Finding God at the Movies: Missions & Missionaries

Whether we watch them on the big screen or on small handheld devices, film plays a major role in the formation of our ideas and values. Most Americans spend about 3 hours a day watching TV. Not surprisingly, people's religious views depend heavily on the media they consume.

In this 4-week, in-person class, we will focus on films exploring the efforts of Christians to spread the gospel throughout the world. As we watch clips from films such as "The Mission" and "End of the Spear," we will encounter questions that run to the heart of Christianity. How do we fulfill God’s command to “go into all the world and preach the gospel”? What constitutes a “calling”? Why have missionary work and colonization often gone hand in hand? What role should humanitarian work (feeding the poor, teaching and training, and caring for the sick) play in missionary outreach? Should missionaries leave the field during times of crisis? How has the concept of missionary work changed over time?