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"Movies," writes Brian Godawa, a Christian screenwriter, "may be about story, but those stories are finally, centrally, crucially, primarily MOSTLY about redemption." Godawa uses the theologically loaded term "redemption" intentionally, but he recognizes that many contemporary movies present a distinctly secular gospel of redemption. For some movies, redemption comes through making individual decisions that flaut social and religion conventions or morality. For others, redemption is no more than learning to live with dignity in an absurd and chaotic world. Godawa's book focuses mainly on how exitentialist and postmodern worldviews are manifested in contemporary films, and also how religion, especially Christianity, is presented. He includes an appendix that helpfully explores legitimate uses of sex and violence in film. Though most of Godawa's discussions of individual films are brief, they are frequently illuminating and the book as a whole provides an excellent introduction for Christian evaluation of movies. The book left me wishing for more, and fortunately, Godawa's work is available on the web at www.godawa.com.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, January 30, 2004 at 08:51 AM
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1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
