sustain:if:able kiwi

narnia film review

Here’s my latest film review: of Narnia. I am especially proud of this one because it is the first film review I have co-authored with my daughter.

Eight-year old Shannon is a Narnia nut, so I asked if she was willing to co-review the movie with me. She took the job ever so seriously; sitting beside me with pen and paper, contributing sentences, telling me I was too complicated, giggling at good word phrases. In return, I shared the film reviewers fee with her. Her first paid writing gig aged 8!

“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; A film review by S and S Taylor.

Equipped with pencil, pad and probing review questions, eight year old Shannon Taylor took her father, Steve, to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The following film review is a family affair.” for more

This review is another of the monthly reviews I do for Touchstone magazine and are reprinted here with their permission. Other reviews include;

Serenity here;
The World’s Fastest Indian here;
Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here;
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

I have just completed a film review of Brokebank Mountain; and that will go up in a month (as per my web agreement with my paper-based client).

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

Narnia as atonement theology beyond the stone table

The stone table cracks. Aslan, who has given his life for Edmund, returns from the dead. This was my childhood understanding of the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe. In doing so, I was trading on traditional atonement theories; Jesus/Aslan as substitute, giving his life for someone else. So I was pleasantly surprised in watching the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, to find a number of layers added to traditional understandings of the atonement.

A brief overview of atonement through the ages: Throughout the centuries; 3 main ways of understanding atonement – how Christ made at-one-ment for humanity – have starred.

Victor – Christ is the victor. Pushed to extremes, Jesus becomes the bait, which the devil swallows hook, line and sinker. In doing so, the devil is tricked. This is one of interpreting the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Aslan tricks the witch because he knows a deeper magic.

Inspiration – Christ is the greatest example of love. The manner of his life and death are a triumph of love. This in turn, motivates us in our Christian lives. And so the Witch whispers in Aslan’s ear of his foolishness, thinking that love could triumph.

Substitution – Christ offers himself in our place. The problem of sin demands a legal payment. Christ becomes this payment.

Contemporary concerns: Handled poorly, these understandings present serious problems for Christians. Do we want to follow a God who tricks people (Victor)? What should be the place of sacrificial love in Christian behaviour, particularly when relationships become abusive (Inspiration)? How vengeful does this make God? What sort of Father would sacrifice his son (Substitution)? These concerns warn us that traditional atonement theories need to be handled with care.

I found it fascinating that in the movie, the motives for Aslan’s death all come from the mouth of the witch. She urges adherence to the code of violence. She questions Aslan’s sacrificial love. This suggests we need to handle with care. Aslan suggests this is her “interpretation” (very postmodern word). In doing so, we are allowed a moment of hermeneutical suspicion. How much should we believe the White Witch? How much might her chilling icy darkness be distorting her “reading”? Alongside this call for care, the movie brought some more metaphors to the surface.

Relational redemption: In recent years I have pondered 1 Peter 2:9, 10, where once those who were no people are now the distinctive people of God. This suggest a relational and communal understanding of at-one-ment, in which the significance of Christ births a distinct community.

In the movie, Aslan initiates the return of Edmund well before the stone table. He lets the wolf go and so Edmund is saved and the family is re-united. He encourages practices of forgiveness and the children move beyond distrust. Finally, they tumble out of the closet, back into the real world, as allies in shared adventure. Once no people, now the Pevenses children are a distinctive family. Such at-one-ment is secured by Aslan well before the stone table and suggests quite a fresh understanding of the atonement.

Integrator of Creation – In Colossians 1, the at-one-ment of Christ offers integration to every atom and molecule. Christ’s death is cosmic in significance and tree hugging a normative Christian practice.

In the movie, the mice eat away Aslan’s ropes. The trees talk. The breath of life redeems stone creatures. The movie offers a vision of at-one-ment which is environmental in its scope and global in its concern. The death and life of Aslan are integrally linked to the whole planet. We are offered and environmental angle on at-one-ment.

Conclusion: The Bible describes the atonement in many ways (Jesus as victor, as sufferer, as martyr, as sacrifice, as redeemer, as reconciler, as justifier, as adopter, as pioneer, as merciful). The Biblical data is like a diamond, reflecting the beauty of at-one-ment in many different facets. It is sad when we get locked into one part of the diamond and limit Jesus death to one narrow interpretation.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe suggests we adopt a hermeneutic of suspicion toward traditional atonement theories. We are forced to ponder how much we should trust the words and motives of the White Witch. The movie then turns the at-one-ment diamond, hinting at a relational redemption achieved through Jesus life as well as death. It suggests a cosmic view of the at-one-ment of creation.

Further reading:
I have a chapter on contemporary atonement images being published in Proclaiming the Atonement, edited by Mark Baker (forthcoming from Baker Books)
For Narnia quiz go here.
For Narnia church service go here.
For my reflection on atonement in another contemporary movie, go to Open Letter to Mel Gibson.

Serenity film review

Here’s my latest film review: of the science fiction movie Serenity in which I explore the movie, the ethics of fundamentalism and the place of spirituality in science fiction.
Buckle in for a wild ride. The movie Serenity is a fast-paced science fiction thriller that weaves the viewer through the complex debris of space junk and intriguing moral choices …for more

This review is another of the monthly reviews I do for Touchstone magazine and ie reprinted here with their permission. Other reviews include;
The World’s Fastest Indian here;
Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here;
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

Further Serenity resources:
The official movie site is here; and the Serenity movie trailer is here.

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

worlds fastest indian film review

I’ve just added the worlds fastest indian (my latest film review) to the blog.

On the 13th of October, 2005, Invercargill rolled out their red carpet for the world premiere of “The World’s Fastest Indian.” The movie is based on the true story of local man, Burt Munro, whose love of speed is expressed in a dream of testing his classic 1920 Indian motorcycle on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA …. For the full review click here.

For the world’s fastest indian movie trailer click here. For more of my reviews; here’s September’s review for Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2. Download film review and here’s October’s review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Download film review

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

my film reviews online

I’ve started writing regular film reviews for a New Zealand denominational newspaper. It fits in which my BCNZ teaching of Gospel and Film, keeps me watching the movies and provides a bonus income stream. I have the editor’s permission to place the reviews on-line, with a month delay to honour the pace of the print media. So I am adding a “Film review” section to my blog.

Here’s a (September) review for Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2 in New Zealand. Download film review

Here’s an (October) review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Titled: Blessed are those who eat chocolate. Download film review

Further resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

whale rider, women and leadership

The 2002 movie Whale Rider is set in a small New Zealand coastal village. Yet the themes are universal. Dare I suggest the movie should be compulsory viewing for anyone interested in both the emerging church and the future of the church? … As the movie explores the struggle of a young woman to express her leadership, could we in turn dare to explore the place of women in the emerging church?

An article I wrote, titled Women and apostolic leadership and reflecting on women and leadership in relation to the movie Whale Rider and some New Testament data is now online here.

The short history is that I preached some of it as a sermon at Opawa, at Digestion, our evening congregation. Then I decided to blog it, because the issue of women and leadership is really important to me. Then Next wave editor Charlie Wear somehow caught a sniff of it and asked to use it. I added in a bit from the movie Whale Rider, to hopefully make a more accessible introduction and to add some more layers to the New Testament.

Somewhat ironically, there is also a review of my book, out of bounds church?, in the same next wave issue. Roger Overton is mostly complimentary (heck, “for anyone looking to find out what emerging church is all about, this is the book to read … a far more interesting read and a far more accurate description of what’s going on in emerging churches” [than McLaren’s Generous Orthodoxy] is high praise). However, in the out of bounds church review, Roger has a “problem [with] the way Mr. Taylor exegetes scripture.” That’s me. Mr Taylor 🙂 So I like the irony of being considered problematic around Scripture by Roger, yet offering something Scriptural the Whale Rider article at the same time, in the same issue.

contemporary Christian approaches to film

I am being interviewed by a University student about Christians and film. They have read my blog stuff around film and spirituality, (including this paper on how churches use film) and have just fired me another round of questions. It’s been a fun exercise.

Question: Churches and Christians engaging with movies is a way of engaging with contemporary culture. Is the underlining thought behind this: film is a reflector of culture?

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first day of my new job

I did my first “day” at a new job today. I was asked to review a Film Festival movie, called Sedition, for a New Zealand denominational magazine. They paid for tickets and a writing fee, and (I hope) get a funky film review.

I get to add to my stash of film reviews (as model assignments for the BCNZ gospel and film course), to publicise myself as a gospel and film lecturer and to spread some of my ideas. And above all, to enjoy a movie.

The first thing I discovered was that reviewers have mana. The movie theatre offered me a free ticket in exchange for a “good review”! If the trial goes well, it might become monthly and regular. I’m suggesting syndication in New Zealand!

Holy-Wood film festival

Bible College NZ Christchurch in association with the Damah International Film Festival (Seattle), St Christophers Avonhead and Opawa Baptist present the first Christchurch Holy-Wood Film Festival.

July 22-24, 2005. 6-8pm, 8-10pm Fri/Sat 3-5pm, 7-9pm Sun. FREE MOVIES Supper and popcorn $5. Mobile food carts on site for those who wish to purchase pizza/coffee etc.

Movies, discussion, film:church, debate: “Is LoTR a Christian Movie?” with students from Bible College of New Zealand.

View flier – 96K

Venue: Bible College of NZ, 70 Condell Ave, Papanui and other venues. To RSVP or for more info call: 03-3544270 or chchatbcnzdotacdotnz.

how can churches use film?

How can churches use film? This was an assignment I set my Gospel and film class.

Help, they began to cry. There is very little in books Steve. There is very little on the web Steve. So I compiled the following notes for them, under the following headings.
1. Environments
2. Devotion
3. Communication
3.1 Illustration
3.2 Dialogue
3.3 “Roll your own”
4. Community building
5. Missional dialogue
6. Film Festivals

The notes are here (download file) if you want. Please respect the copyright notice. And if you think of any gaps, or find them helpful, I’d love to know.

gospel and film; djing gospel and culture

Friday (tomorrow) I’m with the anglican curates and priests in the nelson diocese. They’ve asked me to speak on “priests connecting with film.” The notes are photocopied and the videos are ready to go.

Then Saturday I’m with various anglican youth leaders, exploring the DJing gospel and culture.

I’m really looking forward to it. I always enjoy new connections and new conversations but for some reason I am really, really looking forward to this. If I can pin down why, I’ll let you know.

redemption is all around us

The movies I’m watching seem to be stuck on facing the past. They’re all asking the same theological question – can a past, can my past, be redeemed?

The Interpreter – how will Sylvia respond to the present pain of her country? Can she be redeemed from her experiences of ethnic cleansing?

Whale Rider – as Paikea asks her grandfather about her past. Can she take those ropes that define leadership as masculine, and redeem them, so that her village can face its future with courage and hope?

In my Fathers Den – as Paul Prior faces the pain of his past and secrets of his father’s den. Can he move on from unresolved guilt and shame? Can he find a space to mourn and grieve?

Our culture is busy discussing redemption. What gospel resources can we offer into the bitterness of ethnic cleansing, post-colonialism and incest? So I’m also re-reading Exclusion and Embrace by Miroslav Volf and The Faces of Forgiveness by LeRon Shults and Steven Sandage.

motorcycle diaries at film church

Tonite we’re watching Motorcycle Diaries at Gospel and film class . (Plot summary here.)

Since one of the aims of the course is to identify ways in which film may be utilised as a point of engagement for the gospel within contemporary society, and since the assessment includes a piece of work on how a Christian church could use and interact with the medium of film in communicating the Christian message, I’ve put together the following questions for a “popcorn” discussion.

[9 Q’s on Motorcyle Diaries for Film Church]

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writing for koder: theology and art as looking

I have completed my first writing project for these few days. I have just sent a 2,500 word piece to a German publishing company. Earlier this year, I was really delighted to be asked, in honour of an 80 year old German artists birthday, to write something for a book, on his work. I loved the boundary crossing such a request represented: English to German, young to wise, PhD theology of emerging church research to article on artist.

What did I write? Well I traced some links around an art piece (great view here). I noted the way that discipleship in John 1 is framed around the verb “to look.” And how looking at Jesus unsettles, or displaces, our identity. I then explored American Beauty, and what we “see” as we accept it’s invitation to look closer. I then made some link with art historians and philosophers like Lacan, Barthes and Freedberg, who argue that the gaze is in fact a dialogue, with the potential to encounter us, resurrect (to use the words of Barthes) us.

So I concluded that looking is in fact a life-changing act. So now go back to Koder’s art and look closer, at that face in the cup …. and it looks back at you, asking where you are in relation to the table of Jesus and the bodies of Christ… looking as a life-changing act?

Anyhow, it should all be published (in German and English) in August. I wonder how I will sound in German?