Notorious bad boys in film, cultural icons such as Humphrey Bogart and James Dean are not often paired with the spirit of Jesus. However, Dr. Craig Detweiler, associate professor of Communication at Pepperdine University, sees the connection.
“Movies were my first love,” Detweiler said. “Growing up Humphrey Bogart and James Dean were the coolest men I’d ever seen. After being introduced to Jesus via Young Life, I saw that some of the rebellious spirit of Bogart and Dean also resided in Jesus, with a moral code that was higher and more distinct.”
Detweiler, director of Pepperdine Center for Entertainment, Media and Culture, is an accomplished screenwriter, author, lecturer and producer and was co-director of Reel Spirituality: an Institute for Moving Images, at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Today, a massive amount of media is constantly being pushed on society and younger generations through movies, music, TV, magazines and Internet sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Detweiler finds that God still reveals himself through messages in the media.
“I’m a big believer in the power of general revelation and God’s ability to communicate through media,”said Detweiler. “I hope my classes are helping students develop eyes to see and ears to hear. However, I do recognize that our culture makes it difficult to be still and know God.”
Detweiler wants students to question their assumptions and broaden their horizons in college. He finds that part of the college experience is making independent decisions and being open to new ideas.
“I did not have many social and political opinions going into Pepperdine as a freshman, but Dr. Detweiler’s fun and engaging class has challenged me to see every angle and make my own decisions,” says Jaclyn Sanchez.
Detweiler came from Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., to teach in Malibu in 2010. He was able to experience the “refreshing” nature of Pepperdine and the spirit of service in the student body during his inaugural year.
“I really like the service orientation of students who are just as eager to serve as they are to learn…it’s very refreshing,” says Detweiler.
“A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture” was Detweiler’s first book, co-written with Barry Taylor. This book explores relationships between music, movies, TV advertising and their context and importance with the divine.
Detweiler’s second book, “Into the Dark: Seeing the Sacred in Top Films of the 21st Century” expands Detweiler’s study of movies and the themes in them associated with God. Detweiler looks at films such as “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Memento,” “The Lord of Rings, “and “Little Miss Sunshine,” evaluating them from a social, cultural and theological perspective.
“Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God” is a collection of essays recently edited by Detweiler. These essays discuss the theological themes found in video games. Topics such as the effect of avatars, second lives, repercussions of violent video games such as Resident Evil, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Halo 3, and the competitive nature of games such as Madden NFL.
“There’s plenty of freedom and personal choice involved (in video games). Our agency is factored into the end game, but ultimately the designer decides what winning and losing looks like. We are born to play because we are instinctually footloose and free,” says Detweiler about the similarities of video games and the relationship with God.
Detweiler began his study at Davidson College where he eventually accepted God. The year that Detweiler found God was also the same year that his roommate, John Marks, fell out of his Christian faith. Years later, Detweiler and Marks met again and decided to have an open conversation about God and the pulls of Christian, traditionalist, conservative America versus the flexible, international, liberal America.
Detweiler and Marks’ conversation resulted in an award-winning documentary, “Purple State of Mind.” This “Purple State” is about finding ways for Republicans and Democrats to get past the division and not only talk to one another, but listen. Detweiler and Marks saw the growing hostility between liberal and conservative, left and right, and secular and religious. They chose to ask tough questions, argue, and disagree in order to reform how divided Americans communicate with each other.
Detweiler and Marks’ conversation in their documentary made a path for a companion book, “A Purple State of Mind: Finding Middle Ground in a Divide Culture,” as well as a website and blog at www.purplestateofmind.com. With thousands of weekly visitors, the website continues to discuss America’s great divide.
“Amazingly, I think we are more divided now, but we are united by our disgust with the political process. This puts us in a promising, yet dangerous place,” says Detweiler about the upcoming election year.
With issues such as gay rights and abortion, and the protests set up by churches such as the Westboro Baptist Church, Detweiler is concerned with the ongoing conversation.
“I’m saddened that in a time of profound spiritual searching, many segments have shut down important points of dialogue. Whenever dogma trumps dialogue, the conversation ends,” says Detweiler.
When it comes to Pepperdine, Detweiler sees the students as blended.
“Students are physically conservative and socially progressive,” says Detweiler about Pepperdine’s interesting political viewpoints.
Detweiler finds that the new generation is much more open to each other’s beliefs and is not as adhering to social stereotypes. It is a generation where people can have many different beliefs and not be judged for them.
Detweiler has a spirited attitude for all things involving pop culture. His office is filled with books and movie posters that are a reflection of his passion for faith and film. Hanging above Detweiler’s desk is a movie poster for one of his recent favorite movies, “The Tree of Life.”
“It took me all the way back to Eden. I saw ancient struggles between Adam and Eve and questions asked by Job about justice in this world,” says Detweiler about the godly messages of “The Tree of Life.”
The enthusiasm Detweiler has for faith and film is parallel to his enthusiasm for his students and for Pepperdine’s Center for Entertainment, Media, and Culture.
“We’re launching a Masters in Media Production which will hopefully include an accelerated program so undergrads can go much deeper.”
Whether Detweiler is blogging about the theological, social and political aspect of America’s obsession with vampires, or teaching a course on the Social Scientific Perspective on Film, Detweiler is constantly finding new takes on pop culture and faith that are applicable to the Pepperdine University community regardless of religion, race, gender, or ethnicity.
