Contemporary Christian theology is committed to examining what it means for God to be found in human form today –
involved with the ordinary, the mundane, and the seemingly trivial.

The best textbooks for contemporary natural theologians are not the second-hand theological treatises but the living works of artists who are in touch with the springs of creative imagination. It is the artistic expressions that are the first form of contemporary revelation-faith experiences. (John Shea)

Christians have previously enjoyed a rich heritage of making use of the arts to carry out the tasks of bearing witness to the Christian faith. E.g. Cathedrals of the Middle Ages express Christian truth through their stained glass, handsome murals, ornate ceilings and soaring arches. Architecture, acoustics, the use of lights and shadows and the smell of incense have served as media for the communication of the Gospel. But the role of the aesthetic has diminished in the face of a rationalistic religion that reduced faith to dogma, and truth to propositions. (Faith and Film by B. Stone)

Cinema is a young art that began in the early 20th century and dominated by two subjects: Bible and pornography. Biblical subjects or themes lent respectability to this new form of art. One of the earliest and brightest stars to shine in the cinema has been Jesus of Nazareth. (Depictions of Jesus in Cinema by W. Telford)

Jesus-figures in art are presentations of Jesus in a realistic or stylized way. A realistic way presents Jesus as He was historically thought to be e.g. Jesus in the traditional detailed crucifix; in movies like The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), The Passion of Jesus (2003).  A stylistic way presents Jesus in contemporary or deliberately unrealistic settings e.g. Jesus in the early Greek or Roman art styles, in Mediaeval and Renaissance art; Jesus in movies like Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) and Godspell (1973). The realisticway tends to be a fundamentalist interpretation of Scripture while the stylized presentation may come across as too contrived. (Christs and Anti-Christs by P. Malone)

A fruitful use of stories for theological exploration is to identify and analyze filmic Christ-figures as embodied in a wide variety of forms: women, men and children; saints, martyrs, nuns, priests and bishops; clowns, fools, madmen and even animals and creatures of fiction like hobbits; criminals, alcoholics, lawmen and gunslingers. The Christ-figure is not Jesus or the Christ, but rather a shadow, a faint glimmer or reflection of Him. As fully human being, the Christ-figuremay be weak, uncertain and even a sinner . (Edward Scissorhands by P. Malone)

Sacred Scriptures recognize a variety of Christ-figures: the suffering servant of Isaiah, Isaac about to be sacrificed, Jonah, Abraham the patriarch, and Moses who led his people out of bondage. Even Jesus used figures to speak of himself: the Good Shepherd; the Way, the Truth and the Life; the Living Water.

As mentioned by Lloyd Baugh, SJ in his book Imaging the Divine, the dimensions of the filmic Christ-figure may be described in a number of ways:

• They often have mysterious origins and may attract a group of followers whom they teach, form and save and who eventually carry forward the mission.
• A Christ-figure has commitment to justice and often enters a community or a situation in which injustices are being perpetrated against the people.
• There is also the dramatic element of conflict between the protagonist and some authority figure or figures akin to that which was experienced by Jesus with the Jewish religious authorities. 
• Even if subtle and delicate, one of the most significant dimensions of the filmic Christ-figure is portrayal of prayer, a union with God in prayer, moments of intimacy with God.
• There will also be a parallel experience of Jesus Christ in his passion, death and resurrection.

Many filmmakers are not believers or committed to Jesus. Yet, many of them use Christ-figures consciously or unconsciously in their works. Diverse cultures around the world have absorbed the Gospels into their consciousness, imagination and language. In cinema, Jesus has become a universal figure and his life, death and resurrection have become symbols of human experience. A noteworthy example is Marxist Pier Paolo Pasolini whose film Gospel According to Matthew (circa 1964) – was given official recognition by the Catholic Church as one of the most authentic film portrayals about Jesus. The sincere searching of the agnostic can be a valid position from which to search, to reflect artistically on the Christ-event by creating a Christ-figure .(Imaging the Divine by Lloyd Baugh, SJ)

Unfortunately, the Christ-figure as a postmodern cinematic element is not yet appreciated by film viewers, critics and educators. Its future use for religious education to help deepen the appreciation of our faith is indeed so promising.

There are innumerable cinema examples with Christ-figures. Below is a partial list of both old and new productions. Try screening these movies to identify and learn more about Christ-figures in cinema.

Women Christ-Figures:
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), La Strada (1954); Hiding Place (1975); Playing for Time (1980); Choices of the Heart – Jean Donovan Story (1983); Thérèse of Lisieux(1986); Bagdad Café/Out of Rosenheim (1987); Babette’s Feast (1988); Dead Man Walking (1995); Breaking the Waves (1996)

Animation/Non-human/Science-fiction Films:
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973); Superman movies (1978, 1980, 1983); E.T. Extra-Terrestrial (1982);Star Trek II (1982); Star Trek III (1984); The Lion King (1994); Balto (1995); Pocahontas (1995); Babe (1995, 1998); AntZ (1998);  The Prince of Egypt (1998); Finding Nemo (2003); Lassie (2005); Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (2005);The Lord of the Rings (Triolgy: 2001-2003);Spider Man 1 (2002); Spider Man 2 (2004); Spider Man 3 (2007)

Other movies:
Ben Hur (1946); Shane (1953); La Ricotta (1962); Lilies of the Field (1963) A Patch of Blue (1965); A Man for All Seasons (1966); Man of La Mancha (1972); Godspell (1973); One Flew Over the Cuckoo’ Nest (1975); The Elephant Man (1980); Gandhi (1982); Killing Fields (1984); The Mission (1986); Jesus of Montreal (1989); Romero (1989); Dances with Wolves (1990); Braveheart (1995); The Truman Show (1998); Ever After (1999);  Entrusted (2003) back

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