings back authenticity, instilling community and a sense of transcendent presence. The Christian ought to find further encouragement to engage film as an aspect of culture by understanding God's active and loving presence within culture.
The dialogical method, then, that gives primacy to the aesthetic represents a theology that allows a person to be more authentic. The inclusions of the dialogical method (in the admittance to the exchanges between the Bible, Tradition, Local church, Experience and Culture), the understanding of art, spirituality, human nature, and the centrality of story may facilitate an interface with theology and spirituality. To have art and to tell story is part of what it means to be authentically human. Of course even this is best understood within the context of community. Again, consider that a logo-centric theology may detract from this and hence from an authentic and communal spirituality. It is exactly that point that represents growing tensions between transformative and static theologies today. Theologies of engagement with culture is best understood with a strong sense of God's active presence which guides one's theology and spirituality into that engagement.
All of this being said I feel it worth adding that I hope that Christians can learn to encourage the literacy of multiple forms of media.
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