How Christian Entertainment Ignores Evil | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

How Christian Entertainment Ignores Evil

We're avoiding darkness instead of facing it.

197
How Christian Entertainment Ignores Evil
Matthew Kane

Let’s play a game.

I’m going to present a scenario I used once before -- let’s say I’m sitting in front of you, with two objects in my pockets. I take out both objects and show them to you. One object is a sex education film, the other's a porn film.

What's the essential difference between these objects? They’re both about sex, they’re both low budget, and most people don’t mention either in polite conversation.


The difference is the point each film makes. A sex education film shows how humans sexually relate to each other and argues humans should pursue healthy relationships. A porn film shows a fantasized version of sex and promotes unhealthy relationships.

In other words, the devil’s in the details, not the subject itself.


This principle is also true of art (books, music, any entertainment traditionally viewed as art). While questionable content is sometimes thrown in for no reason, many art pieces portray violence, and other evils without actually promoting them.


Too often, Christian entertainment doesn’t understand this principle. Rather, Christian entertainment seems to assume that any time art portrays evil, it’s praising that evil.

Multiple people have criticized Christian films for simplistic plots where problems get solved easily and no one struggles.


Steve Turner commented in his book “Imagine” that Contemporary Christian Music routinely describes the happy, victorious spiritual moments but rarely the moments of spiritual struggle.


Author Simon Morden noted in a 2005 speech that publishing houses which release Christian Fiction novels have strict guidelines barring “bad language, out-of-marriage sexual situations, the consumption of alcohol and other recreational drugs… Violence must be treated very carefully -- they would rather it happens off-page than on.”

Morden also pointed out it’s extremely hard to write modern-day characters or situations under those guidelines.

This all raises the question where the misconception about evil came from originally.


On one level, the answer is simply that Christian entertainment is marketed to Protestant evangelicals, and many Protestant evangelicals prioritize comfort above living mature Christian lives. Making art that doesn’t deal with real-world issues feeds that desire and has helped Protestant evangelicals build a sub-culture where they don’t have to interact with the real world.

On another level, this misconception is a classic one Protestants have made in the past.

Turner noted that while the Protestant Reformation benefitted some artists, some early Protestants made a point to criticize specific art forms. The Puritan movement attacked stage plays, claiming among other things that stage plays were immoral since stage performers often acted out immoral actions. In other words, plays promoted evil because they portrayed evil.

What makes this misconception particularly foolish is other denominations have clearly benefitted by ignoring it. Protestant evangelicals might be excused if other Christian groups avoided depicting evil in art. But there is actually a long tradition of Christian art that depicts evil, still going on today.

Catholicism has a long history of such art -- in fact, Catholicism seems to actually equip artists to discuss pain and evil in their work.


Writer Mark Millar drew attention to this in a 2009 interview by “The Scotsman.” “I was talking to Mel Gibson," Millar said, “About [his film] The Passion, which was called the pornography of violence. It didn't seem violent to us because we grew up with the stations of the cross." Millar and Gibson both attended Catholic school, which introduced them to artwork showing Jesus' crucifixion.

Filmmaker Scott Derrickson (who recently directed “Doctor Strange”) commented on dark Catholic art in 2005. Derrickson noted that American evangelicalism has largely abandoned gothic imagery, which blends darkness with beauty and meaning, while Catholic artwork like Dante’s “Inferno” and church gargoyles embraced that aesthetic.

Many modern Catholic writers have continued that tradition of blending darkness with light. Flannery O’Connor’s acclaimed stories are often described as “southern gothic.” William Peter Blatty wrote about demons in modern-day America fifteen years before Frank Peretti did in “This Present Darkness.” Dean Koontz’s bestselling thriller novels sometimes have horror elements.

By ignoring evil, Christian entertainment has placed artists in a difficult place. Artists who naturally create family-friendly work survive and thrive. Other artists must either work against their strengths or play to those strengths and be viewed as “not really Christian.” A few, such as Ted Dekker, may beat the system, but still face an uphill battle which shouldn't be faced in the first place.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

632
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

398
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

199386
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

20381
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments