Talking Noah With the Fellows
“The Greensboro Fellows Apologetics class challenges participants to humbly, thoughtfully and winsomely engage culture from a Christ-centered perspective in a way that cultivates and defends the life of God.” – Elijah Lovejoy
In April I had the opportunity to host a live conversation with the Greensboro Fellows. I was invited by Elijah Lovejoy, who was working with the Fellows, teaching apologetics. This was a great time to encourage, examine, and engage a popular narrative that was creating conversations across groups with profoundly different world views. Though there is always a challenge in recording a round table discussion that involves 15-20 participants, I think this turned out pretty well and there was, indeed, a pretty great discussion to be had. I hope you give it a listen and maybe take a look at this film from an angle you had not considered before.
REEL WORLD in Real Life (Summer 2014)
It’s that time of year again when REEL WORLD Theology gets to meet up and have real conversations in real time with really cool folks. These are always a lot of fun because it gives anyone who wants to a chance to chime in on how they felt about the themes and narratives of particular films. We have chosen another great variety of films, from animated, to classic, to independent to “love zombie.” I mean, what else could you want, right?
#023 – Noah and A Flood of Biblical Interpretation
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
We are finally sitting down to talk about the Darren Aronofsky directed, Noah. This film has garnered a lot of attention from various religious and non-religious communities for both it’s perceived and actual take on the Old Testament account of Noah. While some of it is warranted, we will try to figure out where the divisions have been and maybe where they should be. From “Rock Monsters” to homicidal prophets to magic forests to all out war on the ark, there are a lot of conversations happening because of this movie and we want to add something positive to it.
Noah on the Modern Day Felt Board
If you heard the story of Noah and the great flood as a child, it’s likely you remember as I do sitting in a stuffy Sunday school classroom and watching as your teacher played it out on one of those wonderfully nostalgic felt boards. Or maybe you can recall the melody and some of the lyrics to the stuck in your brain for days song “Arky Arky” from having performed it in your children’s choir. Or perhaps you never grew up hearing the story.
Whatever your background with Noah, it is likely you are familiar with the bare essential details: God told him to build and ark, the animals came two by two, Noah and his family were saved from the flood. It is a miraculous story of both God’s justice and His mercy. But did you ever put yourself in Noah’s place? Ever imagine yourself watching from the ark as the entirety of mankind begged and screamed for help as they drowned? It’s tough to think about. The true cost of bearing a burden that large is no children’s story. And the basic goal of Darren Aronofsky’s film Noah is to explore that burden and the man who bore it. The film, though, reaches for so much more.
#022 – Divergent and Social Division
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
We dive, again, into the world of young adult literature adaptations by conversating about the hugely popular film, Divergent. In the adaptation, up and comer, Shailene Woodley takes on our lead as Tris, who learns she’s Divergent and won’t fit in to a society that categorizes all it’s citizens into factions. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four (played by the surprising Theo James) must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it’s too late. We will give our thoughts on the movie, as an adaptation of the widely popular Young Adult literature genre, and also explore the themes the book very intentionally raises about conformity, human nature, leadership, sacrifice, and identity.
The Muppets, a Most Wanted Family
by Fizz
In a weekend that saw its box office figure dwarfed by Divergent (the “next big thing” in young adult dystopian fiction), Muppets Most Wanted still delivered a movie that was highly enjoyable and heart-warming. It’s fairly common in today’s movies to only have heroes that are highly flawed or, honestly, plain bad. We, as an audience have voted with our dollar over and over again for a super complex anti-hero (Iron Man 3, Despicable Me 2, American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club, etc, etc.), but I, for one, love to sit back and enjoy a tale in which the nice guy finishes first– especially when that nice guy is Kermit the Frog. He isn’t flashy, and he definitely isn’t an action hero, but he is the kind of guy (frog) we should feel good to root for (even if his most debilitating trait is only commitment issues to a very beautiful and boisterous pig).
#021 – Game of Thrones and Moral Ambiguity
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
We try to tackle the enormity of A Song of Ice and Fire, or, Game of Thrones to those of you who haven’t had a chance to read the books. IMDB puts it simply by saying that this is about “Seven noble families fighting for control of the mythical land of Westeros.” As fans, we have known it to be so much more. Love, betrayal, violence, power, lust, hatred, revenge… and dragons; it seems to have everything you could want in a story— including an ever-growing and impressive cast. The TV show is heading into it’s 4th season in just a few weeks and it is more popular than ever. We are here to take a look back at the previous 3 seasons and ask some fundamental questions about the show (and the books) popularity, its criticisms from the more conservative side of the isle, and, finally, it’s exploration of the human condition.
We do give everyone the disclaimer that even though we have all read further in the books than the 3rd season leaves us, we DO NOT spoil anything coming down the pipes. So, viewers, listen away!
#020 – Monuments Men and the Value of Art
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
We take a look at The Monuments Men, a George Clooney joint. With a near-all-star cast, this movie, about an unlikely World War II platoon tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners, hasn’t made as much of a splash as I think it would have hoped, but, it does have a very clear message about the value of history, art, and human life. It also speaks about human legacy and what matters in the annals of time. We try to dissect where the film is pointful and where it is just fun— and with this cast, it certainly had a bit of both.
Who-ology: S01E04&05 Aliens of London & World War Three
Episodes 4 and 5 of Doctor Who, “Aliens of London” and “World War Three,” comprise one story that explores the human instinct to self-preserve, and its alternative: self-sacrifice. The plot is constructed around an evil plan to reduce planet Earth…
Re:View| Once
“Music… will help dissolve your perplexities and purify your character and sensibilities, and in time of care and sorrow, will keep a fountain of joy alive in you.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer A guy stands busking on a crowded street, guitar in…