What Our Reaction to the Noah Movie Says about Evangelicals

Hey, did you hear anything about that recent Noah movie?

Ha! Of course you did and are now probably suffering from NMF (Noah-Movie Fatigue). Wow, evangelicals had a lot to say about the movie. To characterize the evangelical reaction as diverse would be a huge understatement. There was Gregory Thornbury's more positive take on the Noah movie, to Brian Mattson's argument that it's a thoroughly Gnostic retelling of the Noah narrative, to Peter Chattaway's response that "No, Noah is not Gnostic," to R.J. Moeller's creative open letter to Darren Aronofsky, to Joe Carter's unimpressed review of Aronofsky's "mediocre midrash," to Barbara Nicolosi's MMA takedown of all things Noah. Evangelicals certainly had a lot to say.

So last week, in response to all the Noah noise, Roberto Rivera over at Breakpoint asked, "Why are Christians fighting so hard about Noah?" His answer:

"Missing in all of this is any consideration about why Christians should be so invested in what comes out of Hollywood. Maybe it’s age or depression, but I think that part of being part of the peculiar people is not looking to Hollywood for validation...In our desperate desire to seem 'relevant,' Christians are clamoring to join this vacuous conversation. We are sold to Hollywood as a great untapped market that Hollywood can’t afford to ignore...Now, I like watching movies at home, although not as much as I used to. But in looking to join the conversation, we are unwittingly accepting the premise that the 'Life Questions' can be answered by reference to what’s onscreen. They can’t."

Sorry, but I think this is a pretty uncharitable take on the Christian response. Yes, there are corners of the evangelical world looking to Hollywood (and acadeimia and politics and the media, etc., etc.) for validation, but I don't think that impulse characterizes the larger movement, and certainly one example like this cannot establish such a claim. Does any Christian really think the big questinos of life will be "answered" onscreen? And does joining the conversation about what Hollywood produces entail that we do "unwittingly" think such a thing? No and no. 

Let me suggest a different explanation for why Christians made so much noise surrounding the Noah movie: we care about ideas. We understand that ideas have consequences. And we care. Notice the kind of response evangelicals gave. For the most part, they were thoughtful reviews (whether you agreed or disagreed with the conclusions), engaging the intellectual content of the movie. Generally, there were not simplistic dismissals or calls for a Hollywood boycott.

We understand that the ideas that come to dominate our culture will have a huge impact over time. We understand that what J. Gresham Machen said almost a hundred years ago is true today: 

“False ideas are the greatest obstacles to the reception of the gospel. We may preach with all the fervor of a reformer and yet succeed only in winning a straggler here and there, if we permit the whole collective thought of a nation or of the world to be controlled by ideas which, by the resistless force of logic, prevent Christianity from being regarded as anything more than a harmless delusion. Under such circumstances, what God desires us to do is to destroy the obstacle at its root.”

And we understand that a prominent tool to diseeminate ideas in our culture is the screen. Movies, TV shows, YouTube and Vimeo videos, and other visual media are tools that can, over time, take our minds captive by false ideas (Colossians 2:8). So we care. We realize it's important to engage those ideas, wrestle with them, debate them, and ultimately equip the Body of Christ to see everything in the light of God's truth. 

You know what would've been much more concerning to me? Apathy. If Christians just yawned and said, "Whatever." "Who cares?" That would've been a much greater cause for concern. So I'm glad Christians made some noise about the Noah movie. I'll take passionate engagement over apathy any day.

Comments

[Josh Reynolds]

Sorry bro but I'll comment from an apathy statement.
Alls I need to know is if it's biblical; which apparently it wasn't.
The civilization they focus in are the nephtalim, correct? So a bunch of monsters? We relate to that? My bible says the times we're in now are like the times of Noah - they were eating and drinking and giving and being given in marriage..(I wonder what kind of "marriage"?) Oh well, point is, that story should never be taken as a fairy tale - It should be the horror movie of all time

[Lee Gattis]

how does the bible say that the times we are in now are like the times of Noah? What do you mean when putting the word marriage in quotes when referring to the bible?

[Josh Reynolds]

Matthew 24:37 NIV
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:38 NIV
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;

The bible says to keep watch because we do not know when God is coming back, ie he could come at any time, meaning now could and should be considered that time.
This seems like mysterious scripture to me - it seems like its talking about world marriage; possibly "redefined" "marriage" ?

[Lee Gattis]

you mention two specific times, time of Noah and today, then mention the bible claims it could be any time. that is a difficult connection to make, that the time of Noah has anything to do with now.
i do not know what world marriage is,, I feel comfortable guessing that you equate "redefined" marriage with same sex marriage. Marriage has been redefined so many times it is difficult to think it should be treated with respect when two folks of the same sex commit themselves to it.

[Ian]

just been to see it. Its mixed up spiritually. Seems to me that we shouldn't run for the hills. It isn't biblical in its theology. But why do we think that the 'world' eg Hollywood should get its theology right? The source material for Aronofsky wasn't the Bible. He took other sources to shape his movie.

Its the job of Christians to get theology right. So having seen it, I am able to see what is valid in it and what isn't. I am able to talk to friends about what the true story is. I even approached a fellow viewer to ask what he thought. He said, 'well, its Hollywood isn't it! He said he knew the Bible version and it turned out he was a Christian.

Lets not bury our heads in the sand because we are hurt and offended. Lets take the world on face to face and challenge these ideas of Aronofsky directly. What an opportunity to take this average movie and turn peoples attention to the truth. Make clear it portrays a vivid picture of Gods wrath and judgement, and then bring them to that same judgement poured out on Jesus in our stead. Take the movie from what it is erroneously saying what it is saying and bring people to the gospel.

This movie should do no harm to the gospel if we stand to reason!

[Perry Shields]

Since all times in history can fit that description about "the days of Noah," then no, Matthew 24:37 is not specifically speaking of our times, but rather making a general statement that all will seem normal when the Son of Man comes. It fits nicely with Jesus' parable of the ten virgins and the lamps. People are never ready for sudden calamity.

[x]

"You know what would've been much more concerning to me? Apathy. If Christians just yawned and said, "Whatever." "Who cares?" That would've been a much greater cause for concern. So I'm glad Christians made some noise about the Noah movie. I'll take passionate engagement over apathy any day."

Two points on this:

First, in general I actually do see much apathy from the "Christian" culture in regards to this movie...perhaps that's just my little corner of the world (Las Vegas)...

Second, I think the most concerning thing about this situation speaks directly in answer to your question posed in the title: "our reaction", meaning Christendom, or sundry parts thereof, did in fact do a "bad job" as Dr. Mattson points out. I think it bears more serious consideration when we have Christian leaders who absolutely miss the OVERT nature of the roots of this film, and even worse, would pander to its makers in a show of support!

What scares me the most is if these Christian leaders aren't even capable of discerning what would seem, as I said, and OVERT anti-gospel message, what about those anti-gospel things that aren't so overt...?

[Mo]

@ X -

"What scares me the most is if these Christian leaders aren't even capable of discerning what would seem, as I said, and OVERT anti-gospel message, what about those anti-gospel things that aren't so overt...?"

This is my concern as well. Christians seem to have no discernment these days when it comes to detecting what you termed "anti-gospel" content. Oh, they're fine in noting things like excessive violence or inappropriate sexual content, but when it comes to other, more subtle types of things they seem absolutely clueless.