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Into the Dark: Seeing the Sacred in the Top Films of the 21st Century (Cultural Exegesis) Paperback – August 1, 2008

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Craig Detweiler (Author)
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3.8 out of 5 stars 13 customer reviews
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  • Into the Dark: Seeing the Sacred in the Top Films of the 21st Century (Cultural Exegesis)
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Product Details

  • Series: Cultural Exegesis
  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Baker Academic (August 1, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0801035929
  • ISBN-13: 978-0801035920
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #595,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsWalking humbly with Him into the dark...
By Bryce VanKooten on November 5, 2008
Format: Paperback
I wish I could summon the spirit of the late Don LaFontaine here - it would come across much more powerful, of course - but I cannot. In a world where required reading often means required time and nothing less, it's a rarity that we're able to dig through the junk to find the jewels. Into the Dark gives you nugget after nugget of the finest film gold. From Memento to Donnie Darko -- 45 of IMDb's top 250 - and page by page, movie by movie, it's a perfectly paced walk through the best aspects of cinema. Detweiler stays the course to provide a trustworthy guide and an altogether insightful interpretation, all the while providing theological insight along the way. It's like watching the movies all over again, with a different set of eyes. A little deeper, a little smarter, a little slower wins the race.

Into the Dark is the journey of films through some of the darkest hours in order to show the brightest of grace. The chapters poignantly scribe the picture of a holistic faith seen in contrast with a dynamic culture. To speak personally, the book acted as an awakening towards the movies I could not reconcile. It was my own journey through the theater in hopes of finding others - Evangelicals even - sitting next to me, ready to commence The Great Discussion with two ears, one mouth and an eternal sense of grace in sight.
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2.0 out of 5 starsStill in the Dark
By olingerstories on May 22, 2009
Format: Paperback
I'm sorry to be so critical, but Derweiller's insights in his INTO THE DARK fall short on both the theological and artistic levels. If you want to consider the intersect of faith and the movies, read top line critics Pauline Kael (I LOST IT AT THE MOVIES, FOR KEEPS) or Stephen Hunter (NOW PLAYING AT THE VALENCIA). Hunter, for instance, argues perceptively that Quentin Tarentino defines sin solely as being boring. Kael, for her part, might have dubiously preached treating films for their emotional effect rather than their structure or intellectual content. But, at least she could explain why she held her stance when she was hostile to the spirituality of a film like TENDER MERCIES. I had no sense of Derweiller ever having that ability with the films chosen. The appeal apparently is that he is writing from a "Christian" perspective. But, just like poor "Christian rock," this is poor Christian movie reviewing trying to read the spiritual out of something creational. You would be much better off reading Hunter, Ebert, Denby, Lane, and other noted movie critics to get at the philosophical heart of a movie.

I know this is a very hard review, and I wanted to like the book, but it was nearly unreadable.
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5.0 out of 5 starsCareful reflection on the power of film
By stlhobbit on December 27, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Into the Dark is a careful reflection on the power of film and its relation to the things that really matter in life. Great for casual reading but would also make a great discussion tool in a classroom setting.
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4.0 out of 5 starsA Flickering Light
By Jonathan Fung on March 22, 2009
Format: Paperback
It has taken me time to slowly digest the writings of Craig Detweiler's text, "Into the Dark." There is so much wisdom and years of life experiences that emanate from these pages that I can only address concepts that engage my own personal experiences. Like Detweiler, my personal film experiences as a youngster were about escapism and entertainment. I loved going to the movies. I remember being dropped off at the movie theater by my dad and seeing a triple James Bond feature with Doug Smith, my 7th grade friend, and still wanting more after the movie ended. I used my imagination and a world of make believe as a form of escapism. I can recall spending hours in the bathroom and my bedroom fantasizing that I was Bruce Lee beating up the bad guys with my Kung Fu moves.

I found Paul Schrader's description of the formation of a canon as a story very fascinating: "To understand the canon is to understand its narrative. Art is a narrative. Life is a narrative. The universe is a narrative. To understand the universe is to understand its history. Each and every thing is part of a story -- beginning, middle, and end." The thing that resonates in my heart as an artist is how to lead the viewer to the divine story, as referred by Jurgen Moltmann. How can I ask the right questions so the viewer is prompted to reflect and somehow have a general revelation from God? Moltmann said, "Critic Jonathan Rosenbaum acknowledged the power and importance of a film canon as an educational tool. It should start arguments about the art of cinema, causing us to reflect on what matters and why." As an educator and pastor, I am always seeking ways to have my students dig deeper and ask important and meaningful questions.Read more ›
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4.0 out of 5 starsOpens A Dialogue
By John Winterson Richards on February 25, 2009
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Christians need to get back into the mainstream media if they are to avoid locking themselves up in a cultural ghetto. Instead of focussing on producing Christian films and television shows that are seen only by other Christians, they need to consider how Christian values can be communicated to mass audiences, in accordance with Jesus' command to preach to the whole world. Dr Detweiler shows how this can be done by illustrating how Christian themes are already found in recent blockbusters. In doing so, he also shows that Christian values are far more deeply entrenched in our culture - even in the very secular culture of Hollywood - than most people realise. Christians can build on this if they can get into the media. Of course, the great danger for Christians engaging with the secular mainstream is that they may be tempted to compromise too much. If any criticism can be levelled at this book, it is that Dr Detweiler lays himself open to that danger: an admirer of Jurgen Moltmann, he is perhaps too inclined to compromise in his theology and his politics, and also perhaps too eager to see Christian themes in films where there are none. That said, he deserves great credit for taking the first steps in the right direction; other Christians should follow.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Super helpful for our church's upcoming Film Festival. Great read.

Published 12 months ago by Trish Nelson
1.0 out of 5 starsNot a teaching tool

This book was not at all what I thought it would be. I expected a resource that would be useful in breaking down movies and sharing them with youth at weekly meetings and events. Read more

Published on September 15, 2012 by youthsslc
2.0 out of 5 starsThe writing makes it hard to gather the book's value

[...]

Detweiler blogs about working toward understanding between religious and secular, postmodern culture. Read more

Published on January 21, 2010 by Stephen Pepple
4.0 out of 5 starsCraig Detweiler's Into the Dark is Excellent!

Craig Detweiler's Into the Dark is an excellent resource and appropriate supplement for readers of Johnston's Reel Spirituality (or, vice-versa). Read more

Published on May 22, 2009 by William Kilgore
5.0 out of 5 starsRead This! The Way You See Film will Shift!

In many ways, the four star rating system of film critics have killed the film goer's experience. We have slowly dismantled the relationship between the viewer and the film on the... Read more

Published on March 8, 2009 by Robert Davidson
4.0 out of 5 starsMoving over the waters

Having been born in the mid-seventies, I cannot relate to having my cinematic interest piqued by the likes of Hornet's Nest or Raging Bull. Read more

Published on February 9, 2009 by J Anthony G
5.0 out of 5 starsA Four Course Meal...

Reading Craig Detweiler's Into the Dark was like a good meal for me. I ate it, drank it in, and savored every bit of it. Read more

Published on February 7, 2009 by Heather
4.0 out of 5 starsHelpful Considerations for Christian Engagement with Film

Craig Detweiler is involved with the Reel Spiritualy Institute and the Brehm Center, both affiliated with Fuller Theological Seminary in southern California. Read more

Published on August 6, 2008 by John W. Morehead

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