Steven D. Greydanus has been writing about film since 2000. He is the creator of DecentFilms.com, and his work appears in the National Catholic Register, Catholic Digest, and the New Catholic Encyclopedia. He holds degrees in media arts, theology, and religious studies. He is a member of the Online Film Critics Society and a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Newark.
The many faces of Jesus at the movies in 2016 were perhaps the most notable trend in a larger pattern of religious themes in the year’s films. There were other trends last year worth considering as well. Deacon Steven D. Greydanus proposes that one stand-out theme in this year’s religion-themed films has to do with loss of religious community or social identity.
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2016 was a big year for Jesus in the movies, with several films depicting him in one way or another. The result was a mixed bag, both commercially and artistically, but “The Young Messiah” is a better and more interesting film than many viewers seem to have noticed.
READ MOREBoth “Doctor Strange” and “Hacksaw” are by directors who are Christians: one Catholic, one Protestant. Both filmmakers have dealt in past films with questions of faith, the divine, and the demonic from an explicitly Christian point of view, and their new films also raise moral questions.
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C.R. Wiley writes, “According to ‘Inside Out,’ the reason you must embrace your sadness is that it will make you an object of pity. If you’re sad, you may find yourself at the center of a group hug.” However, that critique may not be valid.
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The biggest issue with how Hollywood portrays people of faith today is simply that it overwhelmingly doesn’t, even though 83 percent of Americans identify as Christian. Religion is basically ignored, even where it would be reasonable to expect it.
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Issues of representation and diversity in Hollywood films have gotten enough attention to ensure that most people are at least somewhat aware of such concerns and questions. Yet at least one area of representation is disproportionately ignored: how Hollywood deals with religious belief and identity, including Catholicism.
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