Introduction
Cinematic art pertains to video films and the application of cinematic methods and concepts with specific cinematic effects. Films are an essential resource for visual learners since they recognize topics without impediments to learning. From a Biblical viewpoint, Christian films should promote Christian ideals such as kindness, love, bravery, optimism, tolerance, and harmony (Sellers 58). As a result, Christians should participate in cinematic arts since they establish an authoritative atmosphere and foster honesty and collaboration via exposure to a variety of subjects. In addition, Christians are anticipated to create films with messages about being reborn, and hence, Christian cinematic arts have a huge impact on the cultures of people across the world (Louisa 3). Notwithstanding the difficulties of combining creative freedom and religious convictions, Christian participation in cinematic arts is essential for spreading moral values and positively influencing society.
Christians’ Involvement in Cinematic Arts
Christians should participate in cinematic arts because it fosters an accommodating and proactive environment, builds team cohesion and character, and teaches them about various phenomena. The cinematic arts are indeed important since they can have a major and enduring effect on a Christian’s life, as it is not only a clear portrayal of entertainment but also the Christian’s cognition will be defined after having viewed cinematic arts such as movies (Rindge 13). Films have an important function because they are viewed as both a business and an artistic endeavor, with the art form producing entertainment that is viewed as escapist and ineffectual in influencing Christians’ opinions of God, values, or cognitive behaviors.
Christians could perhaps participate in cinematic arts because communication systems, particularly broadcasting shows, advertisements, movies, and motion pictures, are seldom to blame for the restrictive behavior of regressing Christians in society. Restrictive behaviors among Christians, such as using drugs and other substances, a withdrawal from ethical and moral principles, and extreme brutality, are not the result of cinematic art. Christians can discover answers to many issues that affect how they live through cinematic arts such as films, as many people regard popular entertainment as a model for social behavior (Tallone 47). The cinematic arts can generate and broaden a variety of experiences that the viewer experiences indirectly and translate universal and common human concerns into specific and personal occurrences that are easy to identify with and understand.
Another reason cinematic arts are crucial is that they influence the behaviors and opinions of Christians by evoking mental and emotional responses connected to both their judgment and behavioral processes, hence eliciting actions from viewers. On the same note, the cinematic arts are the most important and fundamental educators since they instruct via the brain and the full body (Knauss 11). Even if there are a few setbacks in the cinematic world owing to a lack of comprehension and recognition of the techniques and tactics that the media uses to connect with its audience, flourishing cinematic arts may result in substantial intrusions and transformations.
In addition, Christians should engage in cinematic arts since they provide an ostensible replica of the world while altering that truth via cinematography, directorial tricksters of performers and characters, soundtrack, screenplay, and editing. Nonetheless, the feeling and perception of external truth are so powerful that the spectator may overlook skepticism in favor of immersion into the ambiance of the cinematic art experience.
For example, in Psalm 19:1-4 the power of visuals has been narrated to examine how arts can communicate meanings. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them”. – Psalm 19:1-4
The massive inclination toward alternate facts and perspectives of the universe elicits distinctive cognitive factors. Nevertheless, sincere, reflective, and emotive cinematic art has inspired love and compassion. These have prompted several Christians to ponder what is ultimately essential and significant in life.
Furthermore, Christians should participate in cinematic arts since it is natural to assume that when an artist addresses a crucial subject to their audience by giving credibility to the artist’s responses to topics. For instance, if a Christian experiences an unsettled and damaged marriage and is resistant to divorce, it can help change such people’s minds. This is a film depicting a female and male also having problems in their marriage, and contemplating divorce could be of huge importance to such individuals (Cloete 21). The Christian who views cinematic art may be significantly impacted by the art and the actions taken by the personalities in cinematic art. The whole experience of the film’s action, plot, and directing will primarily serve as a compelling lesson on relationship breakdown, providing the Christian audience with an excellent model to adhere to and assisting them in making choices.
Movies Christians should make
Christians are asked to create various films that emulate and preach the way of Christ. For instance, Evangelical Christian films represent Christians who have a genuine commitment to Jesus Christ and who emphasize personal transformation or rebirth (Olayiwola). Further, the films depict the Bible as divinely authored and as the sole foundation for Christian life and faith. In addition, the majority of decisional Christian films depict an evangelical setting as a gesture of personal dedication to their Faith in Jesus Christ, which is characterized and symbolized by the external proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord and interior atonement from a life laden with sin.
In addition, Christian conversion films illustrate the slow and abrupt mechanism by which a performer in the film shifts from one path in life to another, signified in evangelical Christianity by a second transition from spiritual death to spiritual life. Similarly, Christian revival films depict a period of revitalized Church power characterized by the union of active evangelism, Christians, and non-Christians such as unbelievers. In addition, Evangelist films highlight the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, recognized as Christ’s crucifixion. Jesus rose from the dead so that all Christians who embrace him would not perish but earn everlasting life.
The most impactful movies are frequently conceived by filmmakers who make no concessions and are committed to producing Christian films with superior meaning than bank accounts, fairy tales, or violence. The majority of Christian films should have sequences that audiences are unlikely to forget. The primary objective of Christian films needs to be to proclaim and pronounce the message and glory of God and to show the salvific mercy of God and Jesus Christ in humanity. Directors of Christian films often exert great effort to guarantee that their films faithfully attract audiences.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
This verse implies that God made everything with beauty and purpose and that people have an innate desire for timeless and everlasting things. This might be understood as a call to appreciate the beauty of art and how it speaks to the human spirit, particularly cinematic arts that investigate everlasting themes and truths. It does not hold any blows related to brutality in regard to the plot and does not let the characters off the hook as they face challenges that might create adversaries even inside the Christian Church.
In Christian Films there is a specific category of films that Christians are supposed to see to follow the correct path. Christian films are based on a broad definition of filmmaking that encompasses a Religious moral and message created largely by producers of the Christian faith. It is intended for Christian viewers and films produced by non-Christians with Christian themes and viewers in mind. Prominent commercial studio films that feature strong Christian teachings and biblical tales are predominantly part of the Christian cinema industry since they are mostly agnostic towards the religious principles and convictions of their consumers. Christian films are recognized largely for their ability to define and characterize the goal and activities of preaching that assert the Gospel via visual characteristics.
Based on Christian films, God’s most important responsibilities in the film are cleansing, condemnation, and broad disclosure. Often, the most effective use of evangelical Christian cinema is the use of media to influence people. The important significance of Christian films is bringing the audience closer to the Gospel and God’s kingdom due to the fact that Christ’s acceptance and acceptance cannot be undervalued. Christian Cinema has major emotional, physiological, and societal effects on Christian perspectives.
Unfortunately, Christian films are not wildly successful in the film business for a variety of reasons. Due to infrequent and low standards, lamentability is the key factor influencing the quality of the product presented in the cinema industry. Technically speaking, Christian films struggle to pass inspection, let alone when it comes to directing and writing. Equally, the majority of churches do not consider Christian films useful for evangelization.
Christians Using Movies to Influence Their Culture
Notably, religious films significantly influence the cultures of their audiences. Most spectators are profoundly affected by Christian films owing to the influence of pictures, music, special effects, lighting, conversation, and sound, which evoke profound and significant sentiments and encourage introspection. The films aid consumers in gaining a greater understanding of their lifetime, the lives of others around them, and how diverse nations and cultures function (Knauss, 8). Modern Christians and the Church rely heavily on video input and output technology to influence other cultures. As technology evolves and improves, religious organizations have increasingly exploited film to influence and shape the perspectives of persons for the good of people and the Church. High-quality changeover and the accessibility and availability of extremely inexpensive Christian movies make it simpler for filmmakers to reach their intended viewers around the globe in a variety of mother languages, which makes them simpler for varied audiences to comprehend.
Christian films influence many civilizations since they largely represent the ideas and traditions of several cultures. Christian films also have an important part in establishing a culture’s perspective. Several civilizations have experienced a phase of progressive intrusions, particularly industrialization. The films influence the real-world diverse identity since they primarily alter the landscape of many popular and unpopular cultures without their awareness. Several lives have been altered within and outside of the theater via practical means, which are good illustrations of the crucial roles and purposes of Christian films worldwide.
Christian cinema focuses on many cultures via their storylines and characters, in addition to the way the film makes its audience members experience and respond to the film’s material on modern cultural problems. In Matthew 13:34-35, for instance, Jesus talks to the multitude using parables, which are symbolic tales. This is a style of cinematic storytelling in which a message is communicated via a tale (Matthew 13 Commentary). Thus, civilizations evolve among many ethnicities and individuals, illustrating the influence of a vast array of cultures. With people, stories, and quandaries that the audience may relate to, Christian films connect to various cultures.
Conclusion
Christian films are essential because they instill motivation in the spectator. Seeing characters in the tale go from ineffective and unproductive members of society to successful and productive ones has a profound influence on the audience and encourages them to adopt the same behavior in their own lives. The audience may see that ordinary individuals and those who have lost optimism have a tremendous opportunity to be transformed and to accomplish more extraordinary things in their lives. In addition, Christians should watch films since they enhance their interpersonal skills and consciousness by showing religious, political, racist, psychological, economic, ethnic, and social themes, helping them to recognize and learn about a variety of topics. Furthermore, seeing the films increases their understanding and abilities, such as problem-solving, collaboration, decision-making, and awareness of different community concerns. In addition to aiding Christians in establishing new friends and repairing old ones, exposure to new concepts and cultural variations in films aids Christians in gaining new acquaintances and repairing old ones. Films are an integral element of people’s everyday lives since they provide inspiration and bonding time to diverse audiences.
Works Cited
“Bible Gateway Psalm 19: NIV.” Mit.edu, 2023.
Cloete Anita Louisa. Interdisciplinary Reflections on the Interplay between Religion Film and Youth. First ed. 2019, pp. 1-118. Sun Press.
Knauss, Stefanie. “Religion and film: Representation, experience, meaning.” Brill Research Perspectives in Theology 4.1 (2020): 1-103.
“Matthew 13 Commentary. Precept Austin.” Preceptaustin.org, 2022, Web.
Olayiwola, Elizabeth. “Nigerian Evangelical Film Genres: The Spectacle of the Spiritual.” ResearchGate, Taylor & Francis (Routledge), 14 May 2019.
Rindge, Matthew S. “Cinematic Wisdom.” In The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Wisdom Literature, 2020, pp. 1–17, Web.
Sellers, Stephanie M. “How the Power of Film Inspires Christianity.” Scholars Crossing. 2022, pp. 1-58. Liberty University, Master Thesis.
Tallone, Sky. Simulism on Film. 2022, pp. 1-209. Regent University, Dissertation.