Director: Gordon Matties
Movies move us. They pack a powerful emotional punch. And because they leave very little to the imagination, they often overpower us. Many of us enjoy movies for that very reason, but we don't always know how to reflect thoughtfully on our emotional encounter with a movie.
Movies
always reflect a worldview. Either
implicitly, or explicitly, they communicate ways of understanding
the world, and how men and women see each other and act
in that world.
Although we have grown up in a visually saturated culture, we don't have skills for critical engagement with visual media. We often don't know how to reflect thoughtfully on our emotional encounter with a movie.
As passive viewers, we run the risk of being manipulated by what we watch. If we were to supplement our passive viewing with active dialogue with the movie, we would find ourselves seeing more in the movie. Rather than being visual sponges, we would become participants in the discernment of meaning and significance.
These
web pages offer you resources to become a more thoughtful
and engaged movie watcher. In particular, they also
provide you with ways to explore the relationship between
religion and popular culture in film—how movies reflect
and shape worldview; how film embodies the commitments,
virtues and values of society; and how a religious vision
is expressed through the medium of film.
Praise for Gordon’s Film & Faith on-line resources:
“If you have only one ‘favorites’ setting on your web browser with regard to movies, it should be the movie theology site compiled by Gordon Matties at Canadian Mennonite University.” Catherine M. Barsotti and Robert K. Johnston, Finding God in the Movies: 33 Films of Reel Faith (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004).
Movie Theology: Reviews and Resources. A variety of links that will take you to some of the best movie review sites.
Seeing is Believing: Conversations Between Film & Faith. Seeing is Believing is a monthly film series that provides a unique opportunity for those who enjoy viewing and discussing movies. It invites conversation about the critical role of film in visualizing the spiritual and social challenges of our time. Sessions are held on three Sunday afternoons. Each session includes the screening of an award-winning film, followed by a light dinner and lively discussion at a local restaurant.
Let’s Rent a Movie! Making Movie Nights Work. A short article by Gordon on how to facilitate group discussions about movies (IdeaBank 14/1 [March 2001]).
A Bibliography on Religion & Film. Prepared by Gordon Matties.
Recent Books on Faith & Film. A brief review of some of the best books on the topic. This file has not been updated recently; please see the Bibliography above.
Online Articles on Faith & Film. From academic articles in The Journal of Religion & Film to popularly written articles in a variety of websites.
Article on Gordon’s course, “Film, Faith and Popular Culture” in The Journal of Religion & Film.
Sites on the movie The Matrix. These sites apply theological, mythic, or comparative religion approaches to the movie.
