Essay on Christian Metaphors and Movies About War

Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 movie directed by Steven Spielberg about World War II Invasion of Normandy. This film, was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won many other awards among the cast, picture, and so forth. Spielberg did a great job on getting a lot of things correct to what happened in real life. Although, the movie isn’t entirely correct with certain scenes and topics.

Jarhead follows the journey of Anthony Swofford during his service in Middle East. Throughout his journey, Swofford presents a unique perspective on a variety of issues that indirectly affect American life and the “war” on terrorism. Some of the issues touched on include the mental stability and mentality of American soldiers, the influence of politics in the presentation of war, and the construction of a marine. Through these themes, along with the unique perspectives offered by the characters in the film, the audience is able to gain insight into the corruption and lies that are “war”. This insight ultimately helps the audience analyze the text deeper and enables them to draw the similarities in current events and dissect what they

Violence, it has been a main tool in the Christian arsenal since the middle ages. From the Crusades to the Inquisitions of Spain, violence is ever prevalent. Even in this day and age, intolerance and violence continue to be preached. But is this violence an instrument of God or man? Is violence an inherent part of this religion? Some would say that it is indeed built in to the very fabric of its being. The Old Testament is full of the smiting of infidels and those who defy God. The Book of Revelations tells of the violent and fiery demise of this entire planet. There are instances of mass genocide, the killing of innocent children, holy wars, you name a violent act and God has called for it. The story of

In the 1967 prison film Cool Hand Luke, directed by Stuart Rosenberg, there are many examples of theological symbolism and religious themes. Most of the symbolism alludes to Jesus Christ, which is often utilized in film to add depth to the protagonist in the story. Such Christ figure symbolism can also be seen in films such as the 1999 hit The Matrix and the original Star Wars film (1977). Along with these visual suggestions, there are also thematic elements that underlie Cool Hand Luke which involve Biblical allusions and metaphysical questions.

Today, the integration of Christianity and psychology is becoming more increasingly recognized. The integration begins with understanding the sinful state of the human condition as viewed from a biblical perspective. It continues with being faithful to Christian stewardship and not only embracing theology but also the psychology of human behavior (Entwistle, 2015). A more accurate and complete understanding of human nature and function is provided through the integration of Christianity and psychology. The Allies model confirms that Christian theology and psychology are both subject to God’s authority, and exemplifies the best integrative relationship between Christianity and psychology (Entwistle, 2015). This paper will discuss the integration of Christianity and psychology through the Allies model. It will define integration, review reasons and explanations of why Christianity and psychology should be integrated. As well as look at different methods of knowing, the Allies model concept, and the two books idea along with strengths and weaknesses of this model.

Christianity and Acceptance of Conventional and Nuclear War Conventional war and nuclear war are different from others, but some Christians believe that both can take place while other Christians find nuclear war unacceptable but Conventional war is, I will explore this in detail. Some Christians think Conventional and nuclear war is acceptable because they are similar to each other in certain ways, although conventional wars do not consist of use of nuclear weapons while nuclear wars do, both kinds of wars can cause death of innocent people, both are more of government's decision rather than the citizen's, and they do not always solve the problem. An example of the similar effects of both

In his book, More Than a Movie: Ethics in Entertainment, F. Miguel Valenti examines nine “hot buttons” of violence – “creative elements that filmmakers use to manipulate viewers’ reactions to onscreen violence.” (99) These elements, posited by researchers conducting The National Television Violence Study (Valenti, 99) are “choice of perpetrator, choice of victim, presence of consequences, rewards and punishments, the reason for the violence, weapons, realism, use of humor, and prolonged exposure” (Valenti, 100) .

What role does religion play in the film? Describe the use of different religious symbols, elements or terms.

The Christ figure is a recurring symbol in American literature. Throughout Ken Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, various interactions and events portray McMurphy as a Christ figure. There are frequent visual and concrete references to Christ throughout the novel. Also, the reader discovers that the other patients view McMurphy as an inspiration and someone they wish to emulate. This cooperation enables him to oppose Nurse Ratched and do what he thinks is best for the patients.

American culture is moving increasingly away from believing in Christianity. However, themes of Christianity has undoubtedly left a huge influence on even secular western culture- from politics to theater to film. Depictions of Christ-like figures and interpretations of Jesus Christ can be seen in a variety of media. One example of an analytic rendition of Jesus’ life is musical production Jesus Christ Superstar, which is a semi-gospel rock opera interpretation of the seven days prior to Jesus Christ’s death. It was first debuted on Broadway in 1971 with a movie adaptation later being made in 1973 by Norman Jewison, which had earnings of over $20,000,000 (Kinnard and Davis). So, what does this widely popular rock opera say about the state of Christianity in the contemporary age? Jesus Christ Superstar is a microcosm of the evolving state of popular understandings of Christianity and overall shift in culture based on twentieth century events such as the World Wars, the Vietnam War and countercultures of the 1960s.

Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-Five; or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is, as suggested by the title, a novel describing a crusade that stretches beyond the faint boundaries of fiction and crosses over into the depths of defogged reality. This satirical, anti-war piece of literature aims to expose, broadcast and even taunt human ideals that support war and challenge them in light of their folly. However, the reality of war, the destruction, affliction and trauma it encompasses, can only be humanly described by the word “war” itself. Furthermore, oftentimes this term can only be truly understood by those who have experienced it firsthand. Therefore, in order to explain the unexplainable and humanize one of the most

During the Nazi German era, which took place from 1933 until 1945, Christianity played a very important role in the rise of Hitler’s regime. The Christian churches greatly influenced not only the formation of the Nazi regime, but also the German folk. The most influential churches were the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church. Even though Christianity itself faced a state of decline in the early 1930s, the higher clergy of the Christian churches in Germany still managed to make a significant impact. The amount of influence that the churches exerted can be measured not only through the impact of their resistance towards the Nazis, but conversely through the resistance carried out by

In Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, the main character, Lieutenant Fredric Henry, undergoes a dramatic change in perspective over the course of the novel. It is most interesting to see how the Lieutenant's views on religion change as he becomes more involved in the war.

Jesus Christ sought to improve the individual, the component of society, and as result, his teaching ideally aims to advance the well-being of society as a whole. The four Gospels and the book of Acts thoroughly demonstrate the extensive sociological knowledge that was present in Jesus’ teaching. His message facilitates personal reform, rather than change in the social structure alone. Although Jesus establishes the church as a social institution, he does so, only after a number of individuals become his followers.

This movie in some ways is very similar to Full Metal Jacket. Both films emphasize the experience of boot camp and the anticipation of battle. Unlike Full Metal Jacket, Hacksaw Ridge does a much better job at letting the viewer have a strong relationship with the characters. It also has many similarities to the film Saving Private Ryan. Hacksaw Ridge, takes place in the pacific theater while Private Ryan, takes place in the European theater. Both of the film's main characters are faced with extreme tasks that put their life and their fellow comrades lives at risk. Saving Private Ryan, and Full Metal Jacket, are both really good movies, although I could not see myself enjoying them if I watched them more than once. Hacksaw Ridge, has so much detail and so much is going on that it would be just as good the second time you watched it as it was the first time.