War for the Planet of the Apes: A Simian Re-Telling of Exodus Story?

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The Planet of the Apes saga-in-sequeldom continues to suit Russell Moore well. During the weekend release of the War for the Planet of the Apes he tweeted that the movie is "a simian re-telling of the Exodus story."The tweet by the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (the public-policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention) expands on a lesson he gave several years ago to his students that three of the movies, including the 1968 original "are about the intersection of eschatology with contemporary fears."Eschatology is the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind.

"In the 1968 version, the era is worried about nuclear holocaust, as the U.S. and the Soviet Union are engaged in a high-stakes Cold War," Moore wrote in his piece, The Planet of the Apes and Christian Eschatology. "By the remake in 2001, society’s fears focus on the more imperceptible threats of domestic and international terrorism, and of the loss of society from within. The 2011 film focuses on the fear of a future in which our technological prowess and our good intentions turn on us."All three present a dystopian future in which our worst apprehensions are realized. That’s an eschatology, and a dark one."

Moore admits that the same point could be made with "virtually every film and art genre." He writes, "In the background or in the foreground, there’s a purpose, a goal, that’s either hopeful or tragic. Even in the realm of romantic dramas, there’s either a utopian goal (the 'happily ever after') or a dystopian end (the tragedy of love lost). But, whatever the genre, we have to live in light of the future."He makes the case that churches are often fearful to talk much about eschatology "to keep from indulging in those speculative end-times enthusiasts we’ve all encountered." He compares eschatology and discipleship in the church as "kind of like sex education in the home.""Just because you don’t talk about sex with your kids doesn’t mean they will grow up ignorant of sex. It means they’ll hear about sex from somewhere else," he stated."Just because you don’t preach and teach about the Christian vision of the future, that doesn’t mean your church is void of eschatology. It means your church is picking up an eschatology from somewhere else, sometimes from the local cineplex," he concluded. "A Christian vision of the future proves the dystopian movies to be right, in some sense. There’s a fire being kindled somewhere, and not even the Statue of Liberty can withstand it. But, after that, there’s the kind of new creation that makes everything new."

Moore isn't alone in making biblical comparisons or referencing the Bible in discussion about the movie.War for the Planet of the Apes - Russell MooreFilm critic Alissa Wilkinson argues that War for the Planet of the Apes is "a better Biblical epic than most recent Biblical epics.""That the movie evokes a Biblical epic so successfully is significant all on its own," she writes. "Though the form flourished in Hollywood’s Golden Age — when a studio might be willing to spend enormous amounts of money on lavish productions that nearly bankrupted the studio — a more recent wave of Bible movies that popped up a decade after the runaway success of Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ haven’t been quite as successful."

Apes comparison: Where is the lie?

Rapper Lecrae, who's had great success in bridging Christian and secular worldviews, replied to Moore's first tweet on the movie, "Where is the lie? All facts." Moore appeared a bit confused and tweeted: "Which lie?"However, Camilo Buchanan replied, "This was a colloquialism Dr. Moore. Lecrae is saying what you said is very true, lacking lies."

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Prayer That's Tailor-Made For La La Land

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If nearly two decades ago you would have asked me to explain prayer I would have had no idea how to begin.

I have found the greatest power in the world is the power of prayer. - Cecil B. DeMille

And if a Christian would have told me during my BC (Before Jesus Christ became real to me) days that prayer is about "talking and listening" to God, I would've probably said, "Yeah, sure."All I knew was that people who prayed generally went down on their knees, closed their eyes, and clasped their hands together. That's all there is to prayer, right?Not really. Now, as a believer, I'm convinced of the power of prayer... and its importance (it's not about style). As Rick Warren puts it, "Prayer isn’t convincing God to do our will but aligning ourselves with His will, which requires overcoming evil with good."Over the last several years, I've had the chance to chat with Hollywood Prayer Network (HPN) founder, Karen Covell. I believe her ministry is critical to the foothold and growing influence of Christians in the entertainment industry today. I believe much of the progress the Gospel has made in movies and entertainment is the direct result of first, God's movement, and second, the roots established by Covell and HPN beginning in 2001.Covell, a TV producer, birthed the Hollywood Prayer Network in July of that year, because she believed that Hollywood was not “Sodom and Gomorrah” but “Nineveh” – it can be redeemed, according to the ministry's site. HPN is a grass roots prayer ministry led by Hollywood professionals who seek to impact our culture through prayer. Over the years HPN has seen attempts to “change” Hollywood fail because content won’t change until lives change. HPN believes God is the only one who can change the lives and hearts of the decision makers, creative community, and power players in Hollywood and He will do that if His followers humble themselves and pray.And that brings us to Los Angeles.At the Together LA gathering held in 2015, when asked about how we should love on the city, Covell said, "The best way to love Los Angeles is to pray. Pray for the people here, pray for impact of this city. I learned long ago, if you pray for somebody, you can't hate them. If you want to love LA, you pray and you ask God to come down here to show his face here, to do miracles here and you will fall in love with the city."As her smile widened, she added, "However, if you like good weather, you can just fall in love with it immediately by showing up. That's easy."The reason I wanted to write about Karen and HPN, is because as the senior editor of the Together LA website, and while in the process of re-launching the discussion about loving on LA, I had to come up with the first set of stories. There is no better way than to start with the subject of prayer.I have no idea how big this discussion at Together LA will become. I have no idea of how large this platform will grow or how high participation levels will rise. But I have been praying about Together LA for more than two years now...And I know we must begin with prayer.HPN: Have a question for the Hollywood Prayer Network? Now's your chance to ask it! On Friday, March 10 at 10:30 a.m., we will be hosting a Facebook Live event with our very own Karen Covell! You'll be able to ask questions during the event and have them answered live! Be sure to join us! You won't want to miss it! Go here: https://www.facebook.com/hollywoodprayernetwork/ More on Prayer:The Model Prayer of a Worshipper by Dwayne MooreQuiet Time With God: It’s Simple, Really by Rick WarrenSide Note: What about "La La Land?"

The nickname for the California town whose literal translation is “City of Angels” comes from its initials: LA for Los Angeles. But “La La Land” also refers to the culture of its most notable industry, whether the reference is to the magic of its images of pretty people doing pretty things or to the instability of the various deals, relationships, and people behind them. The title of this exquisite film from writer/director Damien Chazelle refers to all of that and to the “la la” of music as well. FROM REVIEW OF LA LA LAND BY NELL MINOW