Hollywood is beginning to realize that there are incredible financial benefits for making Christian movies. It isn’t rocket science. A large part of our population at least identifies as Christian, and you know that when you produce a Christian movie, churches and youth groups everywhere will be renting out movie theaters to bring everyone to the show.
As a business, you have to like the concept. When you make a big financial investment, you want it to pay off.
However, here is my question. What happens when you have a movie like Noah? What happens when you have a movie that embellishes on the stories that we know? I wrote about this controversy a few months ago, but now there is some data to operate with.
According to a press release from the Christian News Service, a poll of 1200 viewers revealed that 79% of people say that when creating this kind of movie, historical and Biblical accuracy are important. I think that kind of goes without saying. If we don’t have Biblical accuracy in a movie about the Bible, you could end up with some heretical teaching.
However, here is my concern. It is a good thing to want the Bible to be fairly represented in films. I understand that, and I support that position. The problem is that these same people who want Biblical accuracy are becoming less and less Biblically literate.
There was an interesting survey article in Biola Magazine entitled “The Crisis of Biblical Illiteracy & What We Can Do about It.” In this article, the author, Kenneth Berding, lays out the work of several Christian researchers who have emphasized are Christians are becoming less and less immersed in the Bible. There are perhaps many reasons for this, but it is hard to deny that we see this kind of evidence coming out.
This is an important spot for apologists to come to work. We have a group of people who believe that the Bible is important, but many might be lacking the background knowledge on the Book itself. If you think about it, it would kind of be like saying that your car is very important to you, but you can’t tell me the make, model or even color.
Apologetics is the field of equipping people to defend Christianity, but how can you defend what you know nothing about? Without basic Biblical literacy, you might be defending something, but who knows if it is Christianity?
If you have this basic knowledge and understanding of Christianity, you will then be able to do what people want to do. You will be able to understand whether or not a movie is indeed historically and Biblically accurate. That understanding is the end product, but you cannot have it without beginning with the fundamentals.
I hope that makes sense, and I hope that people don’t take this lightly. Because there is money to be made, I have no doubt that movies about the Bible are going to continue coming out. Even if the studios are not Christian, they rightfully understand that there is money to be made, and it would be surprising if they don’t go for it.
As Christians and apologists, we need to do what we can to help our fellow Christians gain a greater appreciation for the Bible and why it is everything we say it is. If we don’t do that, it might be hard for these people to discern what is actually Biblical and what is purely Hollywood.
First of all, Zak, “historically and biblically accurate”? Hmm. Not sure those terms should always go together. Then, there’s another reason for the biblical illiteracy: it’s an old, old book and we live in a new, new world. There’s still some wisdom to learn from the old books (and I’m sure apologists are rapidly reading the Tao, the Qur’an, the Dhammapada, the Gita and the rest, right? After all, it’s a “search for Truth,” isn’t it?). Yet, these are ancient texts from a time long gone.
Here are two other reasons I think many Christians do not read the Bible much: they have “authorities” to tell them what’s in there and what it means, and, there are some pretty awful stories in there that don’t make God or faith very appealing. In fact, there are people who leave faith AFTER reading the “holy books.” So, before pleading for “accuracy” in bible films, it may be wise to consider what the general public might think and do after watching how the bible treats women, supports slavery and portrays a genocidal deity who needs blood, and lots of it, to be satisfied, and to forgive. Something to think about.
My apologies for the late response. I didn’t get my customary email that I had a new comment for some reason.
I think you make a good point about people having “authorities” to help them interpret the Bible. There is certainly danger when people abandon individual thought and blindly follow authorities. That is how cults start many times. However, let me turn this for your little bit.
Don’t we kind of do that in everyday life all the time? I have never personally seen a proton, but I take it from authorities that I trust that they really do exist. I certainly could go through and get my PhD in chemistry. I could learn to analyze subatomic particles on my own, but because I have not done that, I do respect to those who have taken time to learn the material and to understand the way that works.
In a similar vein, if you have professionals who have dedicated their lives to trying to understand any one of those texts that you have mentioned, wouldn’t it make sense to listen to them on some level? They ought to know more about the material if that is their entire career. It makes sense.
That does not by any means remove our responsibility to study the Bible ourselves as I said before, but it is not as if the fact that there are authorities is somehow a detriment to Christianity.
As far as your second point, there are some brutal stories in the Bible. I won’t deny that. However, if the general public does respond in the way that you assume they will, then my point is even more well proven. If these discussions are going to happen, surely the questions are going to fly at Christians who might not be the well-known “authorities.” It makes Biblical literacy even more important for even the average layperson.
Zak, great article! I think it is up to the Youth leaders to evaluate these films for literacy (assuming the Youth leaders are Bible literate). And if the films do not pass the test, let the youth know, tell them why and announce it publicly. We need to walk away from these illiterate films. As you say money talks, but we may prefer to walk. Walk away that is. Blessings — don
Thanks sir! Nice rhyming in that last sentence by the way 🙂