Article by Martin Davis

This Sunday is the Oscars. A big deal if I you’re a movie buff. I’m not, but I live with one—a 16-year-old, wannabe filmmaker. He’s a devotee of horror films, which means that not as often as he’d like (but probably more often than I prefer), we travel down to one of my hometown’s three theaters and catch a flick.

Our first of the year was The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins and a rogue’s gallery of lesser actors. Based on true events surrounding a Vatican course that trains priests in exorcism, the film explores the ancient practice of exorcism while raising profound issues about faith, psychology, and spirituality. Merits of the film aside, I sat in awe, once again reminded of the power of movies to inform and shape our discussions about faith. And at the reactions films elicit from people of faith.

Productions such as Shadowlands drew whole congregations to private screenings and generated little, if any, debate. Others, such as The Last Temptation of Christ, led to protests and handwringing. And none-too-few clergy were frustrated by The Da Vinci Code, which fictionalized a long-standing and popular conspiracy theory regarding the “Rose line.” The Rite isn’t likely to be controversial, but don’t be surprised if exorcism becomes a talking point among at least a small portion of your congregation this month.

All of this left me wondering how congregations should make use of film, and what, if any, resources exist to aid them in the effort?

While a few quick Google searches quickly showed no shortage of sites dealing with faith and film, a bit deeper digging revealed that there are a number of good sites and publications congregations can turn to.

And we’ll premiere them in 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1.

• Visual Parables. Developed by Ed McNulty, film reviewer for Presbyterians Today, this site offers standard movie reviews (subscription required). But McNulty also offers “Film Capsules,” (no subscription required) which are “designed for editors of parish and ecclesiastical newsletters and/or Sunday church bulletins” and may be reprinted free of charge. Finally, he offers a nice article on preachable moments in films, showing ministers how to use movies and sermon illustrations and provides examples.
• Faith and Film: A Guidebook for Leaders. Also by Ed McNulty, this book provides an introduction to how faith and film intersect. It also provides study guides for 27 films, which are designed for use in congregations. Titles range from American Beauty to Walk Across Egypt.
• Media Review Office/Catholic News Service. Produced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, this site offers lengthy movie reviews. There’s a twist, though: the ratings assigned to each film. Instead of the industry’s G, PG, PG-13, etc…, this site uses its own system based upon Catholic beliefs and moral paradigms. With criteria clearly defined, religious organizations will find it a useful tool for screening films.
• Christianity Today runs a well-respected site that reviews films from an evangelical perspective.
• PurpleStateofMind, a blog co-authored by Craig Detweiler, who studied film at the University of Southern California and earned a PhD in theology at Fuller Seminary, reviews film through the lens of faith and popular culture.
• A more-in-depth treatment of faith and film and how congregations might approach the topic is available at Into the
  Dark: Seeing the Sacred in the Top Films of the 21^st Century, also by Detweiler.

How has your congregation used film? We’d love for you to tell us.