Review of the film, God’s Not Dead (directed by Harold Cronk) Released on March 21, 2014. Reviewed by Tony A. Bartolucci (TonyBartolucci) on April 7, 2014. Warning, there may be spoilers in this review. All opinions are those of the reviewer and are offered in a spirit of humility and grace. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gods Not Dead is a movie about Christian college student, Josh Wheaton (played by Shane Harper), who is enrolled in a pre-law program at a secular university. The movie opens with students arriving for registration day. Josh signs up for Philosophy 150, taught by Dr. Rick Radisson (played by Kevin Sorbo), a virulent opponent of Christianity. The first day of class, Professor Radisson exhorts the students to leave any archaic belief in the existence of a god behind, telling them that the one thing all great philosophers have in common is atheism. He then requires all the students, as their first assignment, to write the words God is dead on a blank sheet of paper, something Josh refuses to do. As Professor Radisson collects the papers, he sees that Josh is the only one who has refused to complete the assignment. Josh is then challenged by the instructor to go before the entire class to prove the antithesis: that God does exist. Josh subsequently accepts the challenge. This sets the stage for the rest of the movie. The lives of several other characters are woven into the story. Amy, a young liberal journalist; Ayisha, a new student with a strict Muslim father; Rick Raddisons Christian girlfriend, Mina; and an elderly woman with Alzheimers Disease who has a noteworthy family connection with two of the characters. Lest I forget, there are the celebrity appearances by Willie and Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame, along with the contemporary Christian band The Newsboys. I found the movie both compelling and frustrating. The frustration was in how some of the theological and philosophical subjects were handled. I wish that those who make Christian movies would have a good theologian review the script before production. The acting was good, as was the cinematography. I appreciated how the movie unflinchingly delved into the topic of human suffering. This brought the academic aspects of the story into a life and death perspective. I was brought to the edge of both my seat and tears in a scene that climaxed the personal agony of journalist Amy Ryan (Trisha LaFache). Relationship problems, childhood pain, cancer, Alzheimers, and death are common to us all. My issues with the movie were largely theological. Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty is a member of the Church of Christ, a heretical denomination that teaches the necessity of spiritual rebirth by means of water baptism. Early in the movie, he cites the words of Jesus to journalist Amy Ryan, adding that they are in red, the implication being that this fact makes them extra important. I was gladdened by the emphasis upon Christs divinity and Lordship, but the message of the cross, and justification by faith, was overshadowed by free-will theism and making a decision to accept Jesus. The problem of sin and evil is explained away similarly: God has given man free-will (an answer that is theologically unsatisfying and intellectually insufficient for even the first year philosophy student). The contention made by Professor Radisson that all atheistic philosophers were once Christians goes unchallenged as to fact leaving the movie-goer with the impression that true believers do become atheists. The movies Arminian–if not outright Pelagian–theological overtones leaves so much to man that there is little left for God. The human emphasis was also evident in one scene where a pastor and missionary, having car problems, pray together. The missionary tells the pastor to put their luggage in the trunk as an evidence of their faith so that the car will start (it does). On a higher note, the apologetic defense of Gods existence, given by Josh Wheatons character, was adequate and wasnt centered on pure evidentialism as I feared it might. However, in the end, lets not join the movie in neglecting the total depravity of man and the consequent doctrine of Gods perfect sovereignty. Skeptics and those hostile to the faith (indeed, all who are not converted) will not choose to believe in Jesus Christ apart from the effectual working of the Triune God (John 6:37-44).
Posted on: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 20:21:56 +0000
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