Faith in Film, Week 4

It's hard to believe, but we begin our second third of the class this week, and we do so by making a pivot from a classic 1970s drama to a classic 1970s comedy. And a unique one at that with Monty Python's "Life of Brian."

Some questioned this choice. And it certainly isn't conventional, but then again, neither are your teachers this term. It is a comedy that is set during the life time of Jesus, and pokes around the periphery of Scripture, and for that reason some view it as blasphemous. And not to defend the content, but I think if you look closer it's not so much the Scriptures and Jesus the film is poking fun at, but the people and the time period. In fact, that's something the filmmakers have said in defense of their efforts.

The film contains themes of religious satire that were controversial at the time of its release, drawing accusations of blasphemy, and protests from some religious groups. Thirty-nine local authorities in the United Kingdom either imposed an outright ban, or imposed an X (18 years) certificate, effectively preventing the film from being shown, since the distributors said it could not be shown unless it was unedited and carried the original AA (14) certificate. Some countries, including Ireland and Norway, banned its showing, with a few of these bans lasting decades. The filmmakers used such notoriety to benefit their marketing campaign, with posters in Sweden reading, "So funny, it was banned in Norway!"

And yet, it became the fourth highest grossing film of the year in England that year, and drew some rave reviews. Some even called it the greatest comedy of all time. And it was certainly a lightning rod for conversation at the time, and has been a lightning rod for conversations since. And as we discussed a couple weeks ago, that can be a good thing when we’re talking about trying to have conversations about Jesus. Ironically, Jesus is actually where this film started.

When being interviewed about the film, the members of Monty Python said they were originally looking to do a project that poked fun at Jesus. But a funny thing happened as they started reading about Him, they realized that wasn’t really possible. Michael Palin, in an interview on BBC about the film, said, “We actually explored the idea of doing a comedy film about Jesus…and the more that we read about Jesus and the background to his life it was quite obvious there was little to ridicule about his life. He was a straight, direct man making very good sense.”

Instead, they sought to poke fun at the era and the idea of religious fervor, which is quite different from impuning Jesus Christ or the Scriptures. In fact, prided themselves on the depths of the historical research they had undertaken before writing the script. They all believe that, as a consequence, the film portrays First Century Judea more accurately than actual Biblical epics, with its focus centered more on the average person of the era.

Monty Python is hardly the first group to find incongruities with the message of Scriptures and the messages from the church, or Christians. Theologian Brennan Manning once said, “The greatest single cause of atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and deny Him by their actions. That’s what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” Being a representative of Christ is an awesome responsibility, and one we can’t take lightly. And being part of the church means being invited into the mission of Christ.

In more modern terms, Christian writer Donald Miller approached some of these themes from a different direction in "Blue Like Jazz," which we'll discuss tonight. In one of the most powerful sequences, Miller talks about the time he and a group of Christians made a confessional booth during a hedonistic celebration at Reed College. When the non-Christian students entered the booth, instead of hearing their confession, Miller and his friends confessed the ways they and the church have fallen short of Jesus' example. It was a powerful and cathartic experience for many who came in harboring anger toward the church, but it was for Miller, too.

And that is what makes "Life of Brian" worth discussing. No, it's not a Christian film. But, yes, it can be instructive to us about what it means to live out the calling of being a Christian.

Discussion Questions:
1. Did this film work for you, why or why not?

2. How do you feel about Biblical satires? Did you think this film was poking fun at Jesus or at organized religion? Why does that distinction matter?

3. In “Blue Like Jazz” Donald Miller discusses how difficult it can be to be a Christian in the modern culture. What makes it difficult? What can we do to change the way Christians are perceived in the modern culture?