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Engaging Culture
Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue
The motion picture is an art form that has significantly influenced human culture. Films can shape our perceptions-from relationships and careers to good and evil. They are often a window into the human soul, a glimpse that can be both terrifying and holy. In view of the increasingly powerful role that movies play in our cultural dialogue, Robert K. Johnston, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, has written a book to guide Christian moviegoers into a theological analysis of and conversation with film. Reel Theology and Film in Dialogue is the first title in the new Baker Academic series Engaging Culture. Intended for use in the college and seminary classroom, Reel Spirituality helps Christians interpret movies through the eyes of faith. It provides the theological underpinnings for this art form and fosters both dialogue and discipleship. Among the more than 200 movies Johnston cites are American Beauty, The Apostle, The English Patient, The Godfather, Life Is Beautiful, The Sound of Music, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Truman Show. The Engaging Culture series is designed to help Christians respond to our contemporary culture. Each volume will seek to explore particular cultural expressions with regards to God's presence in the world today and help readers become better involved in sympathetic dialogue and active discipleship.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
39 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
Robert K. Johnston
36 books10 followersRobert K. Johnston (PhD, Duke University) is professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is the coeditor of both the Engaging Culture and the Cultural Exegesis series and is the author or coauthor of several books, including Reel Spirituality, Reframing Theology and Film, and Finding God in the Movies.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 16, 2010
Chapter 1 - The Power of Film
This chapter seemed really unnecessary. Johnston is preaching to the choir, no doubt about it, and he really overstates his case. I really like his use of concrete examples to demonstrate what he is talking about, but . . . First of all, I don't need 15 examples of how movies have changed people's lives. I get the picture. Secondly, I was surprised by how little he differentiated between film as a force for good or for ill. He seemed more interested in just establishing that it is, in fact, a force, which is a rather absurd thing to be arguing in the 21st century, akin to arguing that films are shot with movie cameras and projected onto giant screens in special venues where people pay to go and see them. The chapter concludes with examples of impacts that three specific films have had on three specific people, which is excellent. He could have cut everything between his introduction and this conclusion.
Chapter 2 - A Brief History of the Church and Hollywood
This is an excellent primer for anyone unfamiliar of the long and rarely cordial relationship between Hollywood and the church, particularly in America. Johnston keeps it brief, as promised, but starts at the beginning and delves into the ins-and-outs of the Production Code, what led to it, and how it finally disappeared. Everything is laid out clearly and simply, and there are no gaps left unfilled. He concludes with an excellent survey of the roles played by film and by the church in our society today, and the uses and misuses of film in church.
Chapter 3 - Theological Approaches to Film Criticism
A very dense chapter which outlines in great detail Johnston's model of five possible approaches: avoidance, caution, dialogue, appropriation, and divine encounter. He points out that the order represents a timeline of Christian responses to film, and he also places them in a line on a graph, moving from right to left (ethical to aesthetic responses) and bottom to top (discussions which begin with theology and turn to film, to those which begin with the film and turn to theology). Johnston quotes widely from a large number of critics and books on theology and film, and does a good job giving equal time to all approaches, though it is pretty clear that he favors some combination of the latter three. He is occasionally guilty in this chapter of "carpet-bombing" the text with a cluster of movie titles which may or may not mean anything to any given reader, but he never "name drops" in a similar fashion without explaining who he is talking about and giving a good idea of what they stand for. As a result, we get an excellent, broad look at the "state of the field." Johnston ends the chapter by demonstrating what each approach might look like when applied to "Saving Private Ryan" and then he takes a look at the actual range found in Christian reviews of "Sideways." I particularly liked the correlation between his model and H. Richard Niebuhr's five orientations between Christ and culture.
Chapter 4 - Why Look at Film? A Theological Perspective
As the title indicates, this chapter is all about justifying and exploring the link between the cinematic and the theological. The chapter seemed a bit technical to me, although it was not difficult to understand, and my assessment is likely the result of having studied film more formally than theology. Like the previous chapter, this analysis is quite long, covering the subject with breadth and depth. Johnston speaks beautifully and persuasively about the ways in which film and faith can inform each other. As usual, his method of discussion is to quote widely from as many diverse authorities as possible, fall back on concrete examples for illustration, and break down processes and perspectives into easily-digestable numbered lists (i.e. three different answers to the question of how God can speak through nonbelievers). There are too many important ideas in this chapter to summarize, but in particular Johnston spends a lot of time here doing two things: 1) Justifying cultural engagement and literacy as part of constructing a holistic theology, and 2) Showing how Christian theology has always been sketched with metaphor and drawn from narrative, and is (or ought to be) concerned with the everyday realities of human life.
Chapter 5 - Are Movies Art?
Titling the chapter with that question seems slightly disingenuous, especially at this point, as Johnston's answer is obvious. However, perhaps it says something about the state of film studies in certain circles that Johnston feels he needs to offer yet another apologetic for the subject of this book (having started off by arguing that films are influential, he now establishes that they have value). In this case, though, he quickly moves beyond the obvious and gets into a solid discussion of exactly how films function as works of art, playing with a few philosophical concepts about what art is and what it does.
Chapter 6 - In Film, Story Reigns Supreme
There are some nice insights into how film is constructed around narrative, and the various ways that audiences respond, sprinkled throughout this chapter. However, there is also a great deal of very basic information about the form and function of film criticism, including a few relatively lengthy segments of actual criticism by way of example. Overall, we have another building-block chapter aimed primarily at the complete newcomer.
Chapter 7 - Image and Music
Having explored movies as a literary form, Johnston turns his attention to non-literary elements involved in film (editing, framing, music, etc.). The insights are solid and informative, but continues to digress from the dialogue promised in the book's subtitle. Nevertheless, Johnston highlights some excellent films in his discussion, and tangentially touches on some more worthwhile ideas, but overall continues to speak exclusively to the novices of film study.
Chapter 8 - Becoming a Film Critic
Chapter 9 - Responding to Film Ethically: Moving Beyond the Rating System
Chapter 10 - Responding to Movies Theologically
Chapter 11 - An Exercise in Dialogue: The Movies of Peter Weir
Well, I've finished it, but I suppose I shouldn't give the whole thing away. More importantly, you get the idea. This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it accomplished exactly what it set out to accomplish. This would be a fantastic textbook to base a college course on, although there's really too much to effectively cover even in a semester. It's a great introduction to a growing field, and I heartily recommend it as such, but anyone who's been thinking, reading, and writing about these ideas for awhile is likely to get a bit impatient, and unlikely to learn anything really new.
This chapter seemed really unnecessary. Johnston is preaching to the choir, no doubt about it, and he really overstates his case. I really like his use of concrete examples to demonstrate what he is talking about, but . . . First of all, I don't need 15 examples of how movies have changed people's lives. I get the picture. Secondly, I was surprised by how little he differentiated between film as a force for good or for ill. He seemed more interested in just establishing that it is, in fact, a force, which is a rather absurd thing to be arguing in the 21st century, akin to arguing that films are shot with movie cameras and projected onto giant screens in special venues where people pay to go and see them. The chapter concludes with examples of impacts that three specific films have had on three specific people, which is excellent. He could have cut everything between his introduction and this conclusion.
Chapter 2 - A Brief History of the Church and Hollywood
This is an excellent primer for anyone unfamiliar of the long and rarely cordial relationship between Hollywood and the church, particularly in America. Johnston keeps it brief, as promised, but starts at the beginning and delves into the ins-and-outs of the Production Code, what led to it, and how it finally disappeared. Everything is laid out clearly and simply, and there are no gaps left unfilled. He concludes with an excellent survey of the roles played by film and by the church in our society today, and the uses and misuses of film in church.
Chapter 3 - Theological Approaches to Film Criticism
A very dense chapter which outlines in great detail Johnston's model of five possible approaches: avoidance, caution, dialogue, appropriation, and divine encounter. He points out that the order represents a timeline of Christian responses to film, and he also places them in a line on a graph, moving from right to left (ethical to aesthetic responses) and bottom to top (discussions which begin with theology and turn to film, to those which begin with the film and turn to theology). Johnston quotes widely from a large number of critics and books on theology and film, and does a good job giving equal time to all approaches, though it is pretty clear that he favors some combination of the latter three. He is occasionally guilty in this chapter of "carpet-bombing" the text with a cluster of movie titles which may or may not mean anything to any given reader, but he never "name drops" in a similar fashion without explaining who he is talking about and giving a good idea of what they stand for. As a result, we get an excellent, broad look at the "state of the field." Johnston ends the chapter by demonstrating what each approach might look like when applied to "Saving Private Ryan" and then he takes a look at the actual range found in Christian reviews of "Sideways." I particularly liked the correlation between his model and H. Richard Niebuhr's five orientations between Christ and culture.
Chapter 4 - Why Look at Film? A Theological Perspective
As the title indicates, this chapter is all about justifying and exploring the link between the cinematic and the theological. The chapter seemed a bit technical to me, although it was not difficult to understand, and my assessment is likely the result of having studied film more formally than theology. Like the previous chapter, this analysis is quite long, covering the subject with breadth and depth. Johnston speaks beautifully and persuasively about the ways in which film and faith can inform each other. As usual, his method of discussion is to quote widely from as many diverse authorities as possible, fall back on concrete examples for illustration, and break down processes and perspectives into easily-digestable numbered lists (i.e. three different answers to the question of how God can speak through nonbelievers). There are too many important ideas in this chapter to summarize, but in particular Johnston spends a lot of time here doing two things: 1) Justifying cultural engagement and literacy as part of constructing a holistic theology, and 2) Showing how Christian theology has always been sketched with metaphor and drawn from narrative, and is (or ought to be) concerned with the everyday realities of human life.
Chapter 5 - Are Movies Art?
Titling the chapter with that question seems slightly disingenuous, especially at this point, as Johnston's answer is obvious. However, perhaps it says something about the state of film studies in certain circles that Johnston feels he needs to offer yet another apologetic for the subject of this book (having started off by arguing that films are influential, he now establishes that they have value). In this case, though, he quickly moves beyond the obvious and gets into a solid discussion of exactly how films function as works of art, playing with a few philosophical concepts about what art is and what it does.
Chapter 6 - In Film, Story Reigns Supreme
There are some nice insights into how film is constructed around narrative, and the various ways that audiences respond, sprinkled throughout this chapter. However, there is also a great deal of very basic information about the form and function of film criticism, including a few relatively lengthy segments of actual criticism by way of example. Overall, we have another building-block chapter aimed primarily at the complete newcomer.
Chapter 7 - Image and Music
Having explored movies as a literary form, Johnston turns his attention to non-literary elements involved in film (editing, framing, music, etc.). The insights are solid and informative, but continues to digress from the dialogue promised in the book's subtitle. Nevertheless, Johnston highlights some excellent films in his discussion, and tangentially touches on some more worthwhile ideas, but overall continues to speak exclusively to the novices of film study.
Chapter 8 - Becoming a Film Critic
Chapter 9 - Responding to Film Ethically: Moving Beyond the Rating System
Chapter 10 - Responding to Movies Theologically
Chapter 11 - An Exercise in Dialogue: The Movies of Peter Weir
Well, I've finished it, but I suppose I shouldn't give the whole thing away. More importantly, you get the idea. This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it accomplished exactly what it set out to accomplish. This would be a fantastic textbook to base a college course on, although there's really too much to effectively cover even in a semester. It's a great introduction to a growing field, and I heartily recommend it as such, but anyone who's been thinking, reading, and writing about these ideas for awhile is likely to get a bit impatient, and unlikely to learn anything really new.
August 27, 2025
I mean, I guess it was fine. It just felt really dated and a product of its time in both its theology and talking points. Interesting to see how Christians may engage with film, though
August 7, 2019
Reel Spirituality's strongest asset is its subject matter. I was unaware that such extensive, official (read: academic) attention was already being paid to the intersection of film and religion. It was a premise just interesting enough to keep me reading all the way through. My only roadblock was the prose--it does, in fact, read very much like a textbook. Many times Johnston makes his points with more complexity than is necessary. You want to tell him to forget the ten-dollar words and simply speak to you in plain language. Thus, if you can take the sophisticated classroom jargon, it may be worth a read. If you're simply looking for a casual tour of the subject in question, I'd pass.
April 5, 2021
کتاب ارزشمندیه که با ترجمه فتاح محمدی توسط فارابی به فارسی برگردانده شده.من به نظرم می آد ویراست کتاب نیاز به بازبینی داره.اما در مورد محتوای کتاب می تونم بگم که نویسنده تلاش کرده از دریچه خداباوری و خداشناسی به فیلم ها نگاه تازه ای داشته باشه. سطح کتاب عمومی است و اصلا نیاز به پیش نیاز سینمایی نداره .
November 4, 2014
Not only a phenomenal book on filmmaking and film interpretation, but a really engaging work of theology. I highly recommend this book to anyone who regards themselves as both a lover of cinema and a thoughtful Christian. Reel Spirituality has only intensified my already existing reverence for the art of cinema.
July 29, 2020
Fairly interesting at times. The author makes some good points. Movies can be a great way of starting theological conversations with non-Christians and Christians. Movies are a great way of reading the culture around us. They give us awareness of the way popular thought around us is shifting.
Granted, movies can be a great way of appreciating God's gifts, starting conversations, being aware of the culture around us etc.
However, at times the author seems to almost place them on the level of fellowship, prayer, and scripture reading. Movies are not a means of grace listed in the Bible. Are they entertaining interesting? Are they a part of natural revelation that teaches us? Can they be used as cultural engagement tools? Yes to all three. But they will never become a Christian necessity.
The author tends to over-repeat and provide an unnecessary amount of examples. Many of the chapters just seem to be a re-phrasing of the previous one.
The authoralso seems to be smuggling in a liberal, non-sufficiency of scripture type philosophy into this book. This is all under the guise of Christians needing to pay proper attention to the power of story and art.
If you fully followed the author fully to his conclusions on some things, you might be lead to some pretty dangerous places.
For example, in reference to the dying interest in systematic theology among Christians, he says:
"McFague thinks that a theology that took its cues from Jesus’ parables would surely find poetry, novels, and autobiographies to be prime resources."
Except those aren't authoritative, infallible, and inerrant. If we took McFague's advice (and presumably Johnston's), we would be giving every idea equal weight in the arena of theology. If the Bible says one thing, but Bishop Shelby Spong says another, we must hear them both out and decide for ourselves which we like the sound of more. That's terribly dangerous.
Granted, movies can be a great way of appreciating God's gifts, starting conversations, being aware of the culture around us etc.
However, at times the author seems to almost place them on the level of fellowship, prayer, and scripture reading. Movies are not a means of grace listed in the Bible. Are they entertaining interesting? Are they a part of natural revelation that teaches us? Can they be used as cultural engagement tools? Yes to all three. But they will never become a Christian necessity.
The author tends to over-repeat and provide an unnecessary amount of examples. Many of the chapters just seem to be a re-phrasing of the previous one.
The authoralso seems to be smuggling in a liberal, non-sufficiency of scripture type philosophy into this book. This is all under the guise of Christians needing to pay proper attention to the power of story and art.
If you fully followed the author fully to his conclusions on some things, you might be lead to some pretty dangerous places.
For example, in reference to the dying interest in systematic theology among Christians, he says:
"McFague thinks that a theology that took its cues from Jesus’ parables would surely find poetry, novels, and autobiographies to be prime resources."
Except those aren't authoritative, infallible, and inerrant. If we took McFague's advice (and presumably Johnston's), we would be giving every idea equal weight in the arena of theology. If the Bible says one thing, but Bishop Shelby Spong says another, we must hear them both out and decide for ourselves which we like the sound of more. That's terribly dangerous.
September 5, 2012
I love movies. Any chance I get, I try to get a few minutes watching some of my favorites. I love Star Wars, Star Trek, and especially the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
So, it should come as no surprise that I love to combine my passion for theology and reaching the culture around me with "reading" the story of film and engaging those stories, seeking to find the truth that the "common grace" of the Holy Spirit is seeking to speak to the world around us. I even have a blog (much neglected, to be truthful) at Finding Christ in Film where I have tried to engage film in this exegesis of culture.
Into this passion of mine comes the book Reel Spirituality by Robert K. Johnston which I add to my list of film based books along with Through a Screen Darkly Jeffrey Overstreet and Into the Dark by Craig Detweiler. This is an excellent primer to the theological practice of reading film.
A little heads up, though. This is not a book for a casual reader. The implication is that the person reading this book is someone who takes the task of theology seriously and the world of film and film criticism seriously. I find myself rather humbled, actually, reading this book because I realize how much of an amateur I am in the world of film criticism and theology in light of the high standards that Johnston seems to require.
But if you are willing to subject yourself to a period of learning about how these two worlds, theology and film, intersect than I cannot recommend a better book. Johnston explores the history of the interaction between the church and film, both the good and the bad (and even some ugly) and describes the power that film has to communicate through image, sound, light, and story. In this historical discussion, the author describes several stances that critics take to film when discussing it theologically. Johnston seems to come down closer to a middle of the road "dialogue" with the film in contrast to either a criticism of avoidance or a criticism of divine encounter. He recognizes film can bring out themes of the divine, but there is a discernment that is necessary in order to separate the profane from the divine.
Theology is applied to film, then, by pointing out the narrative quality of the Christian experience. The theology of the faith is one that is expressed in our primary documents, not as a system of beliefs and doctrines but a series of stories and other writings that are evidence of the narratives behind them. Since our own theology is based upon story and the human experience seems best expressed in story, it only seems logical that the primary story medium of our day should be examined for similar encounters with God.
Johnston then gives an excellent clinic through the mechanics of the storytelling of the film industry describing the use of plot, character, atmosphere and point-of-view. The combination of these four pieces are found in all stories and any conversation or dialogue with the story needs to take these pieces into consideration. Additionally, within these considerations, there are the contextual pieces of the viewer, the filmmaker, the world within the film, and the general cultural view outside the film. These stories relate within this framework and a good critic will spend time within these considerations. But Johnston points out that film story also includes the use of image (camera angles, light, framing, mise-en-scene, montage) and music (score, composition, themes, silence) that cannot be found in the written word. To be able to read the story of film, these tools in the story-tellers toolbox needs to be included in any discussion of the story.
Johnston does spend a chapter discussing ethics and morality of watching film. There is recognition that not all that is in film is necessarily the "good and pure" that Paul asks his readers to consider in his letter to the Philippians. But when stories are being told of the human experience, many times that human experience is very raw. One cannot tell the story of the holocaust around WWII without including images of death and brutality as Spielberg used in Schindler's List or the violence and injustice of war as in Hotel Rwanda. The viewer should enter into viewing of film with full awareness of what they are viewing and with a preparation to recognize the difference between these horrific truths of reality and the purity that we are called to dwell on. In other words, not all films are for all people and discernment is necessary.
Johnston then moves into discussing how to approach films theologically. Once the tools of the story are understood, the "reader" can then apply theological criticism to the film using a spectrum of experience versus reflection. For experience, the theological critic can find a film along a range of presentations that either call the viewer to experience a Transcendence into the holy or a transcendence of the human condition. For reflection, the viewer will find a spectrum of films that call you to dwell within the story of the film to the other end where the viewer will enter into a conversation with both the film and other theological partners. By engaging all these areas of the film presentation along with the understanding of the film story-telling art, the viewer can bring out a serious dialogue with the film and the intertextual interplays between films, literature, scripture, and the human experience.
Johnston wraps up the book with an examination of Peter Weir's films including Dead Poet's Society, The Truman Show, and Witness and others. A book like this would be useless if there was not a practical application and, with such a prolific and varied auteur as Peter Weir, the final chapter was able to engage all the different aspects described through the rest of the book.
I set this book aside right now with a heavy heart. It is not my own personal copy but it belongs to a church library so I won't necessarily have it at my side to refer to. But next time I have a few bucks to spare, I'll be buying this book as a primary reference for anyone seeking to engage culture through film. I highly recommend it and I look forward to using some of my new-found insights and knowledge in future film readings.
So, it should come as no surprise that I love to combine my passion for theology and reaching the culture around me with "reading" the story of film and engaging those stories, seeking to find the truth that the "common grace" of the Holy Spirit is seeking to speak to the world around us. I even have a blog (much neglected, to be truthful) at Finding Christ in Film where I have tried to engage film in this exegesis of culture.
Into this passion of mine comes the book Reel Spirituality by Robert K. Johnston which I add to my list of film based books along with Through a Screen Darkly Jeffrey Overstreet and Into the Dark by Craig Detweiler. This is an excellent primer to the theological practice of reading film.
A little heads up, though. This is not a book for a casual reader. The implication is that the person reading this book is someone who takes the task of theology seriously and the world of film and film criticism seriously. I find myself rather humbled, actually, reading this book because I realize how much of an amateur I am in the world of film criticism and theology in light of the high standards that Johnston seems to require.
But if you are willing to subject yourself to a period of learning about how these two worlds, theology and film, intersect than I cannot recommend a better book. Johnston explores the history of the interaction between the church and film, both the good and the bad (and even some ugly) and describes the power that film has to communicate through image, sound, light, and story. In this historical discussion, the author describes several stances that critics take to film when discussing it theologically. Johnston seems to come down closer to a middle of the road "dialogue" with the film in contrast to either a criticism of avoidance or a criticism of divine encounter. He recognizes film can bring out themes of the divine, but there is a discernment that is necessary in order to separate the profane from the divine.
Theology is applied to film, then, by pointing out the narrative quality of the Christian experience. The theology of the faith is one that is expressed in our primary documents, not as a system of beliefs and doctrines but a series of stories and other writings that are evidence of the narratives behind them. Since our own theology is based upon story and the human experience seems best expressed in story, it only seems logical that the primary story medium of our day should be examined for similar encounters with God.
Johnston then gives an excellent clinic through the mechanics of the storytelling of the film industry describing the use of plot, character, atmosphere and point-of-view. The combination of these four pieces are found in all stories and any conversation or dialogue with the story needs to take these pieces into consideration. Additionally, within these considerations, there are the contextual pieces of the viewer, the filmmaker, the world within the film, and the general cultural view outside the film. These stories relate within this framework and a good critic will spend time within these considerations. But Johnston points out that film story also includes the use of image (camera angles, light, framing, mise-en-scene, montage) and music (score, composition, themes, silence) that cannot be found in the written word. To be able to read the story of film, these tools in the story-tellers toolbox needs to be included in any discussion of the story.
Johnston does spend a chapter discussing ethics and morality of watching film. There is recognition that not all that is in film is necessarily the "good and pure" that Paul asks his readers to consider in his letter to the Philippians. But when stories are being told of the human experience, many times that human experience is very raw. One cannot tell the story of the holocaust around WWII without including images of death and brutality as Spielberg used in Schindler's List or the violence and injustice of war as in Hotel Rwanda. The viewer should enter into viewing of film with full awareness of what they are viewing and with a preparation to recognize the difference between these horrific truths of reality and the purity that we are called to dwell on. In other words, not all films are for all people and discernment is necessary.
Johnston then moves into discussing how to approach films theologically. Once the tools of the story are understood, the "reader" can then apply theological criticism to the film using a spectrum of experience versus reflection. For experience, the theological critic can find a film along a range of presentations that either call the viewer to experience a Transcendence into the holy or a transcendence of the human condition. For reflection, the viewer will find a spectrum of films that call you to dwell within the story of the film to the other end where the viewer will enter into a conversation with both the film and other theological partners. By engaging all these areas of the film presentation along with the understanding of the film story-telling art, the viewer can bring out a serious dialogue with the film and the intertextual interplays between films, literature, scripture, and the human experience.
Johnston wraps up the book with an examination of Peter Weir's films including Dead Poet's Society, The Truman Show, and Witness and others. A book like this would be useless if there was not a practical application and, with such a prolific and varied auteur as Peter Weir, the final chapter was able to engage all the different aspects described through the rest of the book.
I set this book aside right now with a heavy heart. It is not my own personal copy but it belongs to a church library so I won't necessarily have it at my side to refer to. But next time I have a few bucks to spare, I'll be buying this book as a primary reference for anyone seeking to engage culture through film. I highly recommend it and I look forward to using some of my new-found insights and knowledge in future film readings.
August 18, 2017
A remarkable book that remains one of the ultimate discourses on how to engage film critically and theologically. Johnston effectively employs a Niebuhrian Christ and Culture model to examine the historical relationship of mainline Christianity and film, but Reel Spirituality is less apologetic and more critical analysis. Johnston's passion clearly lies in understanding the art of film--the mis-en-scene, the power of narrative, the script, the score, camera angles--and then in developing the filmic, ethical, and theological constructs that will enable any viewer to properly respond ("dialogue") with film. It's often heady material, but Johnston has the Lewis-like gift of explaining complex philosophical and theological concepts by applying them directly to reel examples. His critical analysis of Peter Weir's filmic anthology is so rich and elucidative, it made this reader wish Johnston would turn his enjoyable writing style towards a book entirely devoted to studying the works of cinema's great auteurs. Above all else, Johnston consistently reminds his reader that films are inherently axiologically creatures, and that as such they "make claims on us both analytically and experientially and thus invite our theological reflection." All who have eyes, let them see.
October 23, 2023
I feel very conflicted about this book. On the one hand, it offers an incredibly valuable discussion about faith and film that tries hard at combining perspectives in theology and film studies with both academic and down-to-earth writing. But it never quite felt like the book could really navigate its varied identities as well as it wants to. Early on it seems like this is directed towards a college-age audience to give some food for thought on popular culture, and then the last chapter has language that talks about "this is how our kids see movies" that make it seem like it's written towards older adults. There's a lot of stellar insight here, but the book never feels like it really settles on precisely what it wants to be. There were also times that it seemed certain important topics were given cursory treatments and things that I thought seemed relatively unimportant for a book about theology and film were given quite a bit more treatment than seemed necessary. There's certainly a lot to unpack in this one and I can feel already that certain parts will be things I'll return to for my own use and with students, but I just couldn't love the entire package.
October 10, 2022
Recommends movies that no Christian should be watching (ie Bull Durham. The plot of Bull Durham is baseball and sex. The point of the movie is to discuss sex. i.e. sideways. Those are two of out over a 100 movies he reccomends). The book also fails to filter movies through scripture. Instead, Johnston would have us set aside our theological assumptions so that we can enjoy movies for what they are. (WARNING: You should never set aside your convictions, in case you did not realize that). I understand the need to not just write off a piece of artwork because it contains something like cursing, or smoking. But, we cannot just "set aside" our beliefs to examine art. On the contrary, our beliefs help us to examine art rightly.
June 28, 2019
Pros- he history of movies and the church was rather insightful
Cons- I think my school is having me read from different perspectives to build critical reading and thinking skills, because this was a bit out there.
The author argues for the Holy Spirit speaking through film. He is extremely ambiguous when speaking about God speaking and revealing himself in Scripture vs movies. He also argues for general revelation in movies. It is slightly unclear if he was arguing for special revelation in movies. Though his language was slightly distancing himself from what he calls "traditional" language of the church, specifically special vs general.
Cons- I think my school is having me read from different perspectives to build critical reading and thinking skills, because this was a bit out there.
The author argues for the Holy Spirit speaking through film. He is extremely ambiguous when speaking about God speaking and revealing himself in Scripture vs movies. He also argues for general revelation in movies. It is slightly unclear if he was arguing for special revelation in movies. Though his language was slightly distancing himself from what he calls "traditional" language of the church, specifically special vs general.
October 8, 2025
This book serves as an excellent overview and introduction to christian dialogue between film and theology. Although slightly dated now, it proved a helpful model for faithful christian engagment with film. Focusing on the need for dialogue between film and theology, it offers not only theory but many examples of how Christian thinkers can engage with film (the last chapter is entirely made up of interaction with the films of Peter Weir). In this, it is really helpful. The weakness of the book, for me, was it's length - Johnson often gives more than one example when one who have been enough.
May 31, 2017
Excellent introduction to the idea of film and theology in dialogue. This book is another in the Engaging Culture Series from Baker Books. It provides a history of film but mostly focuses on how film is the storytelling medium in our culture and how Christians can thoughtfully appraise movies and their impact. Well worth the time to read.
July 17, 2017
Reel Spirituality is an in-depth look at how Christians can better engage in movie watching and reviewing. For many people, movies provide the stories which are used to explain life's meaning, yet rather than trying to understand movies, many Christians react to them on a superficial level. This book helps Christians correct that. For those who enjoy movies, this is a worthwhile book to read.
November 8, 2018
Good review of the influence movies have on culture and how conservative Christians can learn from them. A little one-sided in its approach, stressing the need to embrace culture instead of showing an alternative perspective to culture.
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January 11, 2025DNF. It is not a bad book, but it is very superficial from film theory perspective and feels more like the author is trying to convince Christians that cinema can teach you something about God instead of actually focusing on analysis of movies.
September 7, 2017
This reads like a textbook and is well footnoted.
January 3, 2019
Smart, helpful, readable, thorough.
November 5, 2024
Not my favorite. It had some good things to say, but it had a much stronger stance on film as the way of the future for the Church than I was comfortable with.
January 6, 2016
I'm fascinated by a fact mentioned early on in this book. Most people have seen at least 58 movies in a year...and the church has turned its back on engaging non believers through the language of the movies. It has become so easy for me to open a conversation with "What good movies have you seen lately?" It's a great way to dialogue about things that are important to each one of us.
This book is designed to help one really evaluate a movie on the basis of universal themes. Johnston maintains that we need to learn how to "see" a movie and the needs it ministers to in an individual.
Great read so far! Recommended by my friend/son-in-law Tony!
He was reading it as part of a Seminary class at Fuller.
Loved the book, and actually had an opportunity to hear the authors in person!
This book is designed to help one really evaluate a movie on the basis of universal themes. Johnston maintains that we need to learn how to "see" a movie and the needs it ministers to in an individual.
Great read so far! Recommended by my friend/son-in-law Tony!
He was reading it as part of a Seminary class at Fuller.
Loved the book, and actually had an opportunity to hear the authors in person!
December 3, 2010
I really enjoyed this book because it discusses something that I've been interested in for a while: the divide in the church between the sacred and the profane. This book attempts to reconcile these two extremes by affirming the biblical truth that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. Johnston sees the sacramentality of secular films and teaches his reader how to see it as well. Well worth reading for the Christian film buff.
August 10, 2007
Loved the idea of the book. I like movies, so this was very interesting to me. It kept my attention and I though it made some pretty fair points. I do think, however, that some people may find his point about cinema and theology to be too forced.
Other than that, I liked it.
Other than that, I liked it.
July 31, 2008
While offering some fascinating information about movies and their history, the author gives film (as a medium) unnessecary theological merit, focusing too much on aesthetic attributes and how they help us learn about God and His character/nature.
March 22, 2022
Very good and very dry. Took a long time to read, as it reads like a textbook for a lot of it. Plus, for someone that has been studying film for years and thinking about how my faith interacts with film, a fair amount of it felt like review.
July 27, 2009
Gets you thinking! A great read for Christians in the film industry or who have a heart to use movies in their ministry!
July 1, 2019
Some great, simple graphics and articulation of different types of engagement. I wish the spread of movies discussed was more diverse, and some of the films/directors chosen turned me off.
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