Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 179:714 (Apr 2022)
Article: Table Briefing: The Ministry Of Filmmaking
Author: Darrell L. Bock

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Table Briefing: The Ministry Of Filmmaking

Darrell L. Bock

and

Kymberli M. Cook

Darrell L. Bock is Senior Research Professor in New Testament Studies and Executive Director for Cultural Engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas. Kymberli M. Cook is Assistant Director of the Hendricks Center and a PhD student in Theological Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.

It may surprise you that sitting down in a velveted chair with a tub of popcorn could be a spiritual exercise. It may be an even bigger surprise to consider that the movie itself might be the fruit of a spiritual exercise on the part of the filmmakers. Film and Christian theology may seem a strange couple, but they actually have much in common. They both observe our world, identifying and teasing out themes they encounter. They are both eminently concerned with the internal state of the audience. They both seek to share a story and elicit a response. Both film and theology strive to communicate in intentional ways. Both attempt to shepherd hearts. Serious films and documentaries (also created in formats known as “shorts” because they can be as short as ten minutes) discuss life and its issues. Film reflects on the human condition. Through film we can see the world wrestle with life. What happens when film and theology come together?

Film As Ministry

The Hendricks Center’s The Table podcast explored various dimensions of the film-theology relationship through theological reviews of current and classic movies and in-depth conversations with Christian filmmakers. Some filmmakers have committed themselves to a ministry of creating Christian movies, such as Alex Kendrick, who has written and directed multiple movies, including Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous, and War Room. Others have felt the call to engage broader topics, delving

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into spiritual truths as they explore the wider culture. The Center has partnered with John Priddy and Windrider Institute to do just that. Windrider, a “leadership forum, international short film showcase, producer, and content and resource provider,” inspires people to create. An official partner with the Sundance Film Festival, they seek to catalyze cultural reflection through the medium of film. Priddy says that, “wind riders [were] who we endeavor to be—folks that were trying to pay attention to where God’s Spirit was moving in the creative process through these stories. That’s the origination of Windrider—that we would be those folks that would ride God’s wind.”

Darrell Bock and Mikel Del Rosa...