Rebekah Cook - Religious Practices

What makes a religious practice unique to its religion?  Is it the roots of the practice or the ritual involved?  Is it the specific clothes believers wear?  I think about this because one religious practice which has become so mainstream that most practice it without any religious intent – meditation.  It has so many different forms now but how did it get incorporated into so many religions?  While it is well-known that the Buddha is a very inspirational figure in the practice, some scholars claim that Jesus meditated as well.  Some question if Jesus event spent time in India.  If meditation is so sacred to one religion, how did it become accepted in another?  How did it become mainstream?

Rebekah Cook - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Learning about ways to analyze films for religious elements can change the perspective of any film.  One that I recently realized has similar elements to that of the Decalogue episodes is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  The Decalogue is a dramatization of the Ten Commandments and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also dramatizes some life lessons.  The five kids enter Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and soon the viewer learns that each come from very different backgrounds and all have very different personalities.  Some are bratty and some are disobedient, and in the end Charlie ends up being the only one left because he was the only one who was others-minded.

Rebekah Cook - Different Religions

Whenever I think about different religions and the different beliefs each has, I wonder how so many can exist and all claim they are the right religion and say the others are wrong.  I was raised in a Christian home, grew up in church, and even attended a Christian school until I reached high school.  I was always taught that I believed in the one true religion and all the others were wrong.  It wasn’t until college that I found myself struggling with the idea of judging other religions and others’ beliefs.  If someone else believes that a different religion is the one true religion and the others are wrong, then who is right and who is wrong if both believe they are right and the other is wrong?

Rebekah Cook - The Lion King

The Lion King was always one of my favorite Disney films growing up but I never thought about how it may hold religious symbolism.  It actually has many Biblical parallels which include the father dying for his son, the fight between good and evil, and sacrifice.  Probably the most important symbolism, however, is how Simba represents the prodigal son.  After Simba has run away, a scene shows that he has a vision of father saying “Remember who you are. You are my son and the one true king. Remember who you are.”  He had run away because he thought he could escape his responsibilities, but then returns home after he has a religious experience like the parable of the prodigal son in the Bible.  

Rebekah Cook - Science versus Philosophy

As a science major, I’ve learned to think of things in terms of facts and figure out answers, but as a philosophy minor I’ve learned to break theories apart and create new ideas.  When I decided to become a philosophy minor, it was because I received some great advice from a medical school professor who told me that philosophy majors actually have the highest acceptance rate into medical school.  In an essay titled “Science versus Philosophy” by Joseph Rowlands, he explains how most believe that science and philosophy don’t really have the friendliest relationship because philosophers talk about how the world should be while scientists talk about what the world actually is.  He explains how this thought process is clouded because philosophy actually encourages scientists to concentrate on experiments when it may not make sense.  Without philosophy, science would not be able to interpret fact. 

Rebekah Cook - Mission Trips

During my high school and college years, I’ve had the opportunity to attend abroad mission trips to third world countries, Nicaragua and Mexico specifically.  While on those trips, we lived like they did.  There was no phone service, no hot showers, and sometimes no roof over our head.  While it seems like that’s a horrible way to live, I actually really looked forward to going back every summer because it forced me to get away from the fast paced, materialistic life.  While it made me very thankful for the things we have here in America, it changed the way I looked at life.  They have close to nothing, yet they were the happiest people I had ever met.  Relationships with other people are really all they have most of the time and those relationships were some of the strongest I’ve witnessed.  Technology allows us to keep in touch with friends and family at all times and those who live far away, but does that actually make our relationships stronger?

Rebekah Cook - Baseball as a Religion

In my final paper on The Sandlot, I found a reading by David Chidester which explored the idea that baseball is just like a religion.  Buck O’Neil, former Kansas City Monarchs first baseman, manager, scout, and MLB coach, stated that baseball was like a church.  O’Neil explained that baseball is something which teaches everyone to live by the rules.  It was this that made Chidester analyze whether baseball could represent a religion or not.  He pointed out four characteristics in which baseball can parallel a religion, a church: 1. both remain sacred throughout the change in history 2. both have uniformity 3. both create a perfect, sacred universe in the middle of a real, chaotic world 4. both allow the followers to experience sacred time through ritual and revelation.  Based on these four characteristics, he concluded that baseball can represent a religion.  It made me wonder about every sport and how they could all contain these characteristics as well.  

Rebekah Cook - Thoughts on death in Narnia

Of course everyone knows about the religious symbolism in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia.  So many Christian parallels exist such as how Aslan represents Jesus, Jadis is Satan, and the plot of the movie represents the entire story behind the resurrection of Jesus and the fall of Satan.  Recently in thinking about this film and possible different elements it might contain, I thought about how the oven in the short film Bunny represented a gate in the way it transported the bunny to a starry sky, which represented that she died.  In Narnia, the wardrobe acts as a gate to another world as the children are able to go back and forth between the real world and Narnia.  The movie is also set during a time of war, and war is associated with death.  Although morbid to consider in such a great kids movie, could the idea of death be associated with this wardrobe?

Rebekah Cook - Decalogue and Thoughts on Technology

The Decalogue is a series of episodes created to explore the emotions of the Ten Commandments.  The episode which really impacted me was the episode on the commandment “Thou shalt have no gods before Me.”  It focused on a father and his named Pavel.  Pavel’s father was extremely smart and understood everything has fact and technological.  While Pavel appreciated technology like his father, he was also very curious about religion and immaterial things.  Pavel’s father calculated the thickness of ice on the iced over pond near their apartment and told Pavel that it was safe for him to go out on the ice.  However, his calculations failed him and Pavel slipped through the ice.  The tragic event which led to Pavel’s death was because of a mistake made by technology.  This made me think of how reliant society is on technology these days and how we sometimes forget to look beyond material things.  While this episode was based on not worshipping false gods, I think it can also serve as a representation of how much technology has taken over the world recently.  If we took a step back from technology for a week or even a day, how different would we see the world around us?

Daniel Haskett - Art

We are surrounded by art. Everything that we have in our hands was designed by someone. Even our hands were designed for a purpose. We are pieces of art. Our physical appearance was made in the image of God. I love to think of everything in the world as art because then each piece has a purpose. There is specific elegance to the way that we create things around use. My life was created for a purpose and I may not know that purpose directly, but I do know that the Lord will lead me into what he wants me to do.

Personal Blog #4- Idols

   We live in a world where idols are so dangerously apparent.  If you doubt this notion you can look in your hand and realize your using one to read this message.  We live in a culture where people are so reliant on technology, which is something I am also incredibly guilty of.  The movies K-Pax and the Decalogue lightly touched on how reliant culture is on technology but the most profound thing I've seen regarding it is a series of photos with people in situations but they cropped their phones out of pictures.  It was incredibly convicting and sad to see that people were missing out on communication with one another. Pink Floyd would probably consider technology to be today's wall.

Daniel Haskett - Freedom

The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives strength to the weak and freedom to the oppressed. All through college I was a Younglife leader at a local high school. When I first started I was terrified to go to the school and hang out with kids. Why was it so weird for me to walk into a building of high schoolers? I had been to high school myself and had a great time. Proclaiming the Gospel to a group of people that didn't really care terrified me. I wasn't until I realized that there was freedom in the gospel that I was comfortable in walking into the school. I realized that God was going before and going after me to further the kingdom. It wasn't me at all. The Lord does the work if we spread the word and love people as we should.

Personal Blog #3- The narrative of sports.

   I have always had a suspicion in films, television programs, and books that people work too hard to draw meaning from them.  This class has shown me that there can be narratives in anything and stories of redemption similar to Jesus of Nazareth everywhere you look.  If you look at sports, there is always the team who surprised everyone and wins and overcomes immense odds.  If you look at this narrative and compare it to movies, television shows, books, sports, and even currents you can see this narrative of redemption everywhere you look.

Did I miss anything? Are there any other places you see redemption?

Daniel Haskett - The 12 Week Year

"The 12 Week Year" by Brian Moran is a motivational novel geared towards business owners. Time management is a key point made in the book. A business owner thats makes a million dollars a year doesn't work more or less than an owner that makes one-hundred thousand. They work the same amount, but the difference is that they use it different. The novel talks a lot about using your time wisely, and more efficiently. Blocking out time to do higher activity tasks was a tool he advised each business owner should implement. Also, another piece of advice the author gives is to set goals for a shorter period of time. Most have goals for the year, but the author encourages the reader to focus on a goal for a shorter period of time. This will be more realistic, and the results will be better in the long run.

Personal Blog #2- Read Books

    Another thing I've learned this semester is that reading is so important.  Not for getting a good grade but just for learning and growing as a person.  This class has proven that even a completely different medium, movies, are even better with books.  I've also thought of the value reading books that aren't just practical books about life. I, in part due to this class, have become enamored with the narratives of fiction and how they represent and change cultures.  The appreciation for literature and narratives is something that is an integral part of me as well as other many of my friends which always sparks intentional conversation.

Personal Blog #1- Silence

   It's very easy for anyone, especially college students, to get caught up in all of the things there are to do and not be able to sit and relax in silence.  As a Christian I strongly believe that it is important to sit in the presence of God and feel that.  It is so easy to take this life too seriously and allow school and involvements to take over your life and be a stressor but it is not the end of the world.  Over the course of this semester I have come to realize the power and importance of silent reflection on days, weeks, and months.  This course talked a lot about how to cope with the challenges of life existentially and I highly recommend silence and reflection as a good way of enjoying the Lord's promise of presence.

Daniel Haskett - Passions

What are you passionate about?

What brings you joy?

These are aspects of yourself that cannot be taken away. You find these things interest for a reason so why let something steal that away from you. In college I saw many students give up what they loved for the sake of what their parents wanted, or because they thought the path they were on would bring them the most success. Older mentors always said to me that I should do what I love and love what I do. This something that I have taken to heart and I am doing what I love. I can just be who I am and make a living.

Outside Reading #4- Thirteen Reasons Why and The Seventh Seal

   Netflix recently put out a show called "Thirteen Reasons Why" which is very popular right now. The show is about how the main character, Hannah Baker, committed suicide and released thirteen tapes for the people that lead her to take her own life.  This show is interestingly comparable to The Seventh Seal in that the two address death in very different ways.  "Thirteen Reasons" talks of death as a means of Hannah getting revenge on the people who wronged her by making them know that it was their fault.  The Seventh Seal addresses death as something to be avoided and feared.  These two views of death are very different but I wouldn't say that either are right.

What is your view of death? Is it revenge, is it scary, or is it something else?

Outside Reading #3 - What's the Difference?

     John Piper wrote a book entitled "What's the difference?" in which he discusses the distinct differences in men and women in a Biblical sense?  This book goes through the roles of men in relationships as well as women in relationships.  He then goes into how they are distinct and how people in relationships as Christians are called to these disciplines.  This also reminded me of how the male character is developed in movies and whether or not there were any male or female leaders in the movies we watched in class.

Do you believe that people have distinct roles in relationships?

Did you see any dominant male or female roles in the movies we watched?

Outside Reading #2 - The allegory of Genesis

     This class really provoked my thoughts on hermeneutics and their relevance.  Throughout the semester our class was able to draw meaning from scenes and stories of films what many would think are pointless or mundane.  The same thing can be done with scripture.  The creation story of the book of Genesis is one that has created a tension between Christians and Athiests for years.  The notion that God and evolution can not both exist.  If one looks through an allegorical lense considering the fact that Genesis 1 was written in Hebrew poetic prose, it is very okay to accept the possibility evolution being a part of God's creation.

Rebekah Cook - Groundhog Day

In an essay titled “Stuck in Time: Kairos, Chronos, and the Flesh in Groundhog Day,” Robert Jewitt writes about two separate meanings of time and how they relate to the desire of the flesh.  Through using Greek words found in the New Testament by religious scholars, he defines the first term chronos as “linear time” which our word “chronology” derives from.  The second term, kairos, he defines as the “appointed time” or “time for decision.”  Jewitt then goes on to describe how kairos relates to God’s time and chronos relates to our time, such as our normal everyday routines which we have created for ourselves.  Our human instinct, the flesh, is stuck in chronos until we learn to live by kairos. 

A film which exhibits this idea is Groundhog Day, the one which Jewitt writes about specifically in his essay.  The main character, Phil Connors, gets stuck in this loop of time which causes him to experience the same day, Groundhog Day, over and over again.  Phil is not the most humble or kind man, and in the beginning he is continuing his selfish ways in chronos during the loop of time benefiting himself.  For example, there is a scene where he starts asking a woman questions about herself so that when the day restarts he has a better chance of getting her into bed with him.  His flesh is still in control of him during scenes like these.  Gradually he learns to care about others and he stops focusing on his selfish desires, such as scenes which show him giving to a beggar and helping older ladies with a flat tire.  It is at this time, kairos, that the loop finally stops, because he has let go of the flesh and chronos.

Daniel Haskett - Professional Ministry

I want to do ministry. There is nothing that brings me more joy than to talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone that I come across. When someone says they want to do ministry, many believe that means being a minister or working for a Christian organization that spreads the good news, but that is not all what I think about. 

I love where I work. I love that I am surrounded by people that believe in the Lord, and people that aren't believers at all. We are called to go out and spread the good news, and we can't do that if we surrounded by people who already know the good news. Professional ministry is what I would like to pursue in the future. Working hard and glorifying the Lord in your job and personal life is what I strive for. Though I am not perfect in any way, I get asked all the time why I am so patient, or why I didn't get angry with a person that didn't know what they were doing. My response would be that is not what I'm called to do. Loving others how they should be loved brings the greatest of results. I am passionate about serving others, and I'm excited to bring ministry into that.

Outside Reading #1 - Sandlot

   My classmate, Rebekah Cook's, thesis about the movie The Sandlot was very unique look at this movie that I had never noticed.  She investigated how Benny "The Jet" represents Jesus in his unconditional love of Smalls.  She also compares Mr. Mertle to God in that he gives Smalls an incredibly valuable baseball symbolizing how God gives us life though we don not deserve it.  This thesis is a very interesting look at a movie I would never look at for Biblical symbolism and would take interest in researching more into this.

Daniel Haskett - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

"A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller is a book a adventure a self conquest. When to movie writers approached Don about a story about his life he ask the question: Why is my life so interesting? Throughout the novel Don searches for answers about himself and the life that he had lived. The filmmakers, Steve and Ben, lived with Don for a while to develop a story worth filming. They asked Don questions about the adventures that he had encountered, and what he had learned from them. He didn't realize how valuable his life was until he pondered the impact that it had on others around him. Throughout the book I found myself thinking about how different individuals had impacted my life, and how I may have impacted them. I believe that I could write an autobiography now.

K-Pax Reflection

     I found the movie K-Pax to be a really cool movie but I also found it to be a bit confusing.  I also think that that is the way the movie is supposed to be.  The main source of confusion is whether or not Prot was actually from Earth or K-Pax.  If I were to throw my guess into the ring I would say that Prot knew the man they thought he was and came to visit Earth whenever he knew he would need his help due to his increased understanding since being form K-Pax.  It's also very possible that Prot was just an aloof man with mental issues.

What do you think, was Prot actually from K-Pax or just a man with issues?

Do you think that Prot was supposed to represent that since the Fall of Man we weren't made for the Earth but for an Eden-esque place where we completely understand like K-Pax?

The Shack Reflection

     As opposed to many Christians' opinion to this movie, I found the movie to be a good allegory.  The main issue many people take is that they put the stake scars through God and the Holy Spirit's wrists but the point of the cross is that God did not suffer and only Christ did, which I find to be a valid rebuke of the film.  I think that the representative of Jesus of Nazareth was the most intriguing in that they really drove home the person of Christ who is very kind, gentle, and gracious.  My rebuke to that is that there is more to the person of Jesus than that and wish that I could've seen a little bit more than just him being a kind, relaxed, carpenter.

What about you, is there anything form the trinitarian imagery you would have liked to see?

Daniel Haskett - The professional life is great

There was a time in my college career where I was scared of the professional world. It was something that was full of stuffy people that don't have fun. My grandpa gave me a book explaining how to get into the professional world. "Critical First Years of Your Professional Life" by Robert Dilenschneider supported this idea even more as I read it. My grandpa gave me this book in hopes that if would aid me in my entrance into the world of professionals, but it didn't really help. The author tried to write an exact manual to someone getting into the world of professional, but that is simply not possible. The professional world cannot be looked at in the general since. What kind of professional do you want to be? I've worked in the law field for almost a half year, and I did not get the job because of the manual that this author wrote. It wasn't simple and it was messy at times. I'm here now, and I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon.

Donny Darko Reflection

     I found found the film Donny Darko to be a very interesting and incredibly fun to watch.  I think that the concept that stuck with me the most was Patrick Swayze's character, Jim Cunningham.  I think that the producers of this film did an excellent job in symbolizing the anti-Christ through him. The anti-Christ, Biblically, is said to be going around and claiming to have the answers to abundant life but is very deceptive.  Jim Cunningham did this in attempts to sell his self-help book.  Donny sees through this and actually straightforward calls him the Anti-Christ.  I find this symbolism, in my opinion, is much stronger than Donny representing Jesus through sacrificial death.

Do you think Donny could have represented just sacrifice in general as opposed to Jesus of Nazareth?

Daniel Haskett - Exploring Film Technique

Exploring film technique is important when studying numerous films for their meanings. Each element of a film has an impact on the overall message being portray. Lighting, sound, special effects, camera angles all have their own role in the telling of the story as a whole. Out of all the film pieces we watched, the Pink Floyd video posed the most vivid imagery. Throughout the video, each piece had its own unique meaning, but they all blending together in artistry. The way that the characters were depicted stuck out to me the most. Pair with the music the videos had a very valid message that was executed valiantly. The attention to technique was easily noticed, and the art was perfectly written into the musical renditions.

External reading, Class to Class

I read excerpts from a book entitled Baroque New Worlds for another class this semester that highlighted similar themes that i saw in many of the films we viewed in class. The people of the Baroque period were struggling to understand their place in the world during a time of change in the Church and technology. Similarly, many of the characters in the films we watched attempt to see how they fit in to the bigger picture of their film. My other modern language course also focused on journeys of transformation for the main characters as they try to fit in to society. It was incredibly interesting to see how my courses in different subjects all related to the same theme.

Over-sharing

In an age obsessed with being recognized for any and all accomplishments, many people are addicted to sharing their lives on social media. Unfortunately, if you are out of the loop you miss out on a lot of things and may find it hard to associate with others. I personally avoid using all social media for two main reason. First off, I don't care about what other people post. Second, there is simply so much stuff to dig through that it is just a waste of time. The real world is too enjoyable to spend all day glued to a computer/phone screen. People need to learn to share experiences again, not posts online.

The Head of the Cow

Cabeza de Vaca is a film that showcases how humans cannot escape their destiny. The more that the captured man struggles to escape, the closer he gets to captivity. The lesson here is that if you re able to accept your fate, you will be able to move on as a better person. Spending your entire life running from your problems is a good way to make them worse. It takes maturity and strength and face and conquer your problems. Thinking of this film reminds me that I need to stay on track and avoid procrastinating in order to move on in life sooner rather than later.

The Human Connection

I have always struggled to understand why there are voids between people of different races. It is completely clear that all humans are basically the same. There are only minimal differences between people, and they certainly don't make a difference that should matter as much as it does. It is painful to see the amount of hate that is in this world simply because people look different. In the future I believe that people will be able to look past race and see that the only way to preserve our planet and species is to work together towards a common goal. Religion as it is today is also a huge factor in keeping people apart. If there a universal religion or none at all, the world would function much more smoothly. The single religion would have to be collectively realized by everyone and not forced upon them to work. Religion has been a way for people to feel connected to something greater than themselves. I believe that eventually people will realize that we are all connected by something greater than any constructed religion.

Religion?

My ideas on religion are certainly not traditional. The idea of "God" as presented in the Bible or any other big religion seems silly to me. I believe that there must be some sort of creator, whether it be an entity or an energy, that created existence for everything else. In that sense, "everything else" should be viewed as equals; meaning humans and animals. I hate to see people living their lives in whatever way they think God wants them to live. I find ultimate satisfaction in enjoying the earth and the people that are here with me. Live for the preservation of the planet and for the love of all beings. When religion is viewed as a devotion to a higher/better cause it is not necessary to have a form of God to look to, simply work towards something better.  If there really is a God, then i have witnessed an angel. The embodiment of perfection studies medicine; a true savior to the people. I may not have a strong sense of religion, but i have regained faith in humanity.

Light and Darko

The representation of the rabbit in the film Donnie Darko was not unlike the bad side to the conscious that everyone has. Donnie struggles to see what is right and wrong because he has such a strong voice telling him to do bad deeds. I believe that people need to understand the power of free will instead of allowing others to influence their actions. Watching Donnie Darko helped me to see that being a good person is as simple as listening to the voice within me telling me to do good. In my eyes, it is easier to act in a positive manner than a negative manner, so it is fulfilling living in a positive way. The therapy sessions in this film reminded me of the drawer scenes from The Jacket as well as personal experiences I have had sharing my feelings with my close friends. I have reached a better understanding of myself as well as the others around me through lessons learned through a modern film.

Some Haikus; from the heart

Where does will come from
These words i hear within me
How is man not God

Animal and man
Why not embrace hand in paw
Share life together

Feelings from the heart
Passions burn like hot embers
Lust for love and life

The river flows through
Between the trees and the plants
Watch the water dance

Bask in life's warm glow
Energy that always flows
From the sun comes life

Lessons about life
Through another's eyes we see
How this life should be

This poetry was inspired by the encounter i had with my friend Niki discussing theories about the fabric of space and time. It is incredibly interesting to hear the opinions of others, especially regarding ideas that i haven't considered before. Niki's passion in life has brought happiness to me and my friends because she is so set on pursuing it and learning more. Working towards a better version of myself is something that I aim for in my life.

Lewis and Tolkien on their Craft

One thing that I really enjoyed about the readings for this class was the Big Fish readings by J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis on the importance of myths/fairytales. As someone who loves their work, I was really interested to see their full pint of view on the kinds of sties that they wrote and why they thought of them as important. I also thought they were interesting because, either directly or indirectly, they were explaining how andy why they put Christian subtexts into their fictional, fantastic worlds and stories.

Looking at the background of Tolkien's "On Fairy-Stories," I find it to be interesting how he presented this essay ten years after he wrote The Hobbit but ten years before he would publish The Lord of the Rings, in addition to the subject of the essay being that fairy stories should be taken seriously as a genre. Some literary critics believe it was this essay that created a push for him to write Lord of the Rings and explore the world he created in The Hobbit. I agree with Tolkien that fairytales should be taken seriously as a serious literary medium because they have lasting influence on the children who hear those stories.

I enjoyed Lewis' "Myth Became Fact" because of its focus on how physical words-on-paper can become unique metaphysical creations for every person who reads or hears the myth. I think this is why epic stories like Narnia or Lord of the Rings stay popular; while every person hears the same story, they get the "innumerable small truths" that are unique to them that they love about the stories. I know that for me, when I talk to my friends about stories that we all love, we love the same things in different ways or for different reasons. I think it's interesting to see how loving the same reality with different small truths is an interesting way to not only understand the myth or story better, but to understand the person better as well.

What's it all for?

For the whole time that I have been at CNU I have struggled to understand why I am here, and what I am going to do with what i've gained during my time here. While I am still unsure of the answers to those questions I can certainly tell you my favorite part about it all. The experiences I have had with the people I have met are priceless. Most of my best lessons have come from outside the classroom; becoming closer with nature. The further my lessons in the classroom take me, the more that I crave to do something to help the environment. I believe that learning how to see the world from as many different angles as possible is key to understanding how to fix the problems of the world. I believe that we need to use the lessons we are taught to make positive changes in our lives. I have been fortunate to study under some amazing professors. There have even been times that i have felt passionate about my school work because I have been able to explore topics that interest me. I aim to use the lessons and skills that I have learned to make myself into a person who can contribute to the world and to others around me. View every experience in life as a teacher.

Daniel Haskett - Knowledge

KPAX was an interesting movie to say the least. I was convinced for the majority of the movie that Prot was actually from another planet. He had the knowledge of someone out of this world. The facts that he had perplexed the individuals around him. Plot was particularly fond and knowledgeable in the realm of astrology. In the film, he visits an observatory in hopes that the astrologist can prove that he is not from another planet. This particular scene reminds me of Jesus as a young boy in the synagogue and also the pharisees trying to catch Jesus in hypocrisy. Prot took that chance to show them that he really was from somewhere else other than Earth. It was a beautiful moment when Prot showed the astrologists something they had never seen before. He showed them new world.

Short Film: Bunny

 Bunny was an intense visual representation of the sadness and loneliness that comes with old age. The lonely old bunny craves death as a way to reunite with the husband that she has lost. With a moth (representing her dead husband) leading her, the bunny goes through a transformation as she accepts death. The film is similar to The Jacket in the way that the main character eventually accepts death and finds peace within themselves. The oven is an interesting aspect of the film because it was the method for the bunny's transformation. Often times people look to external sources for inspiration to make changes within themselves. The oven can be compared to Jack's drawer in that it helps the bunny accept her death like Jack accepts his.

The Role of Religion in K-Pax

The film K-Pax is an excellent example of how i feel religion should be. The only problem i have is that the people in the mental hospital with Prot view him as some sort of divine being or savior. All the people who believe Prot change their lives simply because they believe there is something better for them out there. Prot helps other people find the better sides of themselves even though he lost his own happiness. Prot is very much like a christ-like figure in the film. He helps everyone he meets and eventually gives his "spirit" away so that someone else could be free. Selflessness in this life is the way to ultimate peace.

Religion and Catholicism in The Sopranos

I recently finished watching the HBO series The Sopranos, and found that there are various religious elements present in the conflicts and issues faced by the Soprano family and crime-ring throughout the show. First, throughout the show Tony Soprano is seeing a psychotherapist to help him cope with his depression and the various side effects it has brought on like panic attacks and fainting. I found it interesting that he continued to blame his depression on those around him (his mom, sister, stingy business partners, etc.) yet failed to realize that he may be depressed because of all the crime and murder surrounding him on an almost daily basis. Additionally, he is constantly faced with obstacles at home and at work, whether it be his son trying to commit suicide, his wife divorcing him, or having to murder his own cousin out of support for his mafia family. I thought this, paired with the constant crimes committed by him or under his consent, made an excellent example of the Buddhist concept of karma. As Tony and his criminal associates continue to commit heinous crimes like murder and grand theft through the manipulation of those deemed to be inferior to them, they continue to face even larger problems in their own lives. Consistently throughout the show each member of the Soprano crime family faces issues like their family members being killed, threats to go to prison or actually being convicted, and being put on house arrest. It seemed as though all of these characters are blissfully unaware that their malicious actions and cruel behavior have a bearing on their life, whether it be contributing to depression or horrible things happening to them in return.

Furthermore, although the Italian family origin of the Sopranos is built on the principles of Catholicism, many of the characters do not make any effort to act pursuant to its values. Many of the characters seem to use being Catholic as a crutch to justify their wrongdoings, while continuing to live their lives without any devotion to becoming Catholic. Tony’s wife, Carmela, used to regularly go to church and confess at the beginning of the series, yet shied away after becoming too close intimately with her priest. In this way, it almost seems as though the show is trying to depict Catholicism as superficial, after the priest tried to make a move on Carmela in her own home. Overall, I found it interesting that this show so heavily promoted the importance of being Catholic, yet none of the characters act in accordance with Catholic values, and the church itself is also portrayed as underhanded and extremely political.

Daniel Haskett - God and Thou

Martin Buber has always been an inspiration to me throughout my studies of communication. He talks about communication as a relationship. His theory of the I and Thou was the foundation of a portion of my senior seminary research. Buber also thought of prayer as dialogue. He said, "God is silent because we are silent; the eclipse of God leads to the eclipse of man." Many Christians believe that Christianity is just a religion full of rules. Buber takes the religion out of the equation, and refers to the relationship with God as one on one. Another admirable perspective of Buber is that this relationship should not be hidden.

Maurice Friedman stated, "Modern life is divided into levels and aspects. Modern man enjoys erotic, aesthetic, political, and religious experiences independently of one another. As a result, religion is for him only one aspect of his life rather than its totality. The men of the Bible were sinners like us, says Buber, but they did not commit the arch sin of professing God in the synagogue and denying him in the sphere of economics, politics, and the ‘self-assertion’ of the group. Nor did they believe it possible to be honest and upright in private life and to lie in public for the sake of the commonwealth." This relationship with God was not hidden in the lives of the men of in the bible, as it should be in out lives today. Prayer and dialogue with God is something that can strengthen everything else around you. Though there is a personal relationship with the Lord that is necessary, to be a Christian should mean that you ARE a Christian all the time. In private or in public.

Religious Elements Present in the Short Film, Bunny

While watching the short film Bunny in class this semester, it became evident to me that there are various religious themes present throughout. Firstly, the fade to and from blue light at the beginning and end of the film symbolizes the circle of life, and its cyclical nature. At the beginning of the film, Bunny is shown trying to get rid of a moth who is flying around her kitchen and flies into a wedding picture depicting Bunny and her late husband. After struggling to keep the moth out, Bunny bats it with a wooden spoon causing it to land in the batter she is stirring, then puts into the oven to bake. While baking, the oven begins to shine bright blue light, and eventually her curiosity gets the best of her and she enters into the oven to look at it for herself. The blue light in the oven symbolizes a gateway to the afterlife, and after entering she’s sprouts moth-like wings and begins to float away. It is evident that the moth represented her late husband, and his peskiness towards her was focused on bridging the gap for them to be together again. Just as the moth is driven towards the light, Bunny used the moth as a guide towards her true intentions of being reunited with her husband once again.

The loss of a significant other also plays a large role in this film, and helps depict that sometimes death serves as a peaceful end to the suffering of life. In the case of Bunny, she seemed distraught and generally unhappy during the film until she crossed the threshold into afterlife via the oven. The oven also play a key role in the film, representing the transformations made during life. In the case of the batter, the oven heats it up and transforms it into a completely different food. Just as in life, religion can be viewed as a powerful transformation mechanism, changing and progressing the values and beliefs of people as they progress through life.

Paris, Texas

When initially watching this film, I was confused by the opening scene which depicted a man in a dirty suit wandering aimlessly through the desert. After learning that Travis had abandoned society in a way to punish himself for his failed relationship with Jane, his wandering seemed reminiscent of God cursing the Israelites to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Just as Travis punished himself for not believing in his wife, marriage, or his ability to raise his own son, God punished the Israelites for not believing his word that they could oust the current inhabitants of the land promised to them. Additionally, in both instances the parties being punished were sentenced to wander aimlessly.

During the ride home from the desert, Travis and his brother drive by two mountains - one is rugged and rocky while the other is green and lively. I think that these mountains represent the different paths of life taken by Travis and his brother. His brother lives a traditional life with kids, a wife, and a steady job; on the other hand, Travis has lived a difficult life filled with rocky relationships and conflict.

Elements of Shamanism in Cabeza de Vaca

I thought that the lack of translation and subtitles for the native Iguase indians provided this film with an authentic depiction of various elements of shamanism. First, Cabeza de Vaca is shown trying to escape from his captors by running through the jungle aimlessly; as this is happening, a shaman has tethered a lizard to a wooden pole in the ground. As the lizard struggles to escape, it becomes closer and closer to the pole. This ritual is representative of Cabeza de Vaca’s escape attempt, which abruptly ends after sprinting wildly through the jungle only to return to where to first started. The shamanistic ritual was able to draw him back to his captors, who laughed at him upon his return.

Additionally, the shaman begins to teach Vaca rituals involved in the art of healing which he is able to put to good use during his journeys surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to learning these skills, however, Cabeza de Vaca is required to recite a poem from the shaman. After doing do, he is portrayed as being “reborn” and is shown lying in the fetal position. I thought it was interesting that he had to be “reborn” to utilize these shamanistic powers and rituals, maybe so that he would denounce himself of any impurities or biases within him and only be able to use his powers for good, without fear of spiteful intervention.

Northfork - Effect of Cinematic Elements

This film portrays the various emotions of members of a community in Montana being evacuated in order to release a dam and flood the area into a lake. According to Munsterberg in The Aesthetic of Film, emotion is considered the most complex cinematic unit, accompanied by both attention and memory and imagination. The emotions and feelings of the pastor and orphan, Irwin, are depicted through their strong resistance to evacuating town; as opposed to the other residents, who got up and left without hesitation. The evacuation team tasked with removing the few remaining residents show emotions on the opposite end of the spectrum - happy to remove all inhabitants and eliminate their town after being promised lake-front homes after the evacuation. The cinematography, or attention as referred to by Munsterberg, also plays a large role in this film. It begins with a car driving down the road with a coffin attached to its roof, portraying that death is eventually the end of change, as well as the transient nature of life. Also, the dark light contrast presented while a man and woman shown wearing all black and a white angel suit, respectively, represents the varying emotions and feelings towards the evacuation of Northfork’s residents. Additionally, the cinematography places the audience’s attention on the mountains depicted behind the pastor in his chapel with the back wall blown out. These mountains represent the natural element of religion, as well as its relation to Christ, who would typically be depicted in various art forms behind the pastor in a chapel. Lastly, the film depicts a crossroads with a field of bison, which can be seen as representative of the town who, like the bison, almost became extinct but thanks to the construction of the lake will be brought back to life once again.

Issues of Faith Presented in K-PAX

While watching K-PAX, it became clear to me that this film represents the issue of having faith in something above human understanding throughout religion. It is evident throughout the film that the main issue presented is the difference in those that believe Prot is from K-PAX, and those that do not. Although he does demonstrate some evidence that he is otherworldly, such as the orbital path of K-PAX and his unexplained absence for 3 days, some characters are still not convinced of his origin. Just as in religion, many people struggle with having faith in a higher power due to its intangible nature. I know personally, I have struggled with developing a strong faith for religion because I have always learned and believed in things based on a strong factual basis behind them.

The film also brings to light the varying beliefs in Prot’s backstory in relation to the various levels of intellect within the mental hospital. The patients all buy into Prot’s explanation and seem to better themselves and their current conditions because of it, whereas the doctors who continue to downplay Prot and label him as crazy actually begin to make their lives even more stressful trying to prove his mortality. For example, one of the patients diagnosed with acute OCD is tasked with various assignments by Prot, which ends up helping cure his OCD and eventually allows him to be released. On the other hand, Dr. Powell continues to try and prove Prot is from Earth, and in doing so brings about more conflicts in his life both at work and at home. Following the end of the film, it is clear that those who interacted with Prot and had faith in his origin were better off for it, while those who belittled his claims to live on K-PAX brought about more conflict within their own lives.

Daniel Haskett - Transformation of Light

Visualization of biblical scenes is great way to dive into the bible and learn more about the context of the written text. Two weeks ago, in a bible study that I attend, we visualized Mary Magdalene in her pursuit to find Jesus after he had been raised from the dead. While the leader read the story aloud, we all closed our eyes and placed ourselves into the story.

When she approached the tomb the first time and found it empty, it was not yet light outside. As I visualized the scene this is something that became prominent to me. As she searched for Jesus everywhere the sun was rising the whole time, which could be seen as the Son rising? Jesus was everything to this women. He had cast out seven demons out of Mary before she came to know the Lord. Once she had searched high and low for him she ended up back at the tomb. After looking in the dark and empty tomb she heard familiar voice behind her as she turned around she found Jesus standing before her. She had turned her back on the darkness and the Son had risen!

Daniel Haskett - It's Morphing Time

Power Rangers was a childhood fantasy and favorite. Waking up on Saturday to watch five versions of Power Rangers brought me mounds of joy. It wasn't just the battle between good and evil that kept me hooked for so long; it was also the humor that kept me intrigued. The newest rendition of the Power Rangers that came out last month did justice to the name.

When I was young my parents always spoke of the armor of God. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:10-12). It's ironic that the name of the original power rangers was the The Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. Were they putting on the armor of God the time? There are many symbols of Christianity in the series, but I believe that this is one that would be worth the research and emphasis.

Daniel Haskett - The Shack

The Shack was a book that my mom liked. It was one of those Christian books that middle aged women loved to swoon over. She went back and forth from The Shack and a Christian series that followed an Amish family. That's getting a little off track, but that is the caliber of what I thought this novel was on. My misconceptions were soon turned on their head. This film had it's ups and it's downs, but, overall, it was a great film.

The critics' reviews vary in depth and accuracy. One critique that I have for the film is the overarching perception of who God was. The whole movie their was emphasis on the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of them was depicted as soft and fuzzy in person. Though this may be accurate in some aspects, there is also a side of God that people are in denial about. This side is the wrath of God. Though the love and gentleness of God is apparent and important the righteous anger shouldn't be forgotten. Our God is jealous and loves us in the most extreme way possible. That means that he does not want to stray away from his love and presence.

Lord of the Rings

One film that I wish we could have seen in this class was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It's completely understandable why we didn't see it, it's a long movie. But the story is so interesting and the depth of world building in the story is so wonderful to experience. There is so much to analyze and deconstruct that I wonder what we would have focused on in the class. Some of my ideas for that include depictions of creationism in fairytales, how religious subtext influences plot and characterization, and maybe even how religious subtext translates over from book to film. This film series has always interested me because one complaint of people who don't like films is that they don't do a good job of capturing Tolkien's mood or the full implementation of the Christian subtext in the novels.

To me, the Lord of the Rings is one of the most immersive, believable, well-told stories I have ever heard/watched/read. I love the pace of the first film, the look of Middle Earth and the Shire, and the incredible blending of filmmaking techniques that Peter Jackson uses while filming. These techniques include using practical and digital effects with an emphasis on the practical, using crane shots while doing on-location filming, and a great use of point of view shots to put the audience in the character's shoes, even for a few seconds. The casting of this film is also magnificent. Each actor embodies their character's looks and has a deep understanding of their characters' intentions and motivations. Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of the ranger/future king Aragorn is absolutely fantastic and his introduction in the movie is done with what I think is the best shot in film history.

If this film were used in class I would be interested to delve into how the Christian subtexts flows through the film, with the emphasis on how the characters reflect Christian characteristics, the portrayal of sinful deeds, the depiction of what makes good/evil in Middle Earth, and what characters portray which Biblical figures. I may put emphasis on the characters Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn, but I think it would also be interesting to understand how Sam and Arwen reflect these Christian traits as well.

Rebekah Cook - Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favorite childhood films.  It wasn’t until I recently saw the newest remake in theaters that I used some of the skills I have learned in this class to analyze it.  I remembered the idea of a character symbolizing a spiritual guide to another character from Groundhog Day.  In that film Rita serves as a spiritual guide to Phil as he eventually loses sight of his own selfish agenda because he begins to care for her and become others minded.  Beauty and the Beast also contains this idea; however, not through just one character but through both of the main characters.  I think that both Belle and the beast serve as spiritual guides to each other. 

Belle takes her father’s place as the beast’s hostage and in the beginning she spends her time hating the beast and trying to escape.  One night she does manage to get out but is stopped by vicious wolves.  The beast comes to her rescue but gets seriously injured and in that moment she has a decision to make.  While she could just leave him there to die so she can finally be free, she decides to stay and help save him.  This starts the beginning of a new relationship between the two and she eventually even attempts to stop the people from her village from destroying his castle and killing him.  Twice she gave up her instincts to think of herself and her own to save someone else.

The beast also makes a major transformation in the film.  He must find a girl to fall in love with him so that he and the rest of his staff will not be cursed forever.  In the beginning he tries to get Belle to like him for this own agenda of his, but as the two become friends he realizes that he truly cares for her.  He allows her to see her father in a magic mirror and when he sees how upset Belle is at her father’s current condition, he lets her go.  He lets her go at one of the most critical times in his life.  The rose is about to lose all its petals which means he is almost out of time to break the spell.  Here he gave up his own instinct to think of himself and his own to save someone else.

Rebekah Cook - The Shack

Before seeing the The Shack I didn’t know much about the movie at all and actually wanted to keep it that way so I could have an open mind while watching the film.  Only hearing that it was very sad, which it was, I found that I really enjoyed the story.  First, just some elements in the film that I really liked included how the trinity was portrayed.  Many Christian movies choose a white man to represent Jesus, but historically he was from Israel.  I really liked that the The Shack chose to cast Jesus as an Israeli man.  Also in casting the Holy Spirit, a very gentle, soft-spoken woman was chosen.  I think this was also a good choice because to my knowledge, not too many other movies have casted a character to play the Holy Spirit.  Lastly, I really liked the way God was portrayed as both a woman and a man.  While some found this controversial I thought that it showed the idea of God being there in any and every situation.  In the film, it was explained that God was a woman because Mack couldn’t handle a man or father figure at that time.  When it was time for him to forgive the murderer, God transformed into a man because that is what Mack needed at that specific time.  Overall I enjoyed how each person’s personality in the trinity was portrayed as Mack’s friend. 

Secondly, I thought that the film provided an important life lesson.  In my opinion many Christian movies leave the viewer still with unanswered questions about God.  However, I feel that this film did a good job at attempting to answer probably the hardest question both religious and nonreligious people have: if God is real and all-powerful, why does evil exist?  It answered this through using the belief of God as a trinity to help Mack, the father, grieve through the tragic event of his daughter’s murder.  Each character that represented God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit had something different to offer Mack in this question he had about evil and taught him important lessons in a new light.  Eventually these lessons allowed him to not only have closure with his daughter’s death but also allowed him to forgive the murderer.  I think that while the story was meant to be a Christian story, it can also just be seen as a story which contains valuable life lessons that both religious and nonreligious can benefit from.

Rebekah Cook - Bunny

I remember seeing the Bunny short film many times growing up but always thought it was just a cute story.  After watching it in class and talking about it, I can understand the deeper meaning behind it.  The oven is a central theme as it represents something very powerful which can transform one thing into another, like death transforms us.  The timer represents a clock ticking down to the final moments and dings when the bunny’s time is up.  While the oven represents death in the film, I think the fly also represents death.  The bunny is constantly trying to get rid of the fly because it won’t stop buzzing around her.  Finally when the timer dings, the oven opens on its own waiting for the bunny to come to it.  She climbs into the oven after the fly which gives her wings and she begins flying toward a starry sky, symbolizing that it has transformed her.  To me this shows how people never want to think about death, they want to rid their minds of those thoughts and I think the fly is a good representation of that.  It was foreshadowing that her time was coming to an end, but she didn’t want to think about it until the timer dinged and she was finally at peace with it all.

Rebekah Cook - Religion in K-Pax

K-Pax is the last film we watched in the class and probably my favorite.  It’s about a man named Prot who claims he is an alien from another planet called K-Pax that is more advanced than Earth.  He attempts to prove that he is from that planet by showing his unearthly abilities, and because of this he is placed in a mental institution.  During his sessions with the psychologist he reveals that he is here to help a man named Robert Porter who has experienced an extremely tragic event.  The film keeps the audience guessing whether the character is Prot from K-Pax or Robert Porter who has been missing for about 5 years since this tragic event in his life.

I believe that Prot and Robert Porter are two separate identities.  Two particular scenes in the film suggest that Prot serves as a guardian angel for Robert Porter.  The first being this quote that Prot says to the psychologist after a session of hypnotherapy, “Now that you’ve found Robert, please take good care of him.”  In this session Prot revealed the emotional state that Robert was actually in due to that tragic event.  The second scene shows the time when Prot claimed he was to return to K-Pax via a beam of light.  As this beam of light shines into his room, the character completely changes personality.  He turns into a mute, very troubled man who is lying unconscious under his bed.  I think these two scenes show that Prot had come to Earth to help Robert get to a place where he needed to be, and once Prot’s time was up and Robert was in the right place, Prot left.  Prot helped Robert find the right help and this to me is what classifies Prot as Robert’s “guardian angel.”

Rebekah Cook - The Sandlot and Christianity

The Sandlot, a favorite 1990s classic that focuses on childhood, friendship, and the love of sports.  It’s a unique film not only for its plot storyline, but underneath the surface it brings pop culture and religion together.  Many Biblical symbols are seen throughout the film and it becomes very clear to see that it represents a direct parallel to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The film takes place in the summer of 1962 and stars two kids, Scotty Smalls and Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez.  Smalls has just moved to the outskirts of Los Angeles with his mother and stepfather and is desperately in need of making new friends.  As Smalls adjusts to his new life, he realizes that in order to be friends with the neighborhood kids, he must learn how to play baseball.  His stepfather tries to teach him, but Smalls just can’t get the hang of it.  Still none of the neighborhood kids have come to meet or even welcome Smalls; however, this all changes when Benny, the town baseball star and leader of the neighborhood baseball team, ends up taking Smalls under his wing and teaches him how to play.

In short to summarize what each character represents: Benny represents Jesus through the way he reaches out to Smalls when no one else will and also battles the beast for a mistake which was not his own.  Smalls represents the common human because of the way he follows Benny’s advice.  Babe Ruth represents God because He appears to Benny as a spirit and shows him the way to get the ball back.  Mr. Mertle also represents God through his gesture of giving Smalls a much more valuable priceless ball in exchange for his now worthless ball like God gave his only Son to the world.  The beast represents Satan and death due to how everything is broken in his territory.  The team represents Jesus’ disciples the way they follow Benny like a leader.  And, lastly baseball represents a relationship with Jesus because if it were not for baseball, Smalls and Benny would have never become friends.

Analyzing religion in film has brought a lot of academic attention to the connections between pop culture and religion.  To quote Christian pastor and author Timothy Keller, “Every good story is a version of the one true story. Danger and despair and all is lost suddenly changes into hope, light, and restoration.”  The Sandlot contains not only a heartwarming story, but one which directly parallels to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ambiguity and Faith in K-PAX

In the film K-PAX, it is unclear if Kevin Spacey is playing the alien Prot from the planet K-PAX or if he is the traumatized Robert Porter, a man who tried to kill himself after his wife and daughter were murdered by a drifter. Prot has many unearthly attributes such as his ability to see UV light, seemingly disappear for three days, and has an intimate knowledge of space that only the best trained astrophysicists are beginning to understand. During hypnotherapy, Prot displays an intimate knowledge of Robert Porter's tragic life and looks exactly like him.

The film keeps the audience guessing Prot's identity even after the film is over. The film has the perfect balance of explainable and unexplainable phenomena that leaves Prot's identity frustratingly ambiguous. Robert could have snapped out of his fantasy persona on the five year anniversary of his family's murder and been left in a catatonic state from the breakdown of his brain. He also could have attempted to commit suicide but it failed, leaving him catatonic under the bed. On the other hand, maybe Prot had taken the form of Robert on Earth and left his body behind when he traveled back to K-PAX. The one thing that keeps me from definitively believing the mental illness-related ideas is the disappearance of the patient Bess, who Prot chose earlier in the film to take back with him to K-PAX. It's implied that she left the planet with Prot, but going off of how Prot left, wouldn't Bess' body be left behind as well? Or since she is human her body would have gone with her?

This ambiguity makes K-PAX a very thrilling movie to watch. I can relate it to my own Christian beliefs by seeing how the members of the mental hospital so deeply believe in Prot and the guidance he gives them in helping them heal from their own ailments. When they wheel Prot/Robert's body out of the room, no one recognizes the body, which is another hint that Prot is gone. Prot acted as a kind of savior and teacher for these "lost" people, and seeing the genuine love and belief these people felt for him was a very interesting thing to see. The fact that some proofs of Prot's existence can be explained and some can't is a very familiar situation to me: In some ways I can easily explain the existence of God and in other ways I simply state that I need to have faith that it is true. Similar to Prot: Some things can be explained to circumstance, others need to be understood through faith that Prot is who he says he is.

Time Travel in Donnie Darko

As a previously enthusiastic Doctor Who fan, a avid re-reader of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and someone who is interested in paradoxes in general, time travel has always fascinated me. Time travel is a prominent theme and plot device in Donnie Darko and I think the way the film goes about explaining time travel is very interesting.  In the film the rabbit Frank (who is actually a man in a rabbit costume) uses time travel to tell Donnie when the world will end. Throughout the film Donnie is re-visited by Frank in order to introduce him to people and books that will culminate into giving Donnie answers as to how he can save his girlfriend Gretchen from being accidentally killed by Frank himself. 

The way the film presented time travel is different from how I would think time travel would work. I prefer the Prisoner of Azkaban method that involves a fixed time line where the time travel was meant to happen all along, and events in the story leading up to the time traveling had already happened. Donnie Darko uses a flexible timeline where the events of the film can be undone by traveling back in time and doing something different. 

Obviously there is no "right" way to depict time travel because its physics and impacts on timespace are not yet known, so all we can really do is play out scenarios to see how time travel would influence characters and situations. Time travel makes me thing a lot about the "otherness" of God, who is not bound by time and space like people are. God is just as present now as He was yesterday, last week, and four thousand years ago. He is omnipresent in both location and time, which is something I cannot truly fathom, but I still think is incredible. 

Evelyn Harper- Growing Up

I was raised as a Catholic. I went to a private catholic school. It was intense and some of the teachers were mean but I lived through it. While going to St. Bridget School, religion was basically forced on us. We had religion class, prayed together everyday, and some days we went to church during school. Now that I am a little more educated in other religions I see how strict Catholicism is and it sways me away from the Church. So I wonder if I wasn't forced into going to church and blinded by the strong beliefs of the catholic church, would I still be this far from my faith?

Caitlin Murphy- Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind

As one of the more light-hearted films of the semester, main character Joel is an average man who feels like his life is in a never ending cycle of boredom. Waking up, going to work, and going home every day, with no social life. This becomes very strenuous on his mental health. On the bus one day he meets an eccentric girl named Clementine. She comes on to him very quickly, and he backs away due to being shy and lacking self esteem. As he opens up a little more, and backs off from his awkward social skills, they become very fond of each other; and then in turn, fall in love.

The movie is happy go lucky for a few scenes until the two suddenly break up with no explanation of why for the viewers. Next thing you know, there are weird scientist in the back of a van with machinery, which was very confusing for the viewer. Joel wants Clem back, but she pretends (we thought) that she does not know who he is. We assume she is just being petty and ignoring her, but then find out she has gotten a procedure done to wipe away all memory of him. The rest of the movie is him trying to lose memory of her through the procedure, but then wishing he hadn't. He tries to reverse the procedure while he is unconscious, and actually succeeds at it for the most part. The film has a lot of back and fourth that I don't think is worth explaining any further.

I wonder how our society would be if we could have a procedure to forget people or events. It sounds cool, but could really be detrimental. We are always told in TV shows that if you go into the past and change something, the future will change drastically. We see this plot in Back to the Future. We would not only mess up the future events God has planned for us, but we would also be losing the chance to learn from experiences and mistakes. Conflict, tragedy, and sin are all meant to happen for the greater of our future, and this procedure would completely ruin it.

If you could allow this procedure into our world would you? And why? 

Caitlin Murphy- Sequels

Sequels 

Sequels have a bad wrap for being the worse version of the original film. While this is true in some cases, I personally have enjoyed some sequels more than the original. 

First sequel I enjoyed more than the original was Cheaper by the Dozen 2. The original was fine, but the sequel was much better in my opinion. I enjoyed the summer vacation setting they were in. I liked how the kids were all a little older so they had more in depth dialogue, and I preferred the family vs family conflict. 

The second preferred sequel is the entire Harry Potter Series. This is an obvious one, because the plots began to thicken and get more detailed, making them more and more interesting. I love going back and watching The Sorcerer's Stone because it brings me so much nostalgia, but there is really no argument against the fact that the movies to come were much better. Side note: does this argument even count because I am talking about a series rather than the sequel? Oh well. 

Another movie I liked better, which may upset some people, was Finding Dory compared to Finding Nemo. Bottom line is I like Dory more than Nemo, this this movie was a no brainer to me. 

I'd like to finish out by saying one sequel I hated compared to the original; Smurfs 2. Of course even the original movie that came out in theaters a few years ago is not the real original. None of the movies can beat the original tv show. But I saw the second Smurfs movie last night and it was not great. The pictures, animation, and effects were spot on, but the plot was just stagnant. I was bored the entire time. 

Do you have any sequels that you prefer to the original film? 

Harold and Mod

In the excerpts we saw from the film Harold and Mod, I particularly liked the one in which they discuss the ideas of uniformity and being unique. This takes place after they have had a picnic in a place where they are loudly smashing cars to bits. I found this to be quite ironic and hysterical as typically one imagines a picnic as in a fairly calm and peaceful environment, perhaps in a field or park, or by a body of water. After their picnic, there is a seen of them on a pond, during which Harold communicates that he wants to be a daisy, as they are all alike. Mod disagrees and offers correction, suggesting that they are not all alike. She points out that just like the stones of a cemetery, that from a distance and indiscriminate, closer up they all have a different inscription, just as it is with the daisies. She submits that in this way, each individual is unique because of their unique experiences on the earth and way in which they view the world. This opinion goes against the idea that all these soldiers went off to war and died (a sort of uniformity). The numbers of deaths and names are provided, but how can one distinguish one death from the rest?

Facial and Bodily Expressions in Harold and Mod

I found the facial and bodily expressions in Harold and Mod to be fascinating and incredibly well done. By means of these expressions, there was so much communicated both between characters and between the characters and the viewer, though no words were spoken. Understanding the premise of the film made these expressions all the more captivating and funny. Harold, who scares off all the girls his mother sends his way, has just scared off another suitor. He looks at the camera and smirks, engaging the viewer. His mother, meanwhile, is burning holes into him with her eyes and looks him up and down, sizing him up and trying to figure out how she’s going to beat him. High off his most recent victory, Harold’s chin proudly goes up as he looks over at his mother as if challenging her. The viewer can practically hear him say, “bring it on”. His mother catches his glance (beats him to it) and he instantly deflates. I never really stopped to think before about how an actor or actress can communicate so much to the viewer through facial and bodily expressions; it certainly adds to the film.

Bunny Short Film

I found the short film Bunny to be cute as we were watching it, but I didn’t really understand it’s meaning or latent narrative until we unpacked it as a class. The oven serves as this symbol of power, as it produces great heat which changes the substance of the things put into it. Similarly, death is the ultimate transformation. The buzzing of the timer on the oven symbolizes that the Bunny’s time is up, further emphasized as the oven goes crazy with power and light. The oven’s strange acting out communicates the mysterious. The Bunny, too, is drawn into the mystery and sticks her head into the oven. From her point of view, we see that the speckled inside of the oven gives way to a speckled starry sky and the oven becomes a passageway between worlds. After unpacking this meaning as a class, I viewed the film much differently, as it was now rich with meaning and symbolism and not just a fly pestering a poor old rabbit as she tried to make a cake.

Science and Religion in the Decalogue

In the Decalogue, the film which illustrates the commandment “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”, we see a tension between science and religion. Pavel’s father relies on science, and is contrasted to his sister, Pavel’s aunt, who relies on religion. Having given Pavel new ice skates, his father goes to check the ice over the pond to see if it is thick enough to hold Pavel’s weight. On his way to check the ice, his father walks by a shrine, communicating to the viewer the distance between him and the praying community. The simplicity of faith and the complexity of the machine are held in stark contrast. Tragically, Pavel tries out his new skates, falls through the ice and dies. His father had made science and logic his god, which failed him in the end. The father’s calculations fail and his son falls through, relaying the idea that thinking you can measure everything doesn’t rule God out of the equation. After his son’s death, Pavel’s father goes to the shrine, takes the frozen holy water from the basin and puts it on his head, perhaps communicating his realization of his error and a submission to a being greater than himself.

Emotions as a Way of Connecting in the Decalogue

In the Decalogue, specifically in the film which communicates the commandment “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”, we see the reality that emotions unite us. We all understand love, suffering, and the wide array of other emotions experienced in one’s time on the earth. In this way, emotions go against division, bringing unity. The film relates feeling to meaning, this is communicated to the viewer in an encounter Pavel has with his aunt. Pavel asks his aunt the question, “where’s God?”. His aunt answers him by simply giving him a hug. Pavel responds to this act by saying “I love you”, to which his aunt replies “that’s where God is”. I really loved the Aunt’s answer to a question that is so often made to be complex and confusing. Rather than offering Pavel abstractions, such as the idea that God is in the sky or in Heaven, she gives him something concrete that he can feel inside himself and know. Feeling and meaning are again related in a scene that takes place after Pavel’s death.. The viewer finds Pavel’s father pushing over the altar in a church in great distress. As a result, the candles tip over, which causes the wax to drip down on  an image of the Madonna. The placement is such that it appears that the Madonna is also crying, sharing in the suffering of the father, in a way connecting the human with the divine. Similarly, the Man by the fire is a sort of Christ-figure in that he appears as all seeing. At the beginning of the film, the viewer finds him with a certain profound look on his face, as though there is a deep stirring in him. Ever stationed by the pond, this man sees Pavel’s dad checking the ide and likely also witnesses Pavel’s death. At one point, the viewer sees him wipe a tear from his cheek and is perhaps reminded that Jesus wept.

The Question of Identity in Moana

The film Moana is rich with clear religious themes, such as the question of identity. At one point in the film, Moana’s grandmother leads her to a cave opening that has been concealed with rocks. Upon asking what lies inside the cave, her grandmother responds, “the answer to the question you keep asking yourself: who are you meant to be?”. After venturing inside the cave, Moana discovers large ships, realizing that her people were once voyagers and sea-farers. Thrilled by this exciting discovery, Moana inquires as to why they don’t voyage any longer. Her grandmother explains that after Maui stole the heart of Te Fiti, the people stopped voyaging. She concludes, “we have forgotten who we are”. The issue of identity was one of the main themes in the film and is clearly communicated throughout the narrative. Everything seems to be telling a story, the sails of the old ships are illustrated with fish, boats, mountains and islands, the boat itself is carved with designs, some taking the form of a fish, and the people themselves are tattooed with various symbols and stories relevant to their respective identities. One example of this is found in Moana’s grandmother, who has a large tattoo of a stingray across her upper back. The relevance of this tattoo is affirmed as she is depicted as dancing with the stingrays - who are swimming around her - to the rhythm and flow of the ocean. Upon her death, a beautifully illuminated stingray, like the appearance of bioluminescent plankton, comes forth with great haste from the place of her death and into the water, as though she were anxious to see Moana off on her journey. Maui is another example of tattooes that communicate identity and story. The demi-god is heavily tattooed with different stories, both happy and sad, telling of both victory and defeat. Maui relays his favorites of these stories in song form as he outlines for Moana all that he has done that has benefited the human race. The power of story is relayed to the viewer when Moana, in a time of distress, as Maui is about to abandon the mission, she recites her story - and identity - to reorient herself in the midst of confusion. She states her name and where she has come from, recalling her people’s past as voyagers and the call inside of her compelling her to journey on the sea. The ability of story to orient (or reorient) man is further clarified as she subsequently begins to sing a song called “I know the way”.

Moana and Sacred Journey

The film Moana clearly communicates the religious idea of sacred journey. In sacred journey, the hero is called out of the everyday and mundane and sets out on a journey on which they will endure trials. If they should succeed in these tests and hardships, they return a changed individual with something of value that will benefit the life of the community.  In the film, Moana fills the role of hero, chosen by the sea and called out of her everyday life. Often, the hero has a guide that equips them with various tools needed in order to overcome the trials they face. This figure sees its fulfillment in Moana’s grandmother who, having turned into a stingray upon her death, brilliantly illuminates the water before Moana as she sets off on her journey, leading her past the reef - the boundary of her people. Moana’s spiritual journey is made more explicit in that it is also an actual voyage, in which she must navigate by measuring the night sky with her hand, steadily steering herself towards the demi-god Maui’s habitation. After she has retrieved Maui and endured and succeeded in all her various tests, she restores the heart of Te Fiti and returns to her people, who then benefit from the new and abundant life the heart of Te Fiti gives forth. The people again voyage across the sea to other islands; their identity as a people is restored.

Holding our Lives with an Open Hand

I enjoyed how the different characters in The Seventh Seal have such diverse responses to their imminent death. Some of the characters are fearful and cower, some are in denial, while the younger servant woman, Lisa, seemed unafraid. Throughout the film, Lisa comes across as one who holds her life gently and with an open hand. I found her very endearing because of this. I found myself wondering what she had formerly seen and experienced, or how she was brought up, that resulted in the open-handed manner in which she held her life. Many people today, and likely more than ever, grip their lives tightly till their knuckles are white. Perhaps this rises out of a fear of death, I am not sure. I have been provoked, this semester in particular, to considering death and where the line - or middle way - is between white-knuckling our lives and tempting or teasing with Death. I think the way in which Lisa held her life so freely is incredibly beautiful and compelling. I find myself identifying with her in this way, as I also once held my life so lightly, even welcoming Death as a friend, as we see Lisa do at the end of the film. I wish I could sit down to lunch with the director of this film and ask about his experiences with and conception of Death and how that impacted his portrayal of Death in the film!

Death in The Seventh Seal

In the movie The Seventh Seal, Death says to Antonius Block, “I have been for a long time at your side”.  The two decide to play chess together with the understanding that as long as Block resists his advances, he will live. At one point during their game, Death confesses that he has no secrets and is unknowing. This characterization of Death has caused me to wonder about the writer or director’s experience with death in their life and their conception of it. I find this characterization of Death as unknowing and possessing no secrets as quite surprising. In my understanding, Death is typically conceived of as the ultimate secret keeper and far from unknowing. Perhaps I’m an unusual cause - though I don’t believe I am - but, I have often wondered how I am going to die, and a few times been convinced - by circumstances - that I had my answer. I really love the imagery of Death leading the characters in a dance. I feel that’s very much what it’s like walking through life, at least mine anyway. Our bodies are so fragile and delicate that death seems always a little too close for comfort. Our bodies are growing old and decaying from the moment we are born. We catch a simple head cold or the flu and our bodies are down for the count, our lives are more or less paused, we miss classes and retreat under the covers. I think this can be viewed as a sort of dance, with subtle movements - where we are reminded of our mortality - and countermovements. For some, this dance may be fairly calm and even in cadence, with gentle and predictable rises and falls, perhaps something like a waltz. For others, this dance may be more aggressive in nature, with sharp and unexpected movements led by a partner that come across as abrupt and hostile, in this case perhaps more like an argentine tango or paso doble.

The Concrete Call

In class we defined the concrete call as a call for meaning, asking questions like “What does this mean?” or “What’s going on here?”. It seems to me that each individual hears the concrete call at multiple points in their life. Humans are constantly in need of regrouping and reassessing their lives in order to make sense of their experience on the earth through meaning-making. In class we discussed the difference between knowing and believing, the difference being that believe is not knowing but acting as though you do. I am wondering how much of our lives are founded in actual knowledge and how much is founded in belief. To me, it appears as though the greater portion of our lives is grounded in certain beliefs about things, people, and their natures than it is about hard and fast knowledge about them. One of the things I think I’ve been learning in the philosophy and religious studies department is that life is compiled of many and various beliefs rather than knowledge. Similarly, that the nature of life is such that things are constantly in flux, always changing and never the same, a theme we see in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This scared the crap out of me in high school. I so badly desired that things remain the same, as it made me feel secure. I wanted the same friends, the same house and neighbors/neighborhood, the same pets, and the same coaches/pastors/and other authority figures. It really deeply bothered me when, one by one, these things changed, as they always do. I think that life, assisted by various principles I’ve been learning in school, has been teaching me the importance of growing comfortable despite the reality that things are constantly in flux; learning to embrace the new and unknown as an exciting adventure and opportunity for new growth rather than greeting the new things life brings begrudgingly and with hostility.