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Mike and Kenny are joined by guest Dr. Ryan Parker in a discussion of The Academy Award nominees for Best Picture and the faith elements spotted in films. Ryan is a theologian with an Masters of Divinity degree as well as a PhD. in Religion and the...
Mike and Kenny are joined by guest Dr. Ryan Parker in a discussion of The Academy Award nominees for Best Picture and the faith elements spotted in films. Ryan is a theologian with an Masters of Divinity degree as well as a PhD. in Religion and the Arts. Ryan also works in the film industry in marketing, public relations, and story development with an eye also toward film production.
Faith Elements Discussed
Sound of Metal: Stillness as tool for experiencing and connecting with God and the Kingdom., acceptance and graititude
Nomadland: Healing and new life that comes through community and journeying through grief and pain. The faith to hear and choose a new calling and different way of living.
One Night in Miami: Answering the call to seek justice and use talents, gifts, and place in life and in service of Justice
My Octopus Teacher: The place and purpose of life journeys and connectedness to creation.
Borat Subsequent Movie Film: The place of the prophet in speaking truth to power.
Overall themes in this and previous discussions of the nominated films: the importance and purpose of Community as presented in many of the films. How does the repetition of this theme reflect our time and needs as a part of the Community of Faith.
Several films show the perils of forgoing when individuals and communities ignore or dont live out of core Christian teaching and theology - Humilty, Community, Retribution rather rather than Forgiveness.
Resources:
For more detailed discussion notes or group studies please contact Kenny at kenny@crossroadsfaithandfilm.com
Ryan Parker https://poptheology.com
Contact: jamesryanparker@gmail.com
Academy Award Audio Clip Courtesy A.M.P.A.S.©
Creator, Editor, Main Contributor PopTheology.com and Pop Culture RX
Ryan Parker is the creator, editor, and main contributor to poptheology.com. He completed his PhD in Religion and the Arts at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA, with a focus on film and religion, particularly the history of religious cinema and contemporary independent religious films. He is the author of Cinema as Pulpit: Sherwood Pictures and the Church Film Movement, the co-editor of and contributor to Joss Whedon and Religion: Essays on an Angry Atheist’s Explorations of the Sacred, and a contributor to Light Shining in a Dark Place: Discovering Theology through Film and The Undead and Theology. He holds a BA in English from Mississippi College and an MDiv from Wake Forest University Divinity School. He lives in Hollywood with his wife, where he works in film and television marketing and development. His most recent project is the Pop Culture Prescription Blog https://popculturerx.substack.com/
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