Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Looking Closer

Home
Religious Music & Entertainment
Reader Mailstrom, 6/18: “Your reviews are no longer of value to the Christian community.”

Reader Mailstrom, 6/18: “Your reviews are no longer of value to the Christian community.”

Last updated on: March 28, 2013 at 11:49 am by Jeffrey Overstreet

Reader Mailstrom, 6/18: “Your reviews are no longer of value to the Christian community.” 2013-03-28T11:49:37-06:00 Jeffrey Overstreet

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’m starting a new column, chronicling stand-outs from the daily maelstrom of Looking Closer email.

Most of these letters are real. Some of them are amalgalms of a variety of messages. Some of them are what I read between the lines of the things readers really wrote.

Each installment of Reader Mail-strom will be updated over the course of the day, so check back to see if I’ve responded to you.

•

READER:

Thanks for your blog about Ted Slater’s over-the-top attacks on CT’s review of Sex and the City. I work at Focus on the Family…. I have to say I’m embarrassed by his original blog, and his follow-up just compounds the damage, as did his combative response to anyone who disagreed with him in the comments. … Thanks for your charity towards him and Focus.

MY RESPONSE:

Wow, thanks!

It’s an important distinction… to remember that one person’s interpretation of a work of art is not necessarily the interpretation of everybody in that organization. I certainly didn’t assume that Ted’s opinion was the official opinion of Focus. And I’m grateful that you reached out. I find it hard to believe that many Focus on the Family employees would stand up and dare to suggest that “Christianity Today Relishes Sexual Perversion,” as Ted did (and apparently still believes, as he hasn’t backed off on his outlandish charge).

Camerin denounced the film’s gratuitous sex. She warned people about it. She declared that it was shocking and unnecessary. What did she *enjoy* about the movie? The reunion of four characters and the film’s portrayal of their friendships. That is what Camerin Courtney enjoyed.

How a person could read that review, and run a story that declares Christianity Today Enjoys, no, Savors, no Relishes Sexual Perversity — in other words, “Christianity Today is a Bunch of Perverts” — I have a hard time comprehending. How such an accusation is published at Focus on the Family, and allowed to stand, speaks volumes.

And yet, I received an email from Ted Slater, who wrote that headline and made that accusation, and he asked me to be more “honest” and “gracious.”

I know that there are many out there who saw the lie of that headline. I’m grateful for those who stood up and called it for what it was. And I’m glad to hear from at least one person at Focus who understands.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

This is an *excerpt from a letter that CT received in response to my commentary “Have We Lost Our Minds?” I haven’t changed any of the words. (Okay, for correctness, I italicized the titles of films and publications.)*

Dear Christianity Today Movies,

In response to “Have We Lost Our Minds?” – the short answer is, “Yes”!

You can always tell when a Christian critic is in need of a career change. They become so inured to the violence and corruption of our modern media that they are no longer offended by things that ought decently to be considered offensive. They then lapse into an apologetic whereby “good art” becomes the paramount virtue, eclipsing any concerns about good message or good morals. They thereafter begin to allege that deeply ungodly movies might actually be “better revelations” than movies which, despite poor production values, are nevertheless aiming to edify the body of Christ. This pattern is not new with Jeffrey Overstreet or Christianity Today. World magazine dove down into the same twisted tunnel a few years ago. The problem is obvious: Any critic who can seriously consider a vile and reprehensible piece of perversion like Little Miss Sunshine as being in any way positive or virtuous has simply become so callused and scabbed-over that they have lost the savor for what is pure, true, lovely, and right. Anymore, only spectacle and excess can touch them. The media has become more important than the message.

…

Any assay at a Christian aesthetic which ends up ranking “the testimony of God” (however poorly-phrased it may be,) as being somehow less virtuous than some enticing, amazing, glitzy piece of Hollywood-work which is based in a non-Christian worldview, and especially which vaunts anti-Christian morals, is necessarily a false aesthetic, opposed to Biblical values. And publication of any such aesthetic ought also to constitute the letter of resignation for any Christian critic who gives voice to it.

Take a break, Mr. Overstreet. Step down from movie reviewing. Take a year off – maybe two. Maybe make a permanent change, cover some other beat. Your reviews are no longer of value to the Christian community. Resign with grace today and, perhaps, return to fight again another day.

Sincerely,

Christopher C. Shubert

MY RESPONSE:

Mr. Shubert,

I would reply, but it would take a great deal of time to address your rather lengthy message.

As a matter of fact, I’ve already written down the observations and anecdotes that I would include in such a response. In fact, that is exactly why I wrote Through a Screen Darkly. If you send me your mailing address, I will happily send you a free copy. Consider it a gift. It will read as if it is a personal reply to your letter.

And regarding your declaration that my reviews are “no longer of value to the Christian community,” I’m tempted to pass the question along to the regular readers of my work here at this blog, at Christianity Today, in the classrooms that use Through a Screen Darkly, and at the Christian film festival in L.A. that just surprised me with a special show of gratitude. All of these kudos have come unexpectedly, as I started writing reviews in hopes of finding other Christians who were interested in exploring movies. And I keep finding more and more kindred spirits who teach me and inspire me, and so long as I keep learning and growing and delighting in their company and in the beauty of great art, I’ll keep writing reviews.

But thank you for showing an interest. Your letter will be entered in my annual Top Five Letters from Angry Readers contest.

Jeffrey

Journal

Christianity Today

Focus on the Family

Looking Closer Classic

Reader Mail

Sex and the City

Ted Slater

Through a Screen Darkly

Previous Post

June 18, 2008

What I Saw Today

Next Post

June 19, 2008 Browser, 6/19: Veith on the Sex & the City hubbub; Image and the Diving Bell; New World quesadillas!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Bloggers on "Through a Screen Darkly" Browser Coming Soon Endorsements Fiction Books Film Forum Film Reviews Inspirations Interviews Journal Kindlings Muse Movie buzz Music Reviews Non-Fiction Books radio Reviewers on "Through a Screen Darkly" The Auralia Thread Through a Screen Darkly Through a Screen Darkly - Bonus Materials Top 10 (or 20 or 100) lists Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 July 2003 May 2003 March 2003 September 1999

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What disciple walked on water toward Jesus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

James Peter Matthew John