Love & Duty

Having recently viewed a striking rendition of Somerset Maugham's The Painted Veil, I was struck by one scene in particular. Despite being a firm agnostic, Maugham captured the essence of the spiritual life. The scene is between an old French nun and the young Kitty Fane, who had been unfaithful to her husband. The nun recounts how she too fell in love once, but with God, at the tender age of seventeen. And while at first the flame of love was hot, eventually it smoldered and became cold. Love was replaced by duty, and the nun recognized this truth:

"Remember that it is nothing to do your duty, that is demanded of you and is no more meritorious than to wash your hands when they are dirty; the only thing that counts is the love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding."

Growing Up With Two Moms

Central to the marriage debate is the issue of the child's welfare. Regardless of the moral/religious/societal implications of redefining marriage, we should know with reasonable certainty what is best for the children before we redefine marriage. Robert Oscar Lopez's recent article hits on this point:

"Forty-one years I’d lived, and nobody—least of all gay activists—had wanted me to speak honestly about the complicated gay threads of my life. If for no other reason than this, Mark Regnerus deserves tremendous credit—and the gay community ought to be crediting him rather than trying to silence him.

Regnerus’s study identified 248 adult children of parents who had same-sex romantic relationships. Offered a chance to provide frank responses with the hindsight of adulthood, they gave reports unfavorable to the gay marriage equality agenda. Yet the results are backed up by an important thing in life called common sense: Growing up different from other people is difficult and the difficulties raise the risk that children will develop maladjustments or self-medicate with alcohol and other dangerous behaviors. Each of those 248 is a human story, no doubt with many complexities.

Like my story, these 248 people’s stories deserve to be told. The gay movement is doing everything it can to make sure that nobody hears them. But I care more about the stories than the numbers (especially as an English professor), and Regnerus stumbled unwittingly on a narrative treasure chest."
- Growing Up With Two Moms: The Untold Children’s View, by Robert Oscar Lopez

The Glamour of Evil

Over at CatholicVote, a writer recently criticized the Dark Knight films for glamorizing evil and thereby animating such lunatics as James Holmes. In essence, evil is insipid, and should be portrayed as such. Portrayals of evil should be chaste... Or so the argument goes. Unfortunately, such reasoning is why many Christian films are so often colorless. We must admit: evil is alluring and glamarous (albeit on a superficial level). If it weren't, men would quickly become saints, which is obviously not the case. Yes, we must assiduously avoid evil. However, there is a yearning in us to confront and overcome evil, and this is the service of great art. In a darkened theater, we can confront evil. We can have a reckoning, because evil allures art's hero and not us. Most of all, though, we can exorcize our own demons. These demons take the form of vivacous villians such as the Joker, who are then overcome by heros such as the Batman. Those who imitate such evil instead - men like James Holmes - do so not because of its glamarous display in film. Rather,  they made their choice long ago, and simply use a film's trappings as their excuse.

A Redemption From Lying

Spoiler Alert!

Walking out of the movie theater in 2008, having just seen Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, I felt uneasy. I knew I had just seen an astounding accomplishment for cinema. However, I also knew that there was something morally troubling about the film's ending. As you may recall, at the end of The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne decides to take the blame for Harvey Dent's wicked conduct. Wayne does so in order that Gotham might keep its White Knight - Harvey Dent - as its hero. Thus, a lie is born.

The Dark Knight presented Bruce Wayne's decision as an admirable, even heroic, decision. And yet, I cannot accept that promulgating a lie is ever admirable or heroic. How satisfied I was, then, leaving the theater in 2012, to have witnessed a redemption from lying. The Dark Knight Rises shows how Bruce Wayne's lie has now been used against him. Bane, the new villain, riles up Gotham's populace by telling them that Gotham's Government has used the lie of Harvey Dent as an excuse to repress the people. Thus, Wayne's lie has failed, and he must repair the damage it so grievously caused. Gotham needs a dark knight, not a white knight. While The Dark Knight Rises may lack the pitch-perfect precision of The Dark Knight, it is nevertheless a marvellous ending to an epic saga. Thematically and morally, the film brought the series to a moral and thematic fulfillment.

Prometheus

National Review summed up the value of Prometheus perfectly - a movie deserving an A for its stellar cast, brilliant cinemetography, and haunting themes. Yet, also a movie deserving a C for its cramped plot, unsatisfying characters, and silly contrivances. Perhaps what is most perplexing about the movie is its unclear message. The story has so many large ideas - the origin of life, the significance of the soul, the meaning of faith - and yet fails to harmonize them into a single theme. I appreciated the heroine's understated Christian faith, yet was uncertain as to its significance. Ultimately, I left the cinema with the images of the heroine's botched-alien-abortion-attempt swirling in my mind, greatly disturbing my thoughts. Ah well, that's what you get when you see a sci-fi horror flick.

John C. Calhoun

I had never given Calhoun - a seemingly racist menace who hawked strange theories such as nullification - much attention until I started to read Russell Kirk:

"The concurrent majority itself; representation of citizens by section and interest, rather than by pure numbers; the insight that liberty is a product of civilization and a reward of virtue, not an abstract right; the acute distinction between moral equality and equality of condition; the linking of liberty and progress; the strong protest against domination by class or region, under the guise of numerical majority-these concepts, provocative of thought and capable of modern application, give Calhoun a place beside John Adams as one of the two most eminent American political writers. Calhoun demonstrated that conservatism can project as well as complain." - Russell Kirk, The Conservative Mind.

The Man in the Middle

Timothy Goeglein is one of the most endearing men you will ever meet, and his recent book - The Man in the Middle - reflects his compassionate heart. Geoglein writes deeply concerning his career and, more particularly, his role as the 'middle man' between Bush and various conservative organizations. Yet while the book is ostensibly a reflection on his personal experiences, it gradually becomes a manifesto of his conservative beliefs. Indeed, there are chapters that could easily be their own essays, attentively discussing how culture precedes politics, virtue precedes culture, and faith precedes virtue (indeed, his writings could easily serve as an elementary introduction to conservatism). Most of all, though, his book breathes religious conviction and love for his country. While I am uncomfortable with his unquestioning adulation for President Bush, his book nonetheless reflects a compassionate heart, and thereby makes for a pleasing read.

Lusty Eyes

I recently discovered Jamie Jefford's blog, and it was both an enlightening and disconcerting experience. Jamie Jeffords is a Christian lawyer and Sci-Fi addict, and his blog - Eye of Polyphemus - covers Star Trek shows, politics, the "downfall of Western Civilization," and... celebrity babe photos (in bikinis, with come hither looks similar to Angelina Jolie here). For me, the blog is enlightening in that I've discovered that I'm not such a rare creature: a Christian (albeit Catholic) law student with an intense interest in culture, in particular science fiction shows. But it's also disconcerting in that I believe it's a sin to imbibe such photography. Am I simply a prude? Shouldn't I rejoice over the beauty of women's bodies as a gift from God? I am troubled by such questions, but I am equally troubled by Jesus' teaching: "But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Is it possible to admire a 'babe' in a bikini without lust? Somehow I doubt it.

Christian Art

Art, much more than politics, defines our culture and its beliefs. Therefore, the belief systems represented in art (from books to films) are likely to define the belief systems of the larger culture. 'Traditional' Christianity is, no doubt, losing its grip on American culture, and I believe one of the primary reasons is the lack of Christian artwork in our culture. Over at Crisis Magazine, Fr. Bryce Sibley has an excellent article on this topic: Why Can't Christian Films Be Better? Perhaps we are in need of a cinematic Caravaggio to re-infuse our culture with Christian values, although Mel Gibson is trying to answer that call.

Humanity, Captain? Most illogical.

Watching old episodes of Star Trek, I've become aware of a recurring and endearing theme - the quest to become human. In three of the Star Trek series with which I am most familiar (The Next Generation; Voyager; Enterprise), there is at least one character who is trying to become more fully human.

In The Next Generation, that character is Data, a logical (though quirky) Android who is fascinated by humanity and strives to imitate them. In Voyager, that character is Seven of Nine*, a deassimilated Borg who has forgotten what it is like to live as an individual. In Enterprise, that character is T'Pol, a Vulcan science officer who has difficulty comprehending human irrationality.

Each of these characters, in their own way, is an unemotional logician, who cannot fathom the emotional and impetuous nature of humans. Indeed, they rightly critique this nature and its inconsistencies. Nevertheless, as the episodes wear on, these characters also learn the great value of human emotion, compassion, and intuition - so much so that they sometimes choose to imitate it.** This learning process becomes instructive for us as well, teaching us what it means to be truly human, with all its virtues and vices. I enjoy Star Trek, in spite of its many faults, and hope to write more about it.


*The Doctor, who is a hologram, is another character trying to become human, but his journey is somewhat less interesting because his surly and sarcastic attitude show that despite his holographic nature he is all too human.

** The characters imitate humanity in varying degrees, from Data who goes to great lengths to become human (even installing an emotion chip in his program) to T'Pol who appreciates humanity while maintaining her cool Vulcan demeanor.

Hope & The Hunger Games

Secular hope is a mere optimism - uncertain and unfounded. Christian hope is the certainty of God's invervention and help. In this excellent First Things post, the writer analyzes the Hunger Games' promotion of a secular hope. He doesn't condemn it so much as show its deficiency in comparison to Christian hope.

Why We Read Fiction

"Why else do we read fiction, anyway? Not to be impressed by somebody’s dazzling language—or at least I hope that’s not our reason. I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not “true” because we’re hungry for another kind of truth: The mythic truth about human nature in general, the particular truth about those life-communities that define our own identity, and the most specific truth of all: our own self-story. Fiction, because it is not about somebody who actually lived in the real world, always has the possibility of being about ourself." - Orson Scott Card, Introduction to the Ender's Game

Reading fiction and viewing art in general is an act of self-creation, or better, self-realization. I have been tempted at times to think that reading fiction is a waste of time. But in so thinking I am potentially impoverishing culture. The question remains, though: How does a particular work of art re-create us? How does it form us? To imbibe in art without reflecting on these questions is allow ourselves to be constantly redefined, or worse, redefined in the way that our modern consumeristic culture demands. I haven't read Ender's Game yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Movies - The Hunger Games

Artistry: High

 The Hunger Games is a captivating film. The heart of the film is Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who is a toughened, poor, yet courageous participant in the Hunger Games - an annual battle to the death between twenty-four children. It's rare for a film to have such a battle-hardened and yet feminine heroine, but Katniss Everdeen proves to be a character that you support and love. Her co-characters are fascinating in their own right, from a grizzled mentor (Woody Harrelson) to Katniss' eventual love-interest (Josh Hutcherson).

Where the characters succeed, the design and costumes of this futuristic world do so as well. Being grotesque, beautiful, and sad all at once, one cannot help but be immersed in this new world. That being said, the film's artistry is not perfect. The film drags at times, especially during the Games themselves. Moreover, the action sequences are the weakest element. The camera shakes incessantly, making it is difficult to discern what is happening.

Morality: Decent

 The film is essentially a survival story and a romance. Katniss Everdeen has had to be a survivor from her impoverished youth, and now she must survive the greatest challenge of all. Yet as the film progresses, it unexpectedly and yet charmingly becomes a romance between her and another boy in the Games. It is a teenage romance, but quite moving nonetheless.

The film's weakness, though, is that it never grapples with the larger issues that the Games suggest. The film shies away from focusing on the grotesque nature of the Games themselves, and turns the Games into a battle between good kids and bad kids. This is a false note. Moreover, the film portrays the ruling class that sponsors the Games as sympathetic, which is odd since they are coldly killing children for their own entertainment and power. While the film's fundamental story is fine, it seems that it could have gone further still.

Children's Games

When I was an adolescent, I was fascinated by the 1963 film version of Lord of the Flies. The film was brutal and disturbing, as it portrayed a group of English schoolboys who rapidly descended into savagery after being abandoned on an island. This theme of children's inherent savagery has long fascinated humanity, and it has taken recent form in the Japenese hit Battle Royale and now the Hunger Games.

It's ironic, perhaps, that we cherish children's innocence and also fear their possible depravity. Are children like animals, apt to descend into violence if they are removed from civilization? I believe the answer is yes, and in this they are unlike adults. Before children reach the age of reason, they are very much like animals (and yet distinct, in that they have the potential for humanity). Parents must train them to be civilized, and without this civilizing influence they might never develop their humanity. That being said, I do not believe that adults are inherently depraved in the same way.

In another film, the Dark Knight, the Joker believed that adults would necessarily descend into violence when given the right set of circumstances. And yet, when the citizens of Gotham were given the choice to kill or be killed, they virtuously chose the path of non-violence. Virtue and love are possible, even though difficult, and we must train our children to so choose. Never forgetting, of course, that without that training and civilizing influence, children might never learn. Where would our civilization be then? Perhaps the Hunger Games might give us a glimpse.

What do Americans Want?

I recently re-read some of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, in which (among other things) he examines the essence of the "chief good." It got me thinking about what Americans most ardently desire. Aristotle describes four possibilities:

1. Pleasure, that is, the satisfaction of the senses and appetite, whether through food, drink, sex, or rest;
2. Wealth, which may be considered as a means to buying pleasurable things, but which may also be identified as a sort of power;
3. Honor, that is, the honest praise of those whom we respect; and
4. Contemplation, which is the consideration of the highest things.

Of course, Aristotle believes that contemplation is the chief good, and this line of thought has been adopted by Christians as well. But what about Americans? A very wise man told me once that if you want to know what someone prizes, look to how he spends his free time. For Americans, free time is spent watching television, and modern television is an orgy of pleasure and money. If we aren't watching another police drama with scintillating hints of sex, then we're viewing endless advertisements remdining us of how we need more money to spend. Ah well, perhaps if Americans read more books we might seek that greatest good of all...

Movies - Unleashed

Artistry: Decent

Meet Danny (Jet Li). Danny is a dog. Or rather, he's a man with such a suppressed humanity that when his owner (Bob Hoskins) unlocks his collar, he unleashes a torrent of violence against his enemies. The story is how Danny rediscovers his humanity when a kindly family takes him into their home.

While the film has an interesting premise, it never goes too far. His experiences with his new family are touching and yet somewhat artifical. Moreover, the film never adequately explains how Danny came to be the creature that he is. Despite these flaws, the film is strong in style. The fights are elgantly choreographed, and the editing and music capture your attention. At times the film is over the top, and yet that is what writer Luc Besson (The Professional, La Femme Nikita) does best.

Morality: Decent

The power of family is at the heart of this film. The family he acquires as a youth molds him into a rabid beast; and the family he acquires as an adult reforms him into a sensitive human. As the film makes clear, the bonds of family are strong, so much so that it is difficult for Danny to break from the family that dehumanized him. Yet his new family and the memory of his mother ultimately redeem him. These are good messages, even though somewhat belabored in this movie. There is a few seconds worth of nudity and sex. The film's moral flaw, though, may be that it comes close to gloryfying and sensationalizing the violence it depicts.

Movies - IP Man

Artistry: High

The film is set in China, both before and during the Japanese invasion in 1937. Donnie Yen plays an implacable yet peaceful master of Kung Fu called the 'IP man'. He is an honorable man, an almost aristocratic man, and yet he is a Chinaman at heart. Although he has no ambitions for glory, the IP man is repeatedly called upon to redeem China's honor - and he does so by defeating China's oppressors, from Chinese hooligans all the way to a cruel Japanese general at the end.


Donnie Yen's acting is smooth and admirable, but his martial art skills are the focus. The fights are all mesmerizing, even though you know who will win. Moreover, effective cinematography and music effectively enhance the drama of the fights. For a martial arts movie, the artistry is good, and most of the characters are sympathetic or intriguing. The weakest point is Donnie Yen's artificial relationship with his wife, whose protestations of love never seem sincere. And at times, the film is too self-serious.


Morality: Decent

The film is deeply patriotic, as it condemns the Japanese invaders and celebrates the IP Man's symbolic victory over them in a martial arts fight. Towards the end, though, the film's patriotism takes on a tinge of nationalism. Nevertheless, the nationalism is kept subdued, and while the Japanese are clearly villains, they are given at least some self-respect.


However, as with many martial arts movies, the film focuses more intently on the deeper meaning of martial arts, that is, its honor, discipline, and ultimate benevolence. The film's message is by no means profound, but it is conveyed effectively. There is no sex or profanity, and the bloodletting is minimal.