Useless Beauty

By Robert K. Johnston

Book Overview

Endorsements: "A wise old adage of faith states, 'Read the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other.' The slogan is an invitation to notice the complex engagement of faith and culture. In Useless Beauty, Johnston takes up the interface of faith and culture with specificity and immediacy. His discussion permits an instructive dialogue, whereby we read Ecclesiastes differently, and we read contemporary film with fresh eyes of faith. Neither the text nor the films can be easily dismissed as 'absurd.' Both are thickened, and we are driven deeper in our self-discernment by the process. Johnston's alertness and urbaneness constitute a model for faith that is not simplistic and a model for culture that is not thin or transparent." --Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary "Johnston reads Ecclesiastes with a rich, postmodern hermeneutic--not the more common simplistic, linear, moralistic, or formulaic approach that threatens to drown Bible readers in the shallows. His reading has great value for people seeking new ways to find meaning in Scripture. Personally, it helped me weave my life experience with my viewing of film and my reading of the Bible, and it left me feeling alive and energized." --Brian McLaren, pastor (crcc.org) and author (anewkindofchristian.com) "Johnston weaves the wisdom of Ecclesiastes into contemporary narrative films and vice versa, merging theology and film into a smart and insightful dialogue to enhance understanding of both." --William D. Romanowski, Calvin College, author of Eyes Wide Open "Some of the most helpful contemporary interpretation of Scripture comes from those who look at the text with eyes other than those of the biblical scholar. Johnston's interpretation of Ecclesiastes through the lens of film is an excellent example. The text comes to life in the interaction he creates with the narratives of major contemporary movies. They in turn are better understood by the careful theological interpretation Johnston gives them through the lens of Ecclesiastes. The possibilities for preaching and teaching are obvious." --Patrick O. Miller, Princeton Theological Seminary "This book is a well-informed and sensitive example of how, in our uncertain and contradictory times, to engage film and Scripture without denying the integrity of either. It is highly recommended." --Rikk E. Watts, Regent College Author Biography: Robert K. Johnston (PhD, Duke University) is professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of over twelve books, including Reel Spirituality and Finding God in the Movies. A past president of the American Theological Society and the recipient of two major research grants from the Luce Foundation, Johnston is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1610978293
• ISBN13: 9781610978293
• Release Date: December 2011
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

A solid and insightful study

The moment I read that Johnston was covering three of my favorite films of all time ("Magnolia," "Run Lola Run," and "About Schmidt") in "Useless Beauty," I knew I had to purchase it. The first chapter alone is worth the price of the book, as it profoundly sets up a study comparing Ecclesiastes to some hard-to-watch contemporary films. By interweving Ecclesiastes with films from some of the best filmmakers working today (Paul Thomas Anderson, Alexander Payne, Alan Ball, Marc Forster, etc.) Johnston makes a solid and at times, very insightful case for God working in films today. Comparing ancient Egyptian literature with "Election" or "Monster's Ball" might not be what the filmmakers had in mind, but I doubt any of them would frown on this near-perfect book that recognizes today's postmodern generation's embrace of paradoxes, mystery and the importance of pain and suffering. The Christian faith has always been hard to articulate and at times, seemingly contradictary. But Johnston juggles playfulness and seriousness, life and death, beauty and ugliness, meaning and meaninglessness in such a captivating and compelling way, I wouldn't be surprised if this book sets off a whole genre of future theology and film dialogue writings. Of course, if you're young and already a fan of many of these films there probably won't be anything new here (in terms of insight about the movies themselves) until you come to the chapter on Alexander Payne, where Johnston fearlessly draws truth from films not often talked about in mainstream Christian circles. He connects so many dots (but yet, thankfully, leaves many ambiguously unconnected) and this is what I loved most about the book: it seemed to understand Ecclesiastes better than any Old Testament or Religious scholar ever has. Though far from perfect, it's a satisfying read that will make you once again realize the power of mainstream and high pop culture films, and the absolute relevance of the real Christian gospel of faith---with all of its ambiguities.