Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 4:00pm -Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 5:30pm EST
Movies are enjoyable as entertainment, but they’re also unmistakably powerful in their ability to advance ideas and shape moral imaginations, sometimes without viewers even recognizing it. This power of movies—for good and ill—demands Christians take them seriously and approach them wisely. Film is a realm of culture we cannot pretend doesn’t exist; nor is it one we should dive into uncritically. But when Christians are equipped to be careful and perceptive viewers of movies—watching films through the lens of their Christian faith, not in spite of it—the results can be fruitful for life and ministry. That’s the goal of this new cohort.
Over eight weeks, cohort participants will learn and discuss four aspects of the relationship between Christian faith and film:
Faithfully viewing films: How theological concepts and tools equip us for fruitful viewing and engagement
Films interpreting faith: How and where Christianity shows up as a subject in movies
Faith interpreting films: How a Christian lens identifies spiritual longings and theological dynamics in movies
Faithfully making films: How a Christian imagination leads to distinct possibilities for cinema
The cohort will be led by TGC arts and culture editor Brett McCracken (MA, Cinema and Media Studies, UCLA), who has been a professional film critic for more than 20 years. Cohort sessions will feature teaching from Brett, interactive breakout discussions, moderated Q&As, and occasional guests. The overarching goal is to equip participants to engage with film in ways that are spiritually enriching, God glorifying, and gospel-advancing.
Over the course of the cohort, participants will discuss 11 films (see schedule). Viewing these films beforehand is optional but strongly recommended, as it will enhance the participant’s ability to engage in conversation and practice the principles covered in the cohort. Note: A few of these movies contain material (e.g. language, violence, sexual content) you might wish to avoid. Please use discernment and consult online content guides as you evaluate whether or not to watch each film.
Registration details:
Wednesday afternoons at 1 to 2:30 p.m. PT (2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. MT; 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT; 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET) from October 2 to November 20.
$299 registration fee*
Attend meetings live via Zoom
Registration closes September 25 (or as soon as the cohort is full)
* Refunds are not available, but you can transfer your registration to a friend prior to September 30.