A film narrative oriented to
an investigation of Christianity is tailor-made to illustrate the potential of
film as a medium to convey abstract ideas and theories. In The Case for Christ (2017), a skeptical journalist—Lee
Strobel—takes on the contention that Jesus’ resurrection in the Gospels was
also a historical event (i.e., happened historically). Lee states the
proposition that he will investigate as follows: “The entire Christian faith
hinges on the resurrection of Jesus. If it didn’t happen, it’s a house of
cards. He’s reduced to a misunderstood rabbi at best; at worst, he was a
lunatic who was martyred.” The journalist’s initial position is that the
resurrection didn’t happen historically; it is just part of a faith narrative
(i.e., the Gospels). Lee wants to test the proposition by interviewing experts.
The dialogues between the journalist unschooled in theology and the scholars of
religion provide a way in which complex ideas and arguments can be broken down
for the viewer and digested. The journalist stands as a translator of sorts
similar to a teacher’s function in breaking down knowledge new to students so
they can grasp and digest it.
The full essay is at "Case for Christ."
