Baptists and Unity
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 51, No. 1 – Fall 2008
Managing Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By Robert K. Johnston. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006. 351 pages. Softcover, $19.99.
Since the 1970s, a veritable explosion of literature regarding the relationship between theology and film has taken place. Because of the enduring popularity of film as an entertainment medium and its undeniable influence on society, many theologians have chosen to engage in a dialogue with it, seeking out its potential theological content and determining if even secular films are capable of transmitting true theology.
Robert K. Johnston, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, believes that film is indeed capable of conveying the divine. In Reel Spirituality, he states that the purpose of his book is “to help Christian moviegoers enter into theological conversation with film” (22). He sees film as naturally demanding dialogue between itself and the viewer and because of this, the viewer actually engages in such dialogue, whether on a higher level or not. Johnston calls for Christians to enter into a well-informed, intellectual dialogue with film, one which utilizes proper film criticism and personal theological reflection to interact with the central meanings present in films.
Johnston divides his book into eleven chapters. The first five serve as a prolegomena of sorts by detailing what makes film a powerful medium, arguing why theological film criticism is necessary, and defending film as a legitimate art form worthy of academic attention. Chapters six and seven provide the reader with the fundamental elements of film, the foremost of which is narrative.
Chapters eight, nine, and ten are the heart of the book in that Johnston uses them to explicate his view of theological film criticism. Chapter eight introduces the reader to proper film criticism, chapter nine highlights ethical concerns involved in viewing films, and chapter ten details what Johnston believes is the optimal way to engage film theologically. In the final chapter, he provides a detailed example of this optimal criticism by examining the films of Australian director, Peter Weir.
Because Johnston believes that a good dialogue between theology and film involves proper film criticism by necessity, he asserts that a healthy theological critique involves such criticism. For Johnston, proper film criticism cannot be ignored by theologians who seek to dialogue with film, for it is “the first step toward a total criticism” (216).
Once the theologian begins with film criticism, he is then able to move to a theological approach towards film. Johnston sees theological film criticism as taking place on two axes: a “sacramental” axis and a “critical” axis (241). The sacramental axis involves the degree to which the theologian views the film as a “revelatory event”—he determines to what extent the central meaning of the film produces a purely human experience or an encounter with God (242–45). The critical axis concerns how far the theological critic’s film criticism goes—he decides to what extent he will keep his criticism entirely within the film itself or move into analytically critiquing the film through outside theological resources (250–53).
Depending on the individual film or critic, ideal criticism can fall anywhere on the matrix created by the intersection of the two axes; some films are perhaps better suited for producing a divine encounter than others, just as some films open themselves to critique from an outside theological perspective more so than others do. Still, wherever a film might fall on this matrix, for Johnston, the proper approach to the film must begin with an examination of its artistic sense. After that the film “will open the viewer to an overflow of meaning as the inner meaning of the film and the viewing ‘self ’ are grasped together, stimulating faithful belief, right practice, and even divine contemplation” (261).
Perhaps the greatest strength of this book is its introduction to proper film criticism. Any believer attempting to dialogue seriously and intellectually with film needs at least a minimum understanding of what film criticism involves. Not only does Johnston provide this, but he also shows why it is so important for intelligent theological discussion of film. Another strength consists of Johnston’s numerous examples from films to illustrate the process of criticism. Rather than leaving the reader to grasp the concepts on his own, Johnston shows the reader exactly what he means by applying the concepts to actual films.
The book is not without its drawbacks, however. The largest weakness concerns Johnston’s nebulous view of the potential for films to provide a “divine encounter” or “revelatory event.” Throughout the text, Johnston’s position regarding divine revelation is ambiguous at best. He does not explain what authority these divine encounters or revelatory events might have for the Christian and does not touch upon their need to be tested against Scripture. A second weakness is that Johnston is perhaps too “open” towards morally objectionable films. While he does make clear that not all films are appropriate for all Christians, he neglects that the matter of whether or not an individual Christian should view a certain film falls directly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Reel Spirituality is a book for Christian laypersons, ministers, and theologians alike. Rather than being passive viewers, believers should seek to interact critically and theologically with film, perhaps even encountering God in the process. Johnston’s work is a step in the right direction towards such a fruitful dialogue between theology and film.
