Dr. Detweiler has a masters in both Film and Theology, and thus has an interesting perspective when it comes to engaging culture. I found the tables with three columns most interesting…
General Session: The Power of Images with Dr. Craig Detweiler
Ex. 20:4-5a
The battle over images is internal.
Ex. 35:5-19 God likes nice stuff. He wants the best.
We’re known for what we’re against, not who we are for.
Movie – Purple State of Mind
Truly Moving Worship – how do we think like a filmmaker?
Conversantlife.com
Reel Spirituality – book
Making Movies Work – book
What do filmmakers know that we need to understand?
Movies work on viewers in 3 ways:
1. Voyeuristic – we peer in on another place, time, person
- Recreates time and place
- Appeals to the mind’s eye
- Attention to detail
- Rooted in extensive detail
2. Vicarious
- emotional truth
- rooted in believable performance
- appeals to the heart
- do we relate to the characters?
- Do we root for them?
3. Visceral
- thrills, spills, chills
- appeals to the gut
- grabs you and hold on tight
- barrage of images and sound
| VOYEURISTIC | VICARIOUS | VISCERAL |
| Head | Heart | Gut |
| Look | Emotion | Thrill |
| Set design
Lighting |
Script
Performance |
Pace
Edit |
Your theology is reflected in your taste in movies.
What happens when you put all 3 elements together? (Oscar winners…)
- Wizard of Oz
- Ben Hur
- Star Wars
- Lord of the Rings
- Crash
- Moulin Rouge
- Gladiator
Why do movies move us?
What is biblical about this?
| Head | Heart | Gut |
| Mind | Soul | Body |
| Imago Dei |
What does this have to do with God?
| Head | Heart | Gut |
| Creator
Designer |
Suffering
Compassion |
Thrilling
Surprising |
| Father | Son | Holy Spirit |
The best films are Trinitarian.
How does this apply to our worship?
| Head | Heart | Gut |
| 3 Point Sermons | Alter Calls | Spiritual Gifts |
| Mainline
Reformed |
Evangelicals
Baptists |
Pentecostal
Charismatic |
The best is all 3. And we all need each other.
Timeless Trinitarian worship.
Truly Moving Worship:
- words and image
- attention to detail
- identifying with, suffering with community
Faces of Jesus in art.