Cinema important for evangelism, Ian Maher tells Connor Diocese

18 February 2005

Is Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ the only link between God, faith and the movies? Not according to Church Army’s Ian Maher Head of Academic Studies at Church Army’s Wilson Carlile College of Evangelism, based in Sheffield who is running a workshop called Faith and Film: some reel issues for clergy and church leaders on Saturday 26th February at Stranmills College , Belfast between 10am-3pm .

Ian, an authority on the area of faith and film and the author of Reel Issues and Faith and Film , teaches modules on movies and faith to evangelists and runs workshops and courses for church leaders. Ian is also a current contributor to the Bible Society’s Reel Issues online.

Ian is passionate about the use of movies as part of the ministry of the church and his workshop will be featuring clips from a number of well known movies. Ian comments: “There are around 177 million admission to UK cinemas in a year - over 3.4 million admission per week - and there is little doubt that film mirrors something of the society in which we live and reflects some of the dominant features of contemporary culture. The University of Colorado ’s Centre for Mass Media Research produced some work to show that most young people derive spiritual values and experience their deepest religious moments through film. My aim is to help everyone see the potential for popular film for engaging with the big issues of faith - the kingdom of God really is in the can if you look hard enough.”

Other useful resources

Maher, I. (1998) Reel Issues: Engaging Faith and Film Bible Society

Maher, I. (2002) Faith and Film: Close Encounters of an Evangelistic Kind Grove Books

www.reelissues.org.uk – an online resource from the Bible Society, available by subscription which includes a monthly group session resource based on a recently released DVD plus an archive of films covered in previous Reel Issues printed material.

www.word-on-the-web.co.uk – see Wooding Watches (formerly Maher at the Movies ) which includes a monthly review and Christian comment on a recently released film plus an archive of previously reviewed films.

www.hollywoodjesus.com – A huge resource of film reviews with Christian comment, Biblical connections, spirituality themes, etc.