Not too long ago, I gave an assignment to a class I was teaching on Christian history. It was a biography on St Augustine. I was pretty excited to introduce people to a good friend whom they had (more than likely) never really met. He is a titan of the faith and has, over the years, become one of my best acquaintances. Yes, this guy comes fully stocked with baggage. And yes, some of this baggage was lacking in modesty. But that is how it is with all my friends. They don’t have it all together. They never have. All of the greats of the past. Whether in theology or lifestyle, if you want to get to know the real thing, you are going to have to wade through some waters that are going to be far outside your comfort zone.
I was somewhat discouraged when one person came to a part of the book that described Augustine’s problems with sexual promiscuity. There was nothing too gory as Augustine never felt the need to describe any details. However, this person thought it unwise to let other Christians read this side of Augustine, especially the teens. “They might be encouraged to do the same,” this person said. “I just don’t think they should be exposed to a ‘hero’ who lived such a life. I just want to hear the good stuff about Augustine.”
It is hard to make it through this life with an eye only for “the good stuff.” Really, it is very hard to define “the good stuff.” First (and please forgive my postmodern cliché), your good stuff is not always my good stuff and your bad stuff is not always my bad stuff. Second, is it even possible to see the good stuff without the bad stuff?
Let me take a turn here . . .
I hate Christian movies. I can’t watch them. Every time I do, I begin to get dizzy and need to find my vertigo correction pills. Why is this? I suppose it is a number of things. Of course there is the usual: the acting is terrible and stilted, the cameras predictable and boorish, and the post-production sound and music integration cliché and clumsy. But there is one element that is worse than all others: The story. Why? Well, I can’t believe I am saying this, but it is too “Christian.”
Let me back up (forgive me for going all over the place here).
I love movies. I love television shows. I love to escape my own world and live in another world for a time. Although I am not watching too much TV or movies these days, there is one show I don’t miss: The Walking Dead. This post-apocalyptic show about zombies is breaking record after record in audience numbers. It is quite a phenomenon that such a show would have so much popularity. After all, it is about zombies! Are you kidding me? Fifteen million people watch a zombie show? It is the most-watched basic cable drama in history. Why? It makes sense for me as I am a post-apocalyptic nut. But why have so many people joined in front of this screen? Well, of course the acting is great, the budget allows for some incredible special effects, and the story is absolutely intriguing. But there is more to it. It is about the human condition. It is called drama. Not action, not horror, but drama. Unrealistic as the world around these apocalyptic survivors may be, the intrigue is that the show enters into humanity and drops the bombs of real life, real struggles, real hurt, real pain, and real disillusionment. And the solutions to these problems are not wrapped up in a nice red bow. The conflicted drama is left unsolved or ongoing. Zombies are not real, but the drama surrounding them is. And we like that.
Many people don’t watch movies or television. I know many people who don’t even own a TV. I respect that a great deal. But what I don’t respect is when those who don’t own a television (for their own reasons) idealize their situation, as if they have reached the pinnacle of sanctification in this area. You see, God created creativity! It’s his. He owns it. I say that I love to “escape my own world,” and some interpret this as an irresponsible neglect of my own world because I cannot cope with my life. This might be correct. In many circumstances, I admit it is correct. But not always. Entertainment as a whole is a great illustration of how some Christians throw the baby out with the bathwater. By the time we realize the baby is out, we try to put it back in, only to realize we are far behind the times. We don’t know how to wash this baby, so we just do what we can and present it to the public. But it is rarely good. I like to escape into the lives and imaginations of others. I like to celebrate the image of God as expressed in entertainment. I think he owns this world.
In the entertainment industry, Christians are fickle and prude. We are scared to show the human condition with all its warts and open wounds. We are scared that we are going to encourage people to sin. We think that every line, every scene, and every sound has to contribute to a story that hands life back to people clean and prepped, glowing with niceness. Don’t get me wrong. It is not just about happy endings. It is about drama. It is about real drama which often hurts to watch and creates situations with which we are not comfortable.
Reading about the details of Augustine’s promiscuous life is entering into his drama. We can’t clean life up too much and still expect people to identify with the cleaned-up story. And isn’t that what all this is about? Creating identity? Identifying with Augustine is one thing. Identifying with the questions of what true humanity is, issues of governmental control, and the deepest evil of the human heart in a world filled with the walking dead is another. People are in a battle in a fallen world. How does one create true identity in such a situation? Solutions are not always easy and they don’t always come with a nice red bow.
Why do Christians allow their kids to read the Bible? After all, it is filled with much more violence, sex, and bad behavior than just about any other book I’ve read. Adultery, incest, rape, murder, war, deceit, and real apocalypse – it’s all in the Bible. What if the Bible were made into a movie? What do you suppose it would be rated? I am sure that we evangelicals would have to do some massive editing to fit it into even a PG-13 rating. But can we really suppose that we should edit God? Do we edit real life?
We often use the word “gratuitous.” It is a good word. It means “uncalled for,” “overboard,” or “unwarranted.” We talk about gratuitous sex, language, and violence in the entertainment industry. I don’t like gratuitous stuff. Why? Well, because it is . . . gratuitous. It is unneeded. While I think that the Christian entertainment industry makes some bad movies, don’t get me wrong. There are some terrible flops that the secular world puts out which are filled with over-indulgence. We don’t need or want gratuitous behavior. We want real life. However (and please don’t miss this), I think that most of the Christian movie industry is gratuitous in a different way. We talk about gratuitous bad behavior. But what about gratuitous good behavior? What about gratuitous endings? What about gratuitous hope? What about gratuitous love? What about a gratuitous God who fixes too many things? Is that really life? Is that really our God? One thing is true, it does not look too much like the stories contained in God’s Scripture.
I like good things. I like hope, joy, and reconciliation. But you know what hits closer to home for most of us? When we learn to live even though those things are hard to come by or nonexistent. When we learn to live with a deep groaning and sighing that may not appeal to too many felt needs. Life does not always have a happy ending. People don’t always change. Salvation of a loved one is sometimes not found. God is sometimes silent. Sometimes life is rated R. I don’t like Christian movies (for the most part), because I don’t identify with them. They have too much gratuitous hope. And this is just as sinful (if we want to go there) as gratuitous sex. The bathwater is dirty and sometimes the baby needs to be too. It’s called life. Not gratuitous. Just life. Hope can be found in a much more creative way with bows left off.
Now let’s talk about creativity. . . Maybe next time.
46 replies to "Why I Hate Christian Movies"
I find it hard to respect people who make a point about mentioning they don’t have a tv, as they nearly always have a browser tab open to Hulu or Netflix or Amazon Prime. It’s not the device that is the issue.
I think you raise a bigger point underneath all this…that too much of Christianity is merely concerned with morality. Clean everything up and encourage cleanliness. Law.
Great blog post, loved it.
Thanks for the post! Great job.
I share your sentiments regarding the nature of many movies made for Christian audiences. The worlds created in these escapes are foreign to my favorite authors–Dostoevsky, Flannery O’Connor, and Walker Percy (all Christians, btw).
When I reflect on the tragedies and difficulties of their lives, and then what they wrote, I find tremendous beauty not only in their art, but in their lives themselves. I don’t think for a second what they went through was anything other than the product of living in a broken world. It surely would have been of small comfort (and heartless) to tell them of the gains others would receive from witnessing and sharing in their hardships, but there is nevertheless great beauty in the brokenness.
Win Riley’s documentary on Walker Percy makes me cry every time I watch it, but it also stirs a certain creative longing as well.
I do understand why some gravitate to the kinds of movies you’re referencing, and I don’t begrudge them their entertainment, but they’re not for me either.
Keep up the good work!
I’m glad you mentioned the bible. It amazes me how sanitized we make the rough parts. I think showing reality is important, it really enforces our need for a savior.
I just wonder how much good it does to dismiss Christian movies, and paint them with such a broad brush. Seems to me that we have more of a realistic comparison with scripture, in that God usually has warned folks in advance what will happen if they make war against Him. Shouldn’t that be our example?
Like you, Michael, I watch a variety of movies and TV and enjoy them all, but at the same time I don’t dismiss the efforts of Christian producers either as being ‘sanitized’, (hate the word) because we are living in a very fallen world. Think it is more a matter of personal taste, and we should just leave it there on either side. And, BTW, that zombie stuff, is way of more of a turnoff to me. Gruesome stuff to present as an alternative.
Just give Walking Dead a chance! 🙂
Michael,
Not a matter of that. What I wonder if you are allowing your young impressionable children to watch these things, without an explanation of the Good News on the other side. If not if you go to Lisa’s post and see my comment about how I was scared to death, you are letting your children in for unwarranted fear that death and chaos does reign supreme, and ultimately win out, and giving them the idea that fictional drama does.
Good post, Michael. I don’t generally care for Christian movies, either. And you are absolutely correct about too many Christians trying to sanitize the Bible. My personal pet peeve are those that say Jesus never drank wine, that it was just grape juice. I point them to Jesus’ comment on people’s reaction to John the Baptist, the tee-totaler, and himself. I’m guessing parts of the Bible would be rated NC-17, and much of it would be rated R.
Do you really think my kids can watch anything without a laborious discussion about truth? “Dad! Enough! Just watch the movie!!!”
?have you seen any of T.D. Jakes’ movies? he doesn’t sanitize life, but he doesn’t get gratuitous either.
I agree with your assessment of Christian movies. I can’t believe they are going to remake Left Behind.
But before you throw all of them out, check out ‘Dangerous Calling’. You can find a trailer here: http://www.dawsbrothers.com .
Great post! I love Walking Dead for the same reasons you do. I also agree with you about Christian movies…move of the time, they stink.
It’s the holier-than-thou attitude of many Christians that is most repulsive to unbelievers, I think. We all have a past, and we all have a present. Some of hte same things I dealt with in my youth have doggedly followed me forward, and I have no right to toss too many stones.
Augustine’s past helped explain much of his present in his Confessions. Our lives are seldom neat and tidy, especially as believers. I know mine’s not, so I don’t need to be a spiritual germaphobe. What is it people say, we need to be coalfaced? Being the chief-of-sinners that I am, I have plenty of black on my own face, and as the Lord cleans me up, maybe I can help another along the way to do the same.
Thanks again.
P.S.- I enjoyed your conversation on another post with the atheist. I appreciated the way you handled that.
Keep up the good work.
Eric Adams
Michael,
Are you ok? I have learned so much from your theology program and encouraged many to visit your site and take your theology course. You have inspired so many believers to believe more today than they did yesterday. I visit your site often and read your blogs on occasion. Lately I have noticed your blogs are becoming more dreary…. “dropping bombs of real life, real struggles, and real hurt, pain, and disillusionment.” You seem to be sharing more and more conflict that is “unsolved or ongoing” And we like that? Whatever happened to Philippians 4:8–9
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
I am a concerned sister in Christ and am praying for you and your family.
I love all the old Christian movies, such as Ben Hur, The 10 Commandments (I know, not just for Christians), King of Kings, etc,
TBN has some awful stuff , but around Christmas and Easter they air those good, old Christian movies.
I really don’t care too much for the modern Christian movies.
I feel the same way about Christian movies. If you would be willing, try Blue Like Jazz. I know saying, “its not your typical Christian movie” sounds pretty cliche…but its not your typical Christian movie.
Apart from my own personal disdain for all things zombie, I must agree with the larger thrust of your essay. A question though. While I have seen a few films with strong christian participation that warrant attention (To end all Wars, ) I am perplexed as to how christians can enter the fray, make quality human works, and yet remain unpolluted by the world. I am a christian artist of sorts, with a desire to interface with my world… but I feel the taint. And I have seen it too, in the life of my children, as we have attempted On some level, sans TV) to be culturally literate, and find our tastes shaped in the process.
For example, how would we depict the life of Sampson in film, with all the force and grit of modern film, and yet remain pure people in the process? Will I have some young christian home school couple to play the part? Find a vixen virgin to play to Delila? I am concerned here with the dynamics of acting. At what level can we mimic (or give rise to the depravity within) and not also fan the flames of our own depravity?
[…] Why I Hate Christian Movies […]
After Shawshank Redemption, no need for anyone to make another movie. Christian, buddhist, secular, doesn’t matter. Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, you kidding me?
Remember The Cross and the Switchblade anyone? The only movie I got to watch at a cinema as a kid. Thought it was so cool. Asked a couple of schoolmates to come with me. That way I could show them that Christians are really cool. They just laughed, and said “that was a crap movie”. I was gutted. Think I would agree with them if I saw it today. LOL Erik Estrada deserves some respect tho. Slick dude.
“They have too much gratuitous hope.”
Too much? hmm… meditating on extravagant gratuitous hope this am…
gratuitous = bestowed or obtained without charge; free; costing nothing
Why would you be in despair, O my soul? And why would you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, soul, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD is my portion, says my soul. Soul, do not fix your hope on the uncertainty of riches (or whatever) but on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, soul.
Check out “Not Easily Broken,” or “Woman, Thou Art Loosed.” Personally, I liked “Fireproofed”and “Courageous.”I have not yet seen “Grace Card,” although I own it. I also liked “Gifted Hands” and “Radio.”
I like old christian films as well. I mean who ( of my generation anyway ) can think of Moses without seeing Charlton Heston holding a staff on in high rock above the red sea ( Probably the hollywood version ). Maybe I watch too much TV?
There is a couple of newer ones that I like as well. The Gospel Of John and The Jesus video are two that come to mind.
I don’t know whether or not your argument was suppossed to be completely sided as it was. I’m going to assume that it was. That being said I don’t dispute your right to your own opinion.
I just think that if any idea is going to be looked at objectively some form of balance is required.
I agree with Michelle that this theological site has gotten way too much about talking talking about negative experiences in personal pain, and not enough about real theology. I say this because I am used to expecting a better objective perspective in my years of reading it, and that’s why I follow it.
Tough, what you are going through, yes, and I totally get that, having had a tough ministry and personal life myself but still we need to get beyond that. Our lives and our ministries are no tougher than Christ’s was.
Oh, but Michael I am sure you’ll change your mind if you watched Kenneth Copeland’s Gunslinger & Covenant Riders where he shoots a guy down in a duel and then ‘leads him to the Lord’ before he dies so he can ‘give his heart to Jesus’.
Short trailer to surely change your perspective here.
Please remember this is a blog. It is primarily about my journey. It will always be open to where I am at in life, in joy and in pain.
Then from now on, let’s call from now oabout Michael’s personal journey and not about theology.
Mbaker, I don’t understand your insistence that Michael write to your specifications. This IS his blog. It is his space and he is free to name it whatever he wishes. Not only that your comments are quite ungracious and disrespectful both to him, the blog and his personal situation.
They are not certainly meant to be, however, we have to look at where we are reading. This blog had seemed to me any more to be more about CMP and his feelings than a theology blog., which it has been defined as. So say what you want, but i have tried to be gracious to CMP, and to you too, but apparently disagreeing your opinions has been equated with being ungracious. You should know fro my posts on your own OP’s that has not been the case..
BTW I was being facetious about Kenny Copeland’s Oscar winner 😉
He qualifies for a Razzie though!
MBaker, I recall when you left another forum because people wouldn’t capitulate to your ideas of what should or shouldn’t be said.
You know, as I think about it, that worked out pretty well.
@Delwyn: Yes, I thought “Not Easily Broken” was a pretty good movie. I’d think about showing it at church but I suspect some would be taken aback by the mild cussing, innocuous though it may be. Then again, that might be one more reason to go ahead and show it. Sometimes people need their sanitized cages rattled. Anyway, I thought the movie did better than most in the realism department.
Michelle and mbaker:
Theology sans transparency is suspect. Christian theology is not pure academics; it is life … real life.
It’s easy to hide behind theoretical theology, but it takes grace to teach theology through real life incidents, and that’s exactly what Michael is doing.
I think what mbaker might be saying, maybe, in light of epidemic hopelessness, suicides, depression; we ought to remind ourselves, as prisoner of hope, (Zech 9:12), we ought to be ambassadors of hope, always ready to make a defense of the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15)
Anonymous….well said…”in light of epidemic hopelessness, suicides, depression; we ought to remind ourselves, as prisoner of hope, (Zech 9:12), we ought to be ambassadors of hope, always ready to make a defense of the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15)”…Thank you 🙂
Not sure this comment will get through, under the circumstances but that’s okay, because I do want to address Dave Z’s comment. The reason I left Theologica, the forum ,he is referring t is because another person asked a legitimate question as to why we are giving more grace to those who don’ t agree with us, and acting if we’re some sort of traitors if we don’t, by calling names, and making such comments as ” Why don’t you put on your big girls pants”. This is Christian dialogue?.I don’t think so .
mbaker, as I see it, grace is unneeded when there is agreement, it only becomes needed when there is disagreement. I think that what happened over on Theologica is that you did NOT give grace on an issue you disagreed with, instead you almost demanded that things be done according to YOUR standards. Whether or not you liked the language, the community then spoke with pretty much one voice, rebuking your attitude and approach.
Pretty much the same thing has just happened here. I hope you will at least consider the possibility that your approach has been lacking in grace, that maybe, just maybe, you have been out of line.
The bottom line is that this is CMP’s blog and he is free to write whatever he wants. We, the readers, are equally free to stay away if we don’t like it. If you dislike coffee, it seems pretty silly to hang around Starbucks complaining that they don’t serve root beer.
Dave Z,
I think you are confusing me with the person who started the discussion over there. The folks you are talking about even called the moderator names. I hardly think that reflects ill on me, since I defended that OP with grace, and if you look back in the archives you will see that.
The person who started the thread simply asked why Christians couldn’t be kinder to each other on blogs even when they do disagree. A fact I wonder myself. i hardly see how that is imposing my standards, since those are biblical standards instead.
I have discussed this matter with CMP privately. He has been assured that I meant no harm in my comments, but was simply disagreeing with him, so as far I’m concerned the discussion is closed.
Michael, my wife at present is going through deep depression, thought we might have it licked a couple of months ago, but no! All our christian friends say things like we’ll pray for you, let it go, leave it with Jesus, well you get the picture. They all mean well with their insight but some things like this cannot be gift wrapped with a love bow on top. Life can be dirty, painful and God allows it for whatever reason. I remember once at a funeral of a young child that the father was grieving sooo bad. Kind worded Christians who like comments like “Your boy is in a better place now, or God took him early because he has a master plan may be true, but was not the comfort the father needed. He wanted to sorrow, grieve, feel bad for himself and his lost. He needed a hug, some human remorse for the tragedy he was experiencing. Heaven is and will be a wonderful place but there are times we go thru hell on earth. IMHO!! I really appreciate your honesty in ink than the cliche bible verses people simply rant off.
Getting a first film made and distributed is very difficult. Christian film is even tougher. You are almost certain to lose money, and you are going to be hated by at least one segment of the faith community. As for themes and ideas that are authentic and complex, the current trends make conflicted heroes a herd sell. The new movie ‘Flight” barley got made because the good guy is flawed.
I made a film that examines how a family steeped in evangelical culture deals with Alzheimer’s. It has almost no budget, I had to use the talent and resource available. The distribution gatekeepers almost killed it, because it is a bittersweet message, about perception and challenges to faith.
It’s easy to say “I hate Christian movies,” but to do so really doesn’t help the struggling artist. How about a little love that some of us are attempting to do good work with very little support or resource? If even the cool bloggers are against us who’s going to stand up for the artists POV out there?
Re: Gratuitous Hope
“Sublime upon sublime scarcely presents a contrast, and we need a little rest from everything, even the beautiful.” -Victor Hugo
This is the first time I have read anything here. I am far from even being close to a theologian, let alone a Christian one. I am a Christian, a follower of Christ, however you want to word it. My life is dirty. In the 28 years I have been alive, 20 of those years have been dealing with medical illnesses. I have also been a commited Christian for 17 years. I’ve made mistakes, readily I admit that. I say all of these things to lay groundwork to the fact that I LIKE Christian movies. I like the often called “cheesy hope” that fills the script. It’s as much different than real life than it is allowing your child to watch cinderella or zombie movies. It offers hope that sometimes life is so dry of. Like a man above mentioned that his wife is suffering from depression, I too have boughs with depression while dealing with Lyme Disease, having to drop out of college 3 times, move home with my parents 3 times due to my illness. I LIKE gratuitous hope. It’s what keeps me going. I like the promise of better things, perhaps in a slightly altered reality. But as each one of us is learning, we are all living one life, each age range brings different trials, different things appeal to us depending on our life’s circumstances, age etc. Don’t knock the Christian movies, who knows when the day comes that you need that gratuitous faith image.
Hey, that Kenneth Copeland movie looks to be a great comedy! Laugh Out Loud Funny!!!!
With a few exceptions, I don’t like many of the more modern Christian movies, either. I recently saw a movie on a Christian network where Jesus was back on earth today and was having dinner in a restaurant with a woman. It was unbiblical, corny drivel and the actors portrayal of Jesus was boring and banal– nothing like He was in scripture. I feel much the same way about modern Christian fiction: boring, cheesy, sugary or too preachy!
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Couldn’t agree more. I’m on staff at a moderately sized church and everytime a Christian flick gets released I abhor the peer pressure to watch them that come from our congregation. I watched Left Behind and Fireproof because of the glimmering hope that Kirk Cameron might raise the bar for the films. Both films were just bad. And I’ve found that sentiment hard to explain to people. But this blog has voices my feelings well.
The need for redeeming themes being present in our entertainment is not lost on me. But many if not most people are redeemed out much deeper and darker places in life than most Christian films are willing to portray. I loved the movie The Apostle for that very reason. Robert Duvall’s character was deep and although a believer and pastor, he wrestled with the deep depravity of his own heart and it was portrayed vividly. I can connect to that much better than the Christian characters being portrayed in today’s Christian films. And Duvall’s character is for sure a more honest portrayal of what Christians battle within their own hearts.
I’m all for sound theology and Philippians 4:8 ambitions, but real hope is durable and shines through best when we are facing the worst. If art imitates life, then let’s not be afraid to let Christian art get a little grimy, a little more realistic so that the redemption found in Christ is displayed all the more vividly.
I’ve never been to this site before tonight, but have enjoyed it. Whoever wrote above the suffering (pain) and theology are separate need to read a little bit (*cough* James 1 *cough*). Michael, I don’t know you at all, but I hope (not gratuitously, but hopefully graciously – sidebar: someone mixed these two WAY up earlier as well) that we will grow in wisdom through whatever it is people have assumed you are going through.
Anyhow, I’ve always why Christians need to make “Christian” anything. I hate that label! No other industry does it – why do we? Why can’t we be creative enough to write books like Lord of the Rings? Loved by the public throughout the world, chalk full of Christian ideas and theology – but perhaps that’s a bit unfair – writers like Tolkien only come by one in a hundred years. So we’re due!
It just seems to be that when we slap that “Christian” label on it, it means we’ve given up on our creativity and imagination and welcome back in the same-old thing. Not that the Gospel is the same-old thing – it’s God’s most creative act ever!
The funny thing is that there are far more creatively redemptive movies, which strike hard at the human condition, in the “secular” world than from the Church. And that’s a sad thing. Movies like “Man on Fire” or even “The Village” (the most “innocent” character is the most brutal) capture the human condition so well.
I think the overall problem is that, during the 1960s-on, the Evangelical community decided to segregate itself and wait for the Second Coming to fix things; it’s a ghetto mentality. Everything is sanitized, sanctimonious, anti-intellectual and faux-pious. Evangelicals have lost contact with the real world or actual talent, and in the process driven talented and intelligent people away from the church.
Christians need to abandone this Veggie-Tales mentality or they’re going to be little more than a cheesy joke; especially since their attempt to ghettoize themselves has failed utterly – premarital pregnancy rates among Evangelicals approach the norm for their society. This Ghetto-Sanitized approach doesn’t work because it isn’t real, it isn’t Biblical, and it isn’t appealing to anyone who isn’t a boring yuppie without serious intellectual interests.
I say this as a serious evangelical Christian who is well aware of how bad modern values are. But Sin can’t be ignored or prettied up.
When I first saw a christian movie for the first time, I thought it was going to be good as the movie of Hollywood. But over the years when I had the opportunity to see a christian movie, it doesn’t bring excitement, drama, action, like most Hollywood movie deliver. Of course not all movies that Hollywood makes is good either. But if you put the great gatsby or world war z with left behind, I’ll rather see the world war z.