The Theology of Cinema: Evil
“The question of theodicy provides writers a starting point for a conversation about our stories: The innate nature of evil as embodied in a Nemesis versus the challenge of confronting evil, both from without and within, the fundamental drama of a Protagonist and their character arc.”
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: Evil.
It is perhaps the single most problematic issue in theology: If one believes that God is all-powerful… and if one believes that God is all-good… and bad things happen in the world… how to reconcile all of those propositions.
In other words, how to explain the presence of evil.
There is a term for it in theological circles: Theodicy: theos = God, dike = justice. What it boils down to is the defense of God in the face of evil’s existence.
Broadly speaking, there are two major strands in Christian theology in dealing with the issue of theodicy.
One is that because God is all-good, God could not have created evil. Rather it entered into the world through the original sin of Adam and Eve. In this view, God is blameless and humans have an evil aspect to our nature dating back to our very origins.
The other perspective is this: The goal of existence is to achieve moral perfection. In order to do that, humans need free will, but for that to mean anything, humans must face the presence of evil, therefore evil is a necessary presence in the redemptive process, a legitimate presence in the created universe.
If we look at these metaphorically in terms of writing, we see we have an interesting way of viewing two character archetypes: Nemesis and Protagonist.
Nemesis characters may have all sorts of causes, influences and events in their personal history explaining at least some aspects of their behavior, but fundamentally they have an evil nature, skewing their world view in a deep dark way.
From the other perspective, the central theme of the Hero’s Journey is metamorphosis toward ‘moral perfection’ and for that process to be meaningful — and entertaining — the Protagonist must not only face evil from without, but also from within. They have to be tempted and torn, twisted and turned by events that cause them again and again to make a choice: To turn away from their Authentic Self and toward evil, or embrace their Core Essence and away from evil.
The presence of evil in the world is an ongoing challenge for theologians and philosophers. From the standpoint of writers, however, the question of theodicy provides us a starting point for a conversation about our stories: The innate nature of evil as embodied in a Nemesis versus the challenge of confronting evil, both from without and within, the fundamental drama of a Protagonist and their character arc.
Finally there’s this: Without evil and Nemesis figures to bring that dynamic into play, there would be little need for stories. Beyond providing conflict — Good vs. Evil — and raising existential questions about the Protagonist’s core being, the ultimate goal of the Nemesis often creates the spine of the narrative.
Thus, while evil creates vexing issues in real life, it is a blessing for writers providing us something compelling to write about.
For more Theology of Cinema articles, go here.
