Movies, Faith, and Thinking

I'm so glad to see filmmakers portraying stories of faith and religious conviction in a more nuanced and honest way. It seems like I'm seeing an approach that is less cliched, avoids stereotypes, and less partisan. Two such recent films that I hope will make it to theaters in the Twin Cities are, Of Gods and Men, and Higher Ground.

Of Gods and Men, based on real events in 1996, is the story of Trapists monks serving and living peacefully in an impoverished, predominantly Muslim Algerian town. Threatened by fundamentalist terrorists, they are faced with the decision to flee or face the peril of staying in their community.



Higher Ground, directed by Vera Farmiga, portrays the story of a woman whose life moves from faith to doubt. Her journey begins as a coerced child convert among Christian fundamentalists, moves through teenage rebellion, then on to her return to faith and baptism, and finally to her becoming a religious skeptic. The film was adapted from This Dark World, a memoir by Carolyn Briggs. The film is reportedly going to be in theaters fall of 2011.

One of the things I would like to get started in my church is a monthly gathering I would call Theater for Thinkers. I used to do something similar when I was a campus minister with Christian Student Fellowship at the University of Minnesota. The idea is simple. Watch thought-provoking films with others, and then have some good conversation. I would choose films that stir up and address questions about life, truth, faith, morality, Christianity, religion, ethics, and justice. What movies would you suggest?