The Theology of Cinema: Incarnation

“If the theological precept of incarnation is ‘God become Man,’ the movie metaphorical view may be this: The Protagonist goes on a journey which compels them to explore their inner self and confront, acknowledge, and embrace their authentic nature. That becomes the foundation of their character arc.”

As many of you may know, I have a background in the academic study of theology, a B.A. in religious studies from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Divinity degree from Yale. So it is only natural I bring that perspective to how I view and understand movies and screenwriting.

Let me be clear, when I say theological, I mean it — in this context — in a secular way. How does that make sense?

The word “theology” is a combination of two Greek words: “theos” which means God and “logos” which means word. So theology is words about God. What if for this series we think of God as a metaphor for an explanation for the big questions of life? Thus, theology as words about the meaning of life. Broadly speaking that is one dynamic movies hit on consistently, characters forced to confront their values, behaviors, and world views related to who they are and how they should act.

In this respect, movies and theology wade in very much the same thematic waters. As Andrew Stanton noted about Lawrence of Arabia in this TED Talk, how the central theme of that story is the question asked of the Protagonist “who are you,” that issue exists at the core of perhaps every movie, an existential exploration of a character or characters’ self-identity. So, too, with theology.

Also, movies tend to be about characters at critical junctures in their lives, facing a journey from the Old World into a New World where through a series of challenges and lessons they undergo a significant metamorphosis. Sounds an awful lot like a conversion experience to me.

Thus, it is only natural there will be a lot of crossover of theological themes in movies. But while a theological theme in a movie may have a religious or spiritual connotation, I am more interested in exploring such themes metaphorically to find the widest value possible for screenwriters at large.

By working with this non-religious take on the concept, we can avail ourselves of numerous powerful theological themes in screenwriting regardless of whether our stories are secular or non-secular.

Today: Incarnation.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” That verse from the Gospel of John [1:14] speaks to the essence of this concept.

Considered metaphorically in terms of movies, sometimes there are super-human entities who appear in the human realm such as God (Oh, God!, Bruce Almighty, Dogma) or a negative presence including demons (Paranormal Activity) and Satan (The Exorcist).

There are also extra-human beings who live among us such as The Day The Earth Stood Still, Encino Man, and E.T..

There are stories where characters inhabit alternate human bodies or states of being such as Big, All of Me, or The Santa Clause.

If the theological precept of incarnation is ‘God become Man,’ the movie metaphorical view may be this: The Protagonist goes on a journey which compels them to explore their inner self and confront, acknowledge, and embrace their authentic nature. That becomes the foundation of their character arc.

At the beginning of The Shawshank Redemption, Red is a cynic who thinks that “hope is a dangerous thing.” By movie’s end, his final words are, “I hope.” He is a transformed character and hope has become incarnate within him.

Religion calls it salvation. Carl Jung calls it individuation. In movies, we may call it incarnation in that the metamorphosis process leads to the ‘birth’ of that character’s New Self.

For more articles in the Theology of Cinema series, go here.