The Theology of Cinema: Baptism
Plunged beneath the water as the trial. Rising up reborn as a New Person.
As many of you may know, I have a background in the academic study of theology, a B.A. in religious studies from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Divinity degree from Yale. So it is only natural I bring that perspective to how I view and understand movies and screenwriting.
Let me be clear, when I say theological, I mean it — in this context — in a secular way. How does that make sense?
The word “theology” is a combination of two Greek words: “theos” which means God and “logos” which means word. So theology is words about God. What if for this series we think of God as a metaphor for an explanation for the big questions of life? Thus, theology as words about the meaning of life. Broadly speaking that is one dynamic movies hit on consistently, characters forced to confront their values, behaviors, and world views related to who they are and how they should act.
In this respect, movies and theology wade in very much the same thematic waters. As Andrew Stanton noted about Lawrence of Arabia in this TED Talk, how the central theme of that story is the question asked of the Protagonist “who are you,” that issue exists at the core of perhaps every movie, an existential exploration of a character or characters’ self-identity. So, too, with theology.
Also, movies tend to be about characters at critical junctures in their lives, facing a journey from the Old World into a New World where through a series of challenges and lessons they undergo a significant metamorphosis. Sounds an awful lot like a conversion experience to me.
Thus, it is only natural there will be a lot of crossover of theological themes in movies. But while a theological theme in a movie may have a religious or spiritual connotation, I am more interested in exploring such themes metaphorically to find the widest value possible for screenwriters at large.
By working with this non-religious take on the concept, we can avail ourselves of numerous powerful theological themes in screenwriting regardless of whether our stories are secular or non-secular.
Today: Baptism.
I never thought I’d be able to drag out into the light of day my honors thesis from college, but since it was on the roots of baptism in primitive Christianity, here we go!
Ritual washing has been a part of multiple cultures throughout history, typically tied to the idea of purification. The tradition existed in ancient Judaism and involved both “cleanness of the flesh,” but also elaborate washing rituals concluding with the immersion of the body in water. Thus it is not surprising that a person like John the Baptist should come along. “I baptize you with water for repentance” as he did, immersing people in the Jordan River including — according to all the Gospels — Jesus himself.
Here is how the baptism of Jesus is described in Matthew 3:13–17:
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Looking at this metaphorically, we have a story in three parts:
- Presentation: Jesus presents himself to John the Baptist to be baptized
- Immersion: Jesus is baptized
- Revelation: Jesus is acknowledged as special
Consider this ‘baptism’ scene in the movie The Shawshank Redemption:
Again a story in three parts:
- Andy crawling through shit to escape prison [descent into Hell]
- Andy plunges into the river [Baptism]
- Andy emerges from beneath the water and sheds his old ‘skin’ [clothes], revealed as a new man… a free man [Revelation]
Here baptism is a symbol of purification, a transition from prisoner to human being.
There is also the idea of “baptism by fire,” originating in the 19th century referring to a new soldier’s initiation into battle. In the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan, we see a combination of elements — water [sea] and fire [bombs, bullets]:
Again a story in three parts:
- Captain Miller and his men on boats plowing ahead toward landing [Baptism]
- Captain Miller and his men land immediately in a bloody battle [Initiation]
- Captain Miller and some of his men survive [Revelation]
Here baptism serves not as a capstone, but a transition into a major struggle. What this suggests is baptism is a multivalent dynamic capable of serving a variety of narrative needs.
Another example from Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope:
This takes on another metaphorical meaning: Luke descending into ‘Hell,’ then ‘rising again’ as part of his transformation process in the ways of The Force.
Broadly speaking as screenwriters, we may consider baptism metaphorically to represent the immersion of the Protagonist into the New World, the second movement in the Hero’s Journey, what Joseph Campbell called Initiation. Plunged beneath the water as the trial. Rising up reborn as a New Person.
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