NBC's New Show "Revelations"
Always interested in how Hollywood views Christianity, I made a point of watching NBC's new miniseries, Revelations, last night. The show stars Bill Pullman as a skeptical scientist whose daughter was murdered by satanists and Natascha McElhone (from Solaris), as a Nun searching for (and finding) evidence that the world is heading into the "Last Days." This is no Left Behind. It is not a "Christian" show, but it is a show about Christianity. Or, at least, about a hollywoodish spin on the Book of Revelation.
And what does Christianity mean to hollywood? Catholicism, apparently. It's kind of odd that although the "end times" fervor in American Christianity is located mostly in Protestant sects, the only Christians in the show seem to be Catholics (certainly the only clergy that matters are Catholic). Maybe Hal Lindsey will make a guest experience later.
I thought the first episode was pretty good. It was a little slow, but the acting was well done and most of the dialogue worked; the exception being the Nun's occasional outbursts of scriptures as explaining recent events. It's not that the scriptures are irrelevant, but she sometimes treats them as self-explanatory. Nevertheless, the show treats Christianity with respect. The skeptical scientist is kind of hard headed, but he's obviously distraught over the loss of his daughter (and perhaps a little made at that God he doubts exists).
I was impressed with NBC's website for the show. It has a pretty good introduction to the real Book of Revelation, as well as a Resources page with links to scholarly, Christian apologetic, and skeptical sites.
Although I am skeptical that the Book of Revelation predicts anything like the events portrayed in Revelations (I tend to agree with a pastor I had who said that he had interepreted the Book of Revelation the night before . . . . . for the 19th time), it is still an interesting look at the matter. And what could be more dramatic than God v. Satan over the fate of humanity at the end of the world?
Update: Just noticed that the first episode of Revelations is going to be rebroadcast tonight on the SciFi Channel.
Always interested in how Hollywood views Christianity, I made a point of watching NBC's new miniseries, Revelations, last night. The show stars Bill Pullman as a skeptical scientist whose daughter was murdered by satanists and Natascha McElhone (from Solaris), as a Nun searching for (and finding) evidence that the world is heading into the "Last Days." This is no Left Behind. It is not a "Christian" show, but it is a show about Christianity. Or, at least, about a hollywoodish spin on the Book of Revelation.
And what does Christianity mean to hollywood? Catholicism, apparently. It's kind of odd that although the "end times" fervor in American Christianity is located mostly in Protestant sects, the only Christians in the show seem to be Catholics (certainly the only clergy that matters are Catholic). Maybe Hal Lindsey will make a guest experience later.
I thought the first episode was pretty good. It was a little slow, but the acting was well done and most of the dialogue worked; the exception being the Nun's occasional outbursts of scriptures as explaining recent events. It's not that the scriptures are irrelevant, but she sometimes treats them as self-explanatory. Nevertheless, the show treats Christianity with respect. The skeptical scientist is kind of hard headed, but he's obviously distraught over the loss of his daughter (and perhaps a little made at that God he doubts exists).
I was impressed with NBC's website for the show. It has a pretty good introduction to the real Book of Revelation, as well as a Resources page with links to scholarly, Christian apologetic, and skeptical sites.
Although I am skeptical that the Book of Revelation predicts anything like the events portrayed in Revelations (I tend to agree with a pastor I had who said that he had interepreted the Book of Revelation the night before . . . . . for the 19th time), it is still an interesting look at the matter. And what could be more dramatic than God v. Satan over the fate of humanity at the end of the world?
Update: Just noticed that the first episode of Revelations is going to be rebroadcast tonight on the SciFi Channel.
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