When the Audience Talks: Moving from Film to Discussion to Decision
by Dr. Marc T. Newman
June 10, 2005
(AgapePress) - The Question of God: Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis (now available on DVD through PBS) comes across as a documentary -- stock photos of Freud and Lewis, staid dramatizations in the "Masterpiece Theater" style, all intercut with scholars from diverse disciplines providing expert opinions on the lives and thoughts of these two towering intellects of the 20th century. The initial impression is that this film, like other documentaries, seeks to inform viewers about a subject -- to tell them what these men thought. Expert information is provided, no need for additional investigation, education complete.Nothing could be further from the truth.
The film project began in the mind of Dr. Armand Nicholi, a Harvard professor and practicing psychiatrist, when he determined that a class he was teaching on the philosophical writings of Freud lacked balance. Nicholi turned to C.S. Lewis and discovered that he provided a potent counterpoint to Freud. The discussions from his class led to the writing of a book, The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life in which Nicholi allows Freud and Lewis to speak for themselves. The process culminated in a PBS program that incorporates not only the writings of Freud and Lewis, and the opinion of experts, but also a dynamic -- often contentious -- open-ended debate between a panel of opinion leaders, none of whom is a theologian. When I asked Dr. Nicholi why a theologian was not included in the panel, he said, "That would have killed it."
Killed what?
The panelists reach no conclusions. What Nicholi has done is provide four hours of lesson and discussion which leaves the audience unsatisfied -- on purpose. It is not that Nicholi lacks answers to many of the questions he raises -- he is well-versed in Lewis' apologetic writings -- he simply prefers that people discover them through dialogue. Nicholi admitted that when he leads his Harvard classes through this material, "Some of my students think I don't talk enough, others think I talk too much. The important part is the discussion between the students." There are no tidy endings in this program, no pat answers to life's most difficult questions. If there is an argument present in The Question of God, it is in the form of Aristotle's enthymeme: an argument that leaves a premise, or a conclusion, for the audience to fill in.
Rhetoricians have long held that the most powerful strategy to convince people is self-persuasion. Researchers Richard Petty and John Cacioppo argued that persuasion is most potent when the participants are engaged in prolonged talk about the topic in question. As long as we are discussing a message, we are open to persuasion. While no minds appear to change on camera as the "experts" verbally slug it out in each of the "conversations," the open-ended way each section ends turn these debates into a kind of attention-getting device to jump start real-world, small-group discussions. Participants can begin where the experts leave off.
What features are present in documentary films like The Question of God that can help pastors and lay leaders to spark discussions about issues of eternal consequence? If you choose to create an event at your church, or in a small-group study, here are some ideas you should consider:
The Aura of Objectivity Increases Conversation
One of the fears people have in a multi-cultural West is that they will be proselytized. No one wants to feel forced into belief. The beauty of the dialogues in this film is that they represent at least an attempt at objectivity. A variety of views are expressed, with each side trying to demonstrate that its position is more reasonable than its opponent's. Any group of people can watch a segment of this film and feel challenged without feeling threatened. When people truly believe that divergent points of view will be heard they are more likely to relax and talk. The Scriptures do command that Christians "take every thought captive to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5) and that we should be prepared to "respond to each person" (Col. 4:6). What both of these commands intimate is that we have first listened so that we will know each thought and understand each question. Films like The Question of God can create an atmosphere conducive to open discussion.
Bring a Dose of Reality
Church can be a very insulated environment. But God does not want us to ignore the world. Another benefit provided by The Question of God is that it allows people in the Church to hear the kinds of reasons skeptics, agnostics, and atheists use to insulate themselves against the Gospel -- not the arguments we put in their mouths, as happens in some apologetics books, but their own. Since none of the participants are expert theologians, the arguments raised are likely to be similar to the reasons Christians encounter when they engage the world. If we believe that we have the answer the world seeks, we had better get a grip on their objections.
Discussion Breeds Discussion
It is easier to go from the discussion in the film to live discussion, than to try to initiate discussion from a scene in a film. The panelists have already "primed the pump" by identifying points of clash that can be picked up and elaborated upon by members of a small group. If we freely allow others to make their case, then we gain the right to make our own. Well-prepared Christians should never fear a clash of ideas.
Two Problems to Avoid
Whenever Christians enter into discussion with non-Christians about ideas two problems are potentially present: lack of preparation and inability to bring a discussion to a decision.
When Christians engage in a battle of wits, it is important to be well-armed. As a moderator for countless student forums on my secular campus concerning significant issues, I am frequently appalled by the lack of critical thinking skills exhibited by Christian students. We have an obligation to make informed arguments. Our arguments should be biblically sound, but they also need to be culturally savvy. When Paul spoke on Mars Hill, he knew the Athenian's poets and philosophers. When he addressed Agrippa, he understood what made the man tick. In addition to previewing The Question of God before using it, I would encourage reading Nicholi's book of the same title where the arguments in the film are explored in greater depth.
The second problem arises from the belief that more talk is always better. Discussion is not an end in itself. We are told that the ancient Athenians "used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new" (Acts 17:21). Disciples of Christ are ambassadors in a foreign land. Their ultimate goal in sharing the Gospel is to get people to defect from the World to the Kingdom of God. G.K. Chesterton noted in his autobiography, "I am incurably convinced that the object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid." We must be patient as we speak with people about important issues, such as those raised in The Question of God, but eventually that discussion must lead to decision. It is unlikely to take place after a single session, but certainly once objections are answered there comes a time to ask what people intend to do with what they know. We need to pray that God will lead us to recognize the appropriate time.
MovieMinistry is primarily concerned with the questions raised by popular fiction film -- mining them for illustrations where appropriate, initiating discussions of underlying themes, and engaging in critique to enable Christians to gain a better grasp of the importance of story in the lives of both those who share in the faith and those they seek to reach. But occasionally documentary films strike a chord, or a nerve, so potently that to ignore them would be a disservice. It is our hope that shining a light on DVDs such as The Question of God will create unique opportunities to discuss Christ with people bent more toward intellectual fare. If Christians will take seriously their obligation to prepare their minds to do battle, their hearts to listen patiently, and a will to gently move people from speculation to decision, they will find that using documentaries (or a variety of films) in small-group settings can be a way to become a seeker to the seeker "so that I may by all means," as Paul says, "save some."
Marc T. Newman, PhD (marc@movieministry.com) is the president of MovieMinistry.com -- an organization that provides sermon and teaching illustrations from popular film, and helps the Church use movies to reach out to others and connect with people.
