The Narrative Carries the Theology
Thomas Purifoy is the writer, director, and producer of Modern Parables, a film-based Bible study curriculum that uses short films of the parables combined with teaching by pastors and in-depth study materials. Purifoy attends Christ Community Church (PCA) in Nashville, Tenn., and founded his film production company, Compass Cinema, in 2005.
How did the Modern Parables project come about?
I was a creative writing major at Vanderbilt in the 1990s, taking film classes, studying hermeneutics, living in a philosophy dorm, and teaching Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) students. So there was strange convergence of worldviews in that environment. I found myself wondering if there was a way to create a universal Bible study that would appeal to every background but bring the audience back to the biblical text.
Christians always see these [short films] as a Christian work. But they don’t actually mention Jesus. So they don’t turn off non-Christians. There are many denominations and age groups using them now. We wanted to make them biblical, entertaining, and relevant.
What makes Modern Parables unique?
There’s nothing exactly like it out there—a Bible study for people who like movies. Our goal is to teach the Bible in an efficient, quick, in-depth manner. Really, the six short films are the tip of the iceberg. The companion Bible study and the application videos that accompany the films hold them up.
Parables make up a third of Jesus’ teaching; we can learn some things in parables that we can’t learn any other way. And all of these parables—whether about money, loving your neighbor, etc.—teach us things that we can’t learn any other way. The narrative carries the theology in a way that a propositional statement cannot.
Also, we’ve tried to be extremely accurate with re-contextualizing these parables. For example, in the short film The Samaritan we asked, What does a religious person with authority look like today? And who is a Samaritan in today’s society? In this instance, we chose a Muslim-Arab taxi driver.
Why is the medium of film relevant to today’s audience?
Film is peculiar in its power to tell stories, particularly because of its realism. It draws you down a certain path that is sensory, emotionally, and intellectually powerful. And this creates a vicarious experience for the film viewer.
We have sophisticated viewing audiences today, and we can explore complex stories through film because of that. If you asked most people, would you rather go to church or watch a movie, unfortunately most people would choose to watch a movie. The fact is that film is pleasing and enjoyable. If we can tie that with education and push people deeper into Scripture, that’s a great goal.
So there’s a place for this—it’s not intended to replace Sunday morning worship, but it certainly can be a tool for Sunday school classes or small group studies.
How do you hope people will respond to Modern Parables?
I’ve had one person say, “I never understood parables until I did this study.” I am a Bible teacher at heart, so I’m as happy teaching Sunday school as making a film. I hope that through Modern Parables people learn more about the Bible, and more about how the Holy Spirit can work within them. These films by themselves can do nothing, but the biblical passages they’re based on will be transformative—that’s the way God designed it.
Visit www.modernparables.com to view trailers of the six short films and to learn more about the project.
Comments
Leave a Comment
- Deal with the subject presented.
- Be respectful of other people and their opinions.
- Follow standard rules of punctuation.
All Fields Are Required:
connice
dyar
charlotte, nc