Religious documentaries are an interesting thing. It’s hard to find one that isn’t loaded with bias and sensationalism. The point of most documentaries is to stir up, motivate, and entertain those within a particular camp, which makes it surprisingly hard to find one that presents an issue from an unbiased perspective. One documentary that manages to succeed in this area is called “Collision” which is a series of debates and conversations between Doug Wilson, a prominent evangelical pastor, theologian and blogger, and Christopher Hitchens, a well known antitheist and writer. Both men are brilliant, and it is surprisingly fun to watch their world views collide.
The documentary succeeds because it doesn’t edit in a winner. The arguments get to do all the talking and the audience gets to sit back and enjoy the presentation. The best arguments, on both sides, are put forward. Sure, I’ll admit that I think Wilson did a better job defending his position, but that isn’t because they edited out Hitchen’s best moments. It was encouraging to hear Hitchens say in a Slate article written after the filming of the debates, “I haven’t yet run into an argument that has made me want to change my mind… However, I have discovered that the so-called Christian right is much less monolithic, and very much more polite and hospitable, than I would once have thought, or than most liberals believe.”
The 90 minute documentary is well worth your time. YouTube has the entire thing up in a series of 9 low-quality clips and you can purchase the DVD or digital version from Amazon here. It’s worth buying, both for personal edification and to loan to any religiously curious friends you might have. Here is a short trailer to pique your interest:
Dave
/ June 23, 2011Acknowledging that any conversions will be the work of the Holy Spirit and not our feeble “arguments” frees us to be as strong as we can be in presenting our faith without feeling “rejected” if the other person doesn’t drop to their knees and plead the sinners prayer as we complete our statements.
Hitch is a brilliant, and now tragic, figure. His descent into silence (throat cancer) and his impending death makes this particularly poignant. I do pray for his soul.
Ross Parmly
/ June 23, 2011Wilson provides a good example of a bold defense of the faith. Maybe defense isn’t even the right word, because he doesn’t seem to be on the defensive side of things. He is a great communicator and brings up many great points that I don’t think Hitchens answered adequately.
Hitchen’s battle with cancer is indeed sad. It’s a gracious act of our Lord that he has been able to make it this far. Though he shows no signs of repentance, you’re right that we should still pray for the Lord to do a work of grace in his heart.