15/12/2014

Exodus:GodsandKings:TheologicalReflections|DailyNews|NCRegister.com

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DAILYNEWS

Exodus:GodsandKings:Theological
Reflections
(8578)

TheRegistersfilmcriticexploresscripturalandreligiousissuesraisedbyRidley
Scottsnewbiblicalfilm,starringChristianBaleandJoelEdgerton.
BYSTEVEND.GREYDANUS 12/12/2014Comments(20)

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RidleyScottsExodus:GodsandKingsistheyearsthird
bigscreenBibleepic,followingSonofGodandNoah.Of
thethree,SonofGodisfarandawaythemostfaithful
tothebiblicaltext,whileNoahtakesthegreatest
libertiesandmostdaringrisks.Icantimaginemany
viewersbeingpartialtoboth:IfyoufoundSonofGod
deeplymoving,youprobablyhatedNoahifyouwere
(likeme)fascinatedbyNoah,youwereprobablytepid
atbestonSonofGod.
Eitherway,wecanprobablyagreeonthis:Exodus:
GodsandKingsfallssomewhereinbetween.Noah
elaboratedsofancifullyonitssourcematerialthatthe
wholesecondhalfwasconsumedwithwhollyinvented
lifeordeathfamilymelodramaandacookedup
antagonistand,ofcourse,inthefirsthalf,therewere JoelEdgertonasRamesesChristianBaleas
Moses
giantrockmonsters.SonofGod,conversely,was
largelycontenttovisualizeGospelstorieswithlittlecommentary,contextorimagination.
Exodusavoidsbothextremes.Thebroadoutlinesofthedramaarethoseofthebiblicalstory,
buttheresplentyofcreativelicensesomedefensible,somelessso.Itsamoviewithmany
problems,likemostofScottsrecentepics(Prometheus,RobinHood,KingdomofHeaven),but
ScotthasabetterstorytoworkwithhereandaddssomethingofvaluetotheworldofBible
cinema.
ManyretellingsoftheExodusstoryfocusonthedramaticandemotionalimplicationsofthe
notionthatMoses,raisedintheEgyptiancourtatMemphis,wouldhavebeenlikeasontoone
pharaoh(commonlyidentifiedasSetiI)andperhapslikeabrothertoanother(RamesesII).
NotmanyMosesmovies,ontheotherhand,haveponderedthespiritualimplicationsofMoses
defaultreligiousmilieubeingEgyptianpolytheism,orthecovenantdeityoftheHebrewsbeinga
strangertohim,onewhoseuniquenessandcharacterMosesmighthavecometograspslowly,
overtime.
NotthatScottsMoses,portrayedbyChristianBale,isapiouspagan.Onthecontrary,heisa
skepticalhumanist,onewhoregardsthemummeriesofthecourtsoothsayerasidle
superstition.HehassomenotionofthebeliefsoftheHebrewslavesheevenknowsthatthe
nameIsraeliteconnoteswrestlingwithGod.Yetyoucouldcallhimapolytheistatheist,as
PhilipPullmanhascalledhimselfaChristianatheistandevenaChurchofEnglandatheist
thatis,anatheistculturallyformedbyaparticularreligiouscontext.
SomeatheiststodayprefernottoprivilegetheJudeoChristianGodbyprofessingdisbeliefin
anygods,butweareallintractablycreaturesoftheworldsinwhichweareraisedandlive,
quarrelwiththemhowwemay.Itishardforus,readingExodus,toputourselves
imaginativelyintothepositionofmenlikeSeti,RamesesandperhapsMoses,forwhomthe
defaultreligiouspictureoftheworldwasnotmonotheismforwhom,indeed,monotheism
mighthavebeenasradicalanimaginativeleapasheliocentrisminCopernicusdayorgeneral
relativityinEinsteins.
ThestrangenessofScottsburningbushsequenceandhisdaringapproachtorepresentingthe
divinepresenceMosesencountersofferapossiblepointofentryonthisissue.UnlikeCharlton
HestonsMoses,whoheardadisembodiedvoice(Hestonsownvoice)attheburningbush,
BalesMosesseesandhearsayoungboynotabeatificboyspeakingindulcettones,likea
properChristianangel,butascowlingboywithacurtmannerandatemper.

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Exodus:GodsandKings:TheologicalReflections|DailyNews|NCRegister.com

Inakeyscene,theboyexpressesindignationoverthesubjugationoftheHebrewsandstartling
furyatthedivinepretensionsofEgyptsleaders:Thesepharaohs,whoimaginetheyareliving
gods,arenothingmorethanfleshandblood!Iwanttoseethemontheirkneesbeggingforitto
stop!Dependingontheviewersdispositions,theboystemperamentcouldbedescribedas
fierce,petulant,spiteful,etc.
Mosesreplyclarifiesakeypoint:TheboyisnotGodhimself,butaheavenlymessenger.There
isbiblicalwarrantfortheideathatMosesencounteredamessenger(orangel)oftheLord
(HebrewmalakYHWH)attheburningbush(seeExodus3:2,Acts7:3038).
Still,IimaginemanyChristians,andJewsforthatmatter,watchingthisscenewillendup
feelingthatMalak(ashescredited)mightrepresentsomeoneelsesgod,butnotourGod.
Thisispreciselywhatintriguesmeaboutit.
ReadingExodus3asaChristian,IthinkoftheonespeakingtoMosesastheHolyTrinity,and
rightlyso.YetImalsoawarethatthisstorywaspasseddownforcenturiesbypreChristian
JewswithnoconceptionoftheTrinityand,ofcourse,thestoryissacredtoJewstodaywho
donotaccepttheTrinity.AttimesinIsraelitehistory,infact,monotheismitselfwasabit
fuzzythestoryofthegoldencalfsuggestssomesusceptibilitytopaganimaginationafter
centuriesofslaveryinEgypt.
IfMalaksmannerleavesusattimesuncomfortable,thedepictionofGodintheOldTestament
attimeshasasimilareffect,oroughtto,ifwearentdulledbyfamiliarity.Forexample,the
OldTestamentdepictsGodcommandingthemassacreofwholepopulations,includingwomen
andchildren.Attimes,evenGodsprophetsareappalledbyhisdecisions,arguingwithhimand
evenapparentlychanginghismind,aswhenMosespersuadesGodnottorepudiatehispeople
(Exodus32).
Iknowverywelltherangeoftheologicalandexegeticalanswerstotheseissues.(Iamworking
onmysecondCatholicseminarymastersdegree,afterall,andformyfirstImajoredinsacred
Scripture,withanOldTestamentfocus.)Butknowingtheanswersdoesntmeanweshouldnt
feeltheweightofthequestions.ItsonethingtoilluminatethedarkpassagesofScriptureits
anothertodismissthemasanonproblem,tosaytherearenodarkpassages.Thereare.
PopeBenedictXVIwroteaboutthesedarkpassagesinhisapostolicexhortationVerbumDomini,
pointingout,amongotherthings,thatdivineRevelationisdeeplyrootedinhistory,withGod
workinginslow,progressivestagestoshapehischosenpeople,despitetheresistanceof
humansinfulness.GodscharacterandnaturewerethusmoreclearlyunderstoodinMosesday
thaninAbrahams,andmoreinIsaiahsdaythanMosesandmoreinJesusdaythan
Isaiahs.
HowGodisdepictedinthePentateuchmaynotalwaysfullyconformtoadevelopedChristian
understandingofGod,butitreflectshowGodwasunderstoodatacertainstageinsalvation
history.Acasecanbemadethatdramaticadaptationsofthesestoriescanreflectthis
ambiguitythough,ofcourse,whatwegetthenishowGodwasunderstoodatacertainstage
insalvationhistory,asthatisunderstoodbytheartistinhisowncontext,forgoodorill.I
wontsayImcomfortablewithallofthefilmmakerschoiceshere,butthenImalsosometimes
uncomfortablewithpiousbiblicalmoviesthatpaperovertheseissues,revisingthestorytoget
Godoffthehook,asitwere.
GiventhisprogressivenatureofdivineRevelation,Icanrollwiththemoviesconceitthatit
tookMosestimetograsphowPharaohsgripontheHebrewswouldbeloosened,sothatMoses
spinshiswheelswhiletryingguerrillaresistancetacticsbeforeGodunleashestheplagues.
(NoahlikewisedepictsitsprotagonistsunderstandingoftheCreatorswillinthefloodclarifying
slowlyovertime.)
Ontheotherhand,theguerrillaresistancesequenceispartofapatternofratchetingupthe
tensionbetweenMosesandRameses(JoelEdgerton)tosuchadegreethatMosesisbasically
unabletofulfillhisbiblicalroleofGodsnegotiatorwithPharaoh.Throughouttheplague
sequence,thefilmentirelyomitstherecurringpatternofPharaohpleadingwithMosesforthe
plaguestobelifted,thenhardeninghisheartoncereliefarrives.MosesconfrontsRamesesonly
twice,oncebeforealltheplaguesinsecret,inthestables,withaswordtoRamesesthroat
andthenagainjustpriortoPassovernight.Mosespropheticfunctionisthusgreatly
diminished.
Thefilmoffersinteresting,sometimesplausiblenaturalisticrationalesformostoftheplagues,
oftenfindingconnectionsbetweenthem.Ithaslongbeennoted,forexample,thatiftheNile
turnedtobloodandthefishdied,frogswouldnaturallybedrivenoutoftheriverandontothe
land.Flies,diseasedlivestockandboilscanallplausiblybeconnected.Thewholebusinessgets
startedonaratherludicrous,almosthorrormovienote,butitworksprettywellafterthat.
Theplaguesarenttheonlyinstanceofdivineactivityforwhichthefilmpositsactualor
possiblenaturalisticrationales.MosesencounterwithMalakisprecededbyablowonthehead,
whichMoseswifeZipporaharguescouldhavecausedMosestoimaginetheencounter.The
partingoftheRedSea(orReedSea)isaccountedforasadramaticdrainingofwatercaused
byanapproachingtsunami,whichthenarrivesrightonscheduletowipeouttheEgyptians(a
theorythatsbeenaroundforyears).
Furthercomplicatingmatters,Mosesdoesnotforetelltheplagues(althoughhedoesknowfrom
Malakthatsomethingiscoming)instead,heonlyinterpretsthemasdivineactiononcethey
areunderway.
Noneofthismeans,ofcourse,thatthefilmdoesntaffirmGodsactivepresenceinthestory.

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Tobeginwith,thereistheauthorialweightoftheopeningtitles,whichexpresslydeclarethat
notonlyhavetheHebrewsnotforgottentheirGodduringtheircenturiesofslavery,butGod
hasnotforgottenthem.Andatsunamithatcomesalongatpreciselytherightmomenttodrain
theseafortheHebrewsandthendrowntheEgyptianarmycertainlyseemsheavensentinone
wayoranother.
Crucially,thereisonesignthatisclearlysupernatural:thedeathoftheEgyptianfirstbornon
Passovernight.Inthissign,whichMosesdoesforetellandwhichisaccompaniedbyanominous
shadowfromheavenfallingovertheland,thehandofGodisnakedlyatwork,thereby
attestingthattheothersignsarenotjustcoincidence.
Exodus:GodsandKingsisaflawedbutintriguingfilmonethat,ifIcantquiteembraceit,
Iveatleastenjoyedwrestlingwith,asitwere,evenasthefilmsMoses(andperhapsthe
filmmakers?)wrestledwithGod.

Ivenoticedyoudontalwaysagreewithme,MalaktellsMoses,watchinghimchiseltheTen
Commandments.Yethereweare,stilltalking.
ThisexchangeseemstoplacetherecurringthemeofwrestlingwithGodinacontextofwhat
mightbecalledcafeteriafaithorloyaldissentofmaintainingarelationshipwithGod
evenifyoudontagreewitheverythinghesays,inthespiritofspiritualbutnotreligious
postmodernityanddissidentCatholicism.ThatsastanceIobviouslydisagreewith.Evenso,its
goodtokeeptalking.
Readmore:
Interview:ExodusDirectorRidleyScottandStarsChristianBaleandJoelEdgerton
StevenD.GreydanusistheRegistersfilmcriticandcreatorofDecentFilms.
HeisstudyingforthepermanentdiaconatefortheArchdioceseofNewark,NewJersey.
FollowhimonTwitter.

Filedunderbiblemovies,christianbale,darkpassages,exodus,exodus:godsandkings,
hollywood,joeledgerton,moses,oldtestament,ridleyscott

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