Marjorie Suchocki, author of a dozen books and jury member at international film festivals from Berlin to Montreal, will be discussing spiritual themes in Chocolat and other movies in Vancouver in July.

One of North Americas leading progressive philosopher-theologians who also happens to be an internationally renowned film specialist will be in Vancouver in July.

Marjorie Suchocki author of a dozen books and jury member at film festivals from Berlin to Montreal will be showing a variety of movies and reflecting on their philosophical, human and spiritual significance.

Before describing more of her work with films, its of note that Suchocki will also be teaching a course at Vancouver School of Theology titled Practicing Gods Presence:A Theology of Prayer. It runs from Monday July 17 to Wednesday, July 19.

This course explores the practical and theological effect of taking the omnipresence of God seriously, says Suchocki. She doesnt accept that God is a kind of divine dictator, with omnipotent power to do whatever He wants.

Instead, as co-director of Californias Center for Process Studies, she talks about how the divine is present in every moment of experience, luring all living things toward creative transformation and the common good.

(Navigate this website to register for the three-day course on prayer at VST, which is on the UBC campus. Or phone 604-822-9031.)

The more public event with Suchocki offers a chance to watch and discuss films on the evening of Friday, July 21, and during the day of Saturday, July 22.

Suchockis two-day film event is titled Does God go to the movies?

It will take place at St. Andrews Wesley United Church at Burrard and Thurlow in downtown Vancouver, where Rev. Gary Paterson and Dan Chambers often discuss films in their sermons.

Suchocki will show excerpts from and discuss the spiritual themes in three films, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Chocolat and Troubled Waters. (Go here for more information and to sign up.)

The movie, Troubled Waters, will also be shown in part and probed for its spiritual content.

Suchockis most recent book is Through a Lens Darkly: Tracing Redemption in Film. It explores the movies of six directors, including Clint Eastwood, Ang Lee, the Coen brothers and Woody Allen.

Suchockis visit is co-hosted by VST and the West Coast Centre for (r)Evolutionary Theology, which in 2016 brought philosopher-theologians John Cobb, Jay McDaniel and Tripp Fuller to Vancouver.

SIDEBAR 1: Seeing spirituality in the movies

Each spring Paterson, past moderator of the United Church of Canada, and his colleague at St. Andrews Wesley, Rev. Dan Chambers, lead an Oscar series of sermons on movies nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Heres Paterson (who is frequently heard on CBC radio):

Fewer and fewer people are going to church these days, but that doesnt mean theyve stopped asking the big questions about lifes meaning

Instead, I would suggest, they do their theology at the movies. Oh, they wouldnt call it that perhaps, but many films are indeed addressing spiritual questions, and inviting people to do some serious wrestling about purpose, ethical decisions, the good life.

Some films explicitly centre on religious issues like this past years Hacksaw Ridge or The Silence. Other films make use of what I call an alternative spirituality where you catch glimpses of and borrowings from the great faiths, that resonate, perhaps, with people who are spiritual but not religious films like Star Wars,The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter.

But the films that interest me the most arent obviously religious, but rather, films where depth questions emerge out of everyday life.- ordinary humans, facing real dilemmas.

So, in The Dark Knight or No Country for Old Men how do we understand and respond to the challenge of evil?

Or, watch a film like Manchester by the Sea and you have to wrestle with the question of redemption. Is forgiveness possible when youve done something unspeakable?

Incarnational films thats maybe what Im looking for where weighty spiritual issues are embodied, lived; are an integral part of the story; where you care about what happens, with your heart, mind and spirit; where you go deep films that leave you pondering, with questions, sometimes with tears, or compassion or excitement.

SIDEBAR 2: Marjorie Suchockis three-day VST course on prayer

A brief excerpt from her description:

The purpose is to explore the implications that follow when our understanding of God shifts from a centrality of omnipotence to omnipresence, particularly for a theology of prayer.

Students will be expected to become minimally conversant with the historical role of omnipotence in the shaping of spirituality, and the subtle changes that occurred in medieval mysticism when omnipresence took a more central role.

Students will also be expected to understand process theology as part of the shift toward omnipresence in our own time, and to explore its implications for prayer in the Christian tradition.

See more here:

Finding spirituality at the movies, in Vancouver - Vancouver Sun (blog)