tender mercies' a movie review
TRANSCRIPT
Leaven Leaven
Volume 3 Issue 1 Galatians Article 19
1-1-1995
"Tender Mercies" a Movie Review "Tender Mercies" a Movie Review
Michael D. Gose [email protected]
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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Gose, Michael D. (1995) ""Tender Mercies" a Movie Review," Leaven: Vol. 3 : Iss. 1 , Article 19. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol3/iss1/19
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Book Reviews
Elizabeth Achtemeier, The Old Testa-ment and the Proclamation of theGospelCPhiladelphia: Westminster, 1973).
Although many might place the Churches ofChrist outside the mainstream of American Protes-tantism on the strength of our "traditions" and con-gregational autonomy, certainly wehave not escapedthe homiletical crisis identified by ElizabethAchtemeier twenty years ago. In general, preachingfrom the Bible has probably been a more securepractice within the Restoration Movement than insome mainstream denominations but, more specifi-cally, preaching from the Old Testament is always inneed of fresh encouragement and sound models.Until the book on preaching the Old Testament iswritten, Achtemeier's classic, long out of print, re-mains the essential handbook for aspiring youngpreachers and for those masters whowant to rethinkthe enterprise of Old Testament preaching.
Beyond simply naming and tracing the rootsof the church's loss of the Old Testament for its lifeand nurture, Achtemeier delineates the results ofth-at loss. She states that the New Testament's viewof Jesus Christ and of the church is based on thesaving activity of God in the Old Testament. As thechurch gradually abandoned the Old Testament, "itlost the Bible- and the Christian faith - as a whole"(44). "The present dilemma of the church," she
continues, "is not that it has merely abandoned theOld Testament and living on the basis of the New.The present dilemma of the church is that it isattempting to carry on its life apart from the totalityof its Scripture" (44).
The inseparability of the testaments forAchtemeier is based exclusively on Gerhard vonRad's promise-fulfillment schema. This logic is thepresupposition for her prescriptive approach topreaching. Therefore, to faithfully preach an OldTestament text, the preacher must pair it with a NewTestament one. Unfortunately, Achtemeier claimsthat "In every sermon rising out ofan Old Testamenttext there must be reference to the New Testamentoutcome ofthe OldTestament's word" (142). It seemsto me that she has overstated the homiletical useful-ness of von Rad's promise-fulfillment paradigm forOld Testament theology. Many scholars have beencritical ofthis approach because it tends to ignore thePsalms and Wisdom literature. By casting the OldTestament in such a rigid way and by moving soreadily from it to the New Testament and Jesus, asermon reduces the value of the Old Testament'switness to God's character and obscures the particu-larity and integrity ofeach Old Testament text on itsown. The preacher should not be required to Chris-tianize Amos or Isaiah by matching their messagewith a New Testament text in order for the church tohear the word ofGod. Although Achtemeier cautionsthe reader against reductionism in the pairing of the
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testaments, she appears with several examples to dothis herself (e.g., motifs common to the old and newtestaments which become generalized under thethemes of the church calendar).
One of the most valuable sections for thepreacher is the suggested sequence for sermonpreparation under the heading "Understanding thetext" (144-46). After pointing out the common mis-takes made by many of us who have attempted topreach fromthe OldTestament regularly, Achtemeieremphasizes "that the preacher must listen to the textin its fullness, not ending his study ofthe passage assoon as a sermon idea presents itself, but analyzingand pondering the whole passage, until all its innerand outer relationships and thrust become clear.Such an exercise takes time and meditation andwrestling .with the text on the part of the preacher,but only If a clergyman engages in it will he ad-equately prepare himself to mediate the word ofGodto his people, and, after all, the clergyman has noother reason forhis office"(146).Without this rigorousministerial discipline the congregation hears thetheology ofthe preacher rather than the word ofGodmediated by the text and spoken through him.
In addition, Achtemeier points out a problemfrequently overlooked or avoided in graduate theo-logicaltraining, but one that preachers often commit:"the error of talking about the text rather than pro-claiming it" (156). If one of the goals of the preacheris to allow the word of God in the text to recreate anew situation in which divine communication andtransformation are experienced by the community offaith, he must enter the text to proclaim it.
The usefulness of Achtemeier's critique ofsermon outlines and analysis ofmodel sermons restson the reader's acceptance ofher promise-fulfillmentapproach to linking Old and New Testament texts.Her more recent book, Preaching from the OldTestament (Louisville,KY:Westminster/John Knox1989), was also written on this premise. One neednot, however, accept her presuppositions to benefitfrom her experience, wisdom and guidance. Forfurther reading on this topic I suggest: John C.Holbert, Preaching Old Testament: Proclama-tion and Narrative in the Hebrew Bible (Nash-ville: Abingdon, 1991);Thomas G.Long,Preachingthe Literary Forms of the Bible (Philadelphia:Fortress, 1989); and, Dennis T. Olson, "Rediscover-ing Lost Treasure: Forgotten Preaching Texts oftheOld Testament," Journal for Preachers 13 (1990)2-10.
Reviewed by Craig Bowman who teaches in theReligion Division ofSeaver College,Pepperdine Uni-versity, Malibu, California.
Walter Brueggemann, Finally Comes thePoet: Daring Speech for Proclamation(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989).
"Thegospel is thus a truth widely held, but atruth greatly reduced" (1). This observation is thepremise of Brueggemann's book. Believers (andtheir preachers) have "flattened, trivialized, andrendered inane" the gospel. Thus, the one placewhere people could come to hear bold speech andallow them to enter into a new existence is instead aplace of intellectual curiosity at most and mere tra-ditionalism without substance at worst. "Reducedspeech leads to reduced lives" (3).
Brueggemann's solution is a call for poeticspeech in a prose world. By 'prose' he means aformulaic setting in which our prayers and sermonssound like business correspondence. By 'poetic' hedoes not mean rhyme and meter, but rather speechthat ~... breaks open old worlds with surprise,abrasion, and pace" (3). He rejects preaching thatmoralizes, solvesproblems, delineates doctrine, gives'goodadvice' or is soothing goodhumor. Instead, bold,poeticspeechis that whichbreaks oldwaysofthinking,foregone conclusions and mindless traditions - thisis what the gospel can do when the power of God'sword is unleashed. There are four elements in thisspeech. The first is the text itself. The listeners arevaguely familiar with it, but in a reduced way. Poeticspeech can bring it refreshingly back to meet thelisteners where they live. The second element is thebaptized believer. This person has understood thetexts in some way, but is unclear of its authority.Third, there is a specific occasion for this poeticspeech. "It is an artistic moment in which the wordsare concrete but open, close to our life but moving outto new angles of reality" (9). Finally, the fourthelement is revelation that takes place outside tradi-tional religion and comfortable social and politicalideologies.When this happens, the text is larger thanthe speaker or the hearers, larger than the world -and healing begins to take place.
The remaining chapters deal with prose-reduction and what Brueggemann sees as solutions.The preacher must disclose the power of guilt andhealing, then lead the hearers to healing which thegospel can bring by overcoming that guilt. He can dothis by revealing the reality of the destructivenessthat guilt brings. Then he can disclose the alterna-tives presented in the biblical texts: reconciliation,forgiveness, and restoration. The preacher must dothis in a way that shows how "Godmoves for us andwith us from one world to the other, a movewroughtin love and faithfulness, but also wrought in grief and
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humiliation" (14). Much of the problem is that ourspeech has been reduced to docile chatter, commit-ting nothing, and thus it loses the real meaning ofcommunion. Such worship may be upbeat, happy andpositive, but it is dishonest and destructive. It is agreat denial of the "covenantal, mutual, risking,demanding, surprising, frightening, and unsettling"(44) character of true communion.
Therefore, Brueggemann sees new, boldspeech taking place in three movements. The firsttakes the form ofbiblical cries such as the protests ofJob and the Psalms oflament. Next comes the poeticspeech of God, such as the powerful, interveningresponse to Israel's cry while in Egypt. Yahwehheard them. The third dimension is speech of theworshipper-in praise and worship. The preacher isto articulate these three dimensions in the sermon.Brueggemann shows that this is the pattern Israelfollowed.He givesmany biblical examples and modernpreaching applications for these texts. Without thiskind of bold speech, conversation stops, because"there is no one to whom to speak (alienation), orbecause there is nothing we dare say (muted rage) ..." (74). Therefore, the preacher must speak for thecommunity, and then speak for God. "Aswe find ourtongues, we find our identity. Our lives are givenback to us in the oddness of praise" (77).
Brueggemann also criticizes human expec-tations in a secular culture. The world is organizedagainst serious and authoritative speech, and thusagainst serious listening and ardent discourse. Hesays the preacher must speak against such expecta-tions - but not in terms of"ought ,""must" or "should."People do not need more advice or information, butencouragement and strength to act out what theyhave already learned in the gospel. Again, the sermonis not normally a place formoral admonition, becausethat divides and distorts, instead of "feeding theimagination" (88). Instead, by pointing back to thebeliever's baptism, the preacher can "affirm that theentire world is now safely held in the promise ofGod"(85). This can give the believer permission andboldness that encourages obedience.
The last chapter discusses the evangelicalcharacter of human personhood. He uses two textsfrom Daniel because they stress hope and sustenancein the face of persecution (the apocalyptic genreallowsa daring, imaginative, poetic character). Daniel1 shows how Daniel did not follow the easy andexpected route ofsuccess through conformity. Rather,he chose another path; he resisted the empire. Godresponded and became involved. However, the themeis not nonconformity, but "the freedom, energy, andcourage of an alternative identity" (124). Daniel 4then focuses on the arrogant power of
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Nebuchadnezzar, his fall, and his renewal. Thisparallels the question of human personhood thatBrueggemannn has been exploring. Through God'sword, our imagined autonomy is demolished, and weare reduced to humiliated silence. Then, likeNebuchadnezzar, we can lift our eyes to heaven andgive our life over to God. A new power is given andtransformation takes place; identity is liberated.
Brueggemann concludes the book with asummary. Prose-reductionism is responsible for thelack ofpower ofthe gospel in the world and has led tonumbness, ache, alienation, rage, restlessness andgreed. In this setting, the preacher must speak "whatis already believed, but so little understood, so littleembraced, so little trusted, so little practiced" (141).He must speak in a new language - not a languageof negativity and assault, but the language of thebiblical texts: bold, poetic, healing and life-giving."Such new possibility is offered in daring speech.Each time that happens, 'finally comes the poet' -finally" (142).
Brueggemann has such a creative and com-pelling way of discussing scripture, theology andministry that he inspires the reader. He cuts throughthe ideology and rationalism that surrounds much ofmodern discussion of preaching and lays bare theheart ofthe problem. Importantly, he is creative, notjust in his evaluation and solution of the preachingchallenge but in his use ofscripture, while remainingtrue to the meaning of the text. Few scholars reachthis level of reality and relevance.
This book is helpful to the preacher on manylevels. It gives a definite task for preaching: to speakfor the congregation and to speak for God. It en-courages creativity while remaining true to the text,to use 'poetic speech' in order to cut through thereduced world and word. And it gives the preacherspecific examples of what Brueggemann means(especially in his treatment ofthe Daniel texts). Thisis one ofthose rare books that deals in the theoreticaland the practical at a depth that respects both.Brueggemann's interpretations of scripture are ex-cellent, even if one does not agree with the politicalagenda he occasionally purports. Overall, this is anexcellent and creative work that should be read by allwhopreach as well as members oftheir congregations.It will inspire and encourage as well as convict andeven disturb. And that is a plus of Brueggemann'swriting - it does not only inform; it makes oneuncomfortable at times and forcesone to think throughuncomfortable presuppositions. It has the same effectof bold, poetic speech.
Reviewed by Markus McDowell who is theYouth Minister of the Camarillo Church of Christ,Camarillo, California.
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James Davison Hunter, Before theShooting Begins: Searching for Democ-racy in America's Culture War (NewYork: The Free Press, 1994).
Professor James Hunter is a sociologist atthe University ofVirginia . His current book,Beforethe Shooting Begins, is a follow-up to his earlier,well known book, Culture Wars. Both books dealwith a fundamental division in American society onsocial, cultural issues such as abortion, gay rightsand moral education in the schools. On these andother similar issues, Americans tend to divide intomutually antagonistic camps, the secularly-orientedprogressives and the religiously-oriented conserva-tives.
In his new book,being reviewed here, Huntersuggests that the culture war today is often carriedon by both sides in deceptive manners that are likelyto lead to greater and greater antagonism and bit-terness - and that are very unlikely to lead to anyresolution ofthe differences. His book is a documen-tation ofthe bitterness ofthe current cultural debateand of the improper way both sides are now engagedin it. In addition, he suggests how in a democraticsystem such debates about our deepest differencesshould be carried out. The recent murders of twoabortion doctors indicate that, if we do not learn tolivewith and discuss our deepest differences, shootingmay indeed begin.
At many points in the book Hunter uses theabortion controversy to illustrate the key points he ismaking. He argues that both sides really do notengage the arguments and problems that are salient,but tend to use rhetoric to "kill" the other side - toscore debaters' points - not to understand and tosearch for common ground. Both sides fail "to see intheir own rhetoric the same kinds ofdistortions theydecry in that of their opposition" (63).
The need, according to Hunter, is to recognizeour deepest differences for what they are - basic,fundamental differences on important issues of theday rooted in different religiously based worldviews.If this would be acknowledged, we would be in aposition to figure out how, in a democratic system, wecan discuss and hopefully resolve them. He suggestsa three-fold strategy: first, broadening the publicthat is involved in the debate to include more thanthose who are politically involved; second, recoverthe use of language rooted in morality and commu-nity; and third, develop the ability to engage inreasoned persuasion that involves listening as wellas speaking.
Hunter is himself an evangelical Christian,
but his book is written from an academic, perspec-tive. It is not simply addressed to a Christianaudience, nor is it a defense of the orthodox, Judeo-Christian position in the culture war. But in manyways it is a profoundly Christian book that everyChristian concerned about our society and the di-rections in which it is going should read. Godcalls usto be lights and salt in this world, and to be a positiveinfluence. This means, I am convinced, taking astand in today's culture war on the side of conserva-tive biblical beliefs and perspectives. But we must dosoin a way that advances civil, democratic discourse,not simply to savage the other side and to score pointsat its expense (or to pump up the coffers of our ownChristian political action group).
For the Christian the bottom line is that wemust love our neighbors, even as we disagree withthem. To disagree lovingly with those who are, forexample, pro-gay rights, pro-choice on abortion orwho would remove all references to God and valuesfrom the local public school means that in our dis-agreements we should speak the truth, truly listen towhat the other side is saying and use languagedesigned to lead and persuade, not condemn andridicule.
Hunter does not use this exact language ofChristian love, since he is not writing primarily for aChristian audience. But his own Christian faith nodoubt has played a significant role in his speakingthe language ofdiscussion and conciliation, as well asthe language oftruth. We can learn much from him.
Reviewed by Stephen V. Monsma who teachesin the Social Science Division of Seaver College,Pepperdine University, Malibu, California.
Thorn S. Rainer, The Book of ChurchGrowth: History, Theology and Prin-ciples (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1993).
Thorn S. Rainer is Senior Pastor of the 1700-member GreenValleyBaptist Church in Birmingham,Alabama. Rainer holds the Ph.D. in evangelism fromSouthern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisvilleand is an adjunct professor in church growth andevangelism at Beeson Divinity School of SamfordUniversity.
Among hundreds of books in the relativelyyoung field ofchurch growth, I believe Thorn Rainer'sbook is unique for two important reasons. First, inthe preface C.Peter Wagner, the DonaldA.McGavranprofessor of church growth, calls Rainer's book "atrue textbook for teaching church growth." That isquite a complement for a book written by a third-
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generation church growth advocate who never knewDonald McGavran personally, and never took a courseat Fuller Theological Seminary! It is also uniquebecause although the author made the church growthmovement the subject ofhis Ph.D. dissertation and ishimself a church growth practitioner, he conveys theobjectivity of an informed "outsider" of the largelyPasadena-based movement.
This landmark volume, the first compre-hensive textbook in its field, is divided into threemajor sections: history, theology and principles. Inthe first ofthe three major sections, Dr. Rainer tracesthe history ofthe church growth movement throughthree generations of church growth advocates, themost notable being Donald A. McGavran, the pioneerof the Church Growth Movement, and his disciple C.Peter Wagner, its most eminent spokesperson. Thesignificance of landm~rk publications such asMcGavran's Bridges of God published in 1955 andUnderstanding Church Growth first publishedin 1970 is also highlighted in the first section, as isthe establishment of important church growth or-ganizations such as the Institute of Church Growthand the School of World Mission at Fuller Seminaryin 1965.
Dr. Rainer's objectivity as a third-generationoutside advocate is nowhere more evident than in hissampling and insightful discussion of the frequent,intense and often justified criticisms of the churchgrowth movement during the seventies.
The second section is dedicated to a modestexamination ofchurch growth theology. Early criticsof the movement reacted against a church-growthapproach that was perceived tobe primarily concernedwith strategies that insured the best numericalgrowth. Here, Rainer voices the concern of manythird-generation church growth advocates when hestates that "a potential danger ofthe enthusiasm andpragmatism of church growth is the elucidating ofprinciples without scriptural foundation" (87).
The third section of Thom Rainer's book isdedicated to showing how fundamental principles ofchurch growth such as pragmatism, accountability,receptivity and the homogenous unit principle, amongmany others have been formulated, tested andmodified in the States and abroad in different culturesduring the last three decades. Other significantfactors related to church growth are also discussedand illustrated such as the importance ofprayer, therole of church leaders, evangelism and churchplanting, corporate worship and the importance ofplanning and goal setting.
Readers unfamiliar with modern develop-ments within the movement will find Rainer's dis-cussion ofnew hypotheses such as power evangelism,
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spiritual warfare and signs and wonders especiallyinteresting.
Obviously a book that endeavors to be ascomprehensive as The Book of Church Growthwill be lacking in detail, which is precisely what aninformed reader will notice. However, the student orchurch leader unfamiliar with church growth history,theology, principles and literature would do well toread this book first, even before reading McGavran's"magnum opus" Understanding Church Growth.
Reviewed by Daniel A. Rodriquez, Irvine Fellowand member ofthe Religion Division, Seaver College,Pepperdine University, Malibu, California.
Madeleine L'Engle, The Summer of theGreat-Grandmother (New York: Farrar,Strauss, 1974).
... her mind has been like a summersky with small white clouds occa-sionally moving across and blottingout the light of the sun. Each yearthe sky has become cloudier; therehave been fewer periods of sunlight.This summer [the summer after herninetieth birthday) the sunlight inthe sky ofmy mother's mind, when itshines at all, glimmers throughclouds.
In an attempt to understand and accept hermother's senility and death, Madeleine L'Engle(pronounced "Lengel") re-creates events and memo-ries from her mother's life in The Summer of theGreat-Grandmother. The book is the second in the"Crosswicks Trilogy"; the other two, The Circle ofQuiet and The Irrational Season also deal withlife at the family home, Crosswicks. All of L'Engle'swritings, from her children's book, A Wrinkle inTime, to her religious writings, stress the constantthemes offamily love and moral responsibility. Thisbook is no different.
The story opens with Great-GrandmotherMadeleine (there has been a Madeleine for at leastfour generations) coming from the South for herannual summer visit to her daughter's home in ruralConnecticut. This summer, however, is differentbecause Great-Gran needs round-the-clock care asshe slips away from her family, herself and thisworld. Fortunately L'Engle and her husband (suc-cessful actor Hugh Franklin) are able with the helpoffamily and young women from the neighborhood to
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supply the needed assistance. The family is alsofortunate because the young women know, respectand love all of the family.
We all know that change is a basic law oflifeand that we shall all grow older. But change is notautomatically good; it can be for the worse as well asfor the better. If L'Engle needed any proof that allchange is not good, all it took was five minutes withher mother. Having her mother in her home isbittersweet. Madeleine L'Engle sees on a daily basisher mother's mental decline. She writes, "Allofus atCrosswicks this summer see a different person whenwe look at my mother. She used to be a witty con-versationalist. . .. Not so this summer. She talksvery little. It is all turned in, and it goes nowhere.She is trapped in a lonely, fearful present."
The entire family and all the caregivers, butespecially Madeleine, her daughter, experiencefirsthand the rage that often accompanies senility.Her mother had been known for her gentility andgraciousness, but these qualities were not to be foundthat summer. She tried to break and throw things,fought against moving anywhere and cried, "No, no,no no"over and over. It took time for all tounderstandthat her atypical rage was an instinctive rebellion tocontrol what was going on in the arteries ofher brain.But that did not stop L'Engle from showing anger. Infact, she wrote that "my boiling point seems to getlower day-by-day, and itis small, unimportant thingswhich cause the volcano to erupt."
Madeleine L'Engle tells the story of hermother's and her family's battle with arteriosclerosis(a hardening of the arteries to the brain, thus di-minishing the blood supply to it) in a real way. Theproblems are not glossed over, the readers feel heranguish and that of her mother's. At one point shewrites, "Her loss ofmemory is the loss ofher self, heruniqueness, and this frightens me, for myself, as wellas for her. And I cry out offear for myself. Will I everbe like that, a travesty of a person? I do not wantpower over my mother. I am her child; I want to beher child. Instead, I have to be the mother."
Music has been important in both of theMadeleines' lives. Towards the end ofthe book afterthe great-grandmother's death - peacefully in herbed at Crosswicks- her daughter in musical languagewrites, "The pattern has shifted; we have changedplace in the dance. I am no longer anybody's child. Ihave become the Grandmother. It is going to take awhile to get used to this unfamiliar role. . .. Therhythm of the fugue alters, the themes cross andrecross. The melody seems unfamiliar to me, but Iwill learn it."
As many of us baby boomers watch our par-ents or other loved ones in such a battle, this book
offers comfort by demonstrating that we are notalone. Her narrative is sensitively and compassion-atelywritten. Somereaders might find it depressing,but The Summer of the Great-Grandmother willbe appreciated by readers of faith who are experi-encing or have experienced similar situations.
Reviewed byNancy Hutchinson who teaches in theCommunication Division of Seaver College,Pepperdine University, Malibu, California.
''Tender Mercies"a Movie Review
Dietrich Bonhoeffer argued that we mustlearn to speak ofGod in a secular fashion. Of coursethe obvious precedent for such a thought was Jesuswho often taught in parables in which he spoke ofGodin a secular way. In writing movie reviews for apublication on ministry I think that at least selectedmovies can be used to talk about God in a parabolicway. To those with ears, let them hear.
Myall-time favorite religious movieis "TenderMercies." I am also aware that most people did notrecognize this as a religious movie. I suspect many ofyou will agree with me if you rewatch that film afterhaving read this review.
"Tender Mercies" is a 1983 film, directed byBruce Beresford (who also directed, for example,"The Black Robe" and "Driving Miss Daisy"),screenplay by Horton Foote (who also did thescreenplay for "To Kill a Mockingbird"), starringRobert Duvall as Mac Sledge and Tess Harper asRosa Lee. The film begins with Mac Sledge, aformerly successful country-western singer, bot-toming out in his alcoholism in a run-down Texasmotel operated by the widow-with-son Rosa Lee. Shehires Sledge to work for room and board and a littlecash and under her influence Mac starts to put his lifeback together. A critical moment in this redemptionis Mac's baptism at the church where Rosa Lee andher son, Sonny, attend. (This is the only baptism byimmersion that I can think of in a feature film.)
Mac's new life is not without heartbreak.There is a tragedy, and Mac has no pat answers. Hesuffers perhaps more deeply because of the changesthat have occurred in his life and asks God, "Whyhave you done this to me?" If you were only to listento the dialogue, you might miss noticing what areligious film this movie is. You must listen to thesoundtrack. Byplacing the movie's theme on a soundtrack, "Tender Mercies" avoids being preachy, and I
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would argue art forms must avoid being conspicu-ously didactic, indeed must speak ofGod in a secularfashion.
The movie plays out its theme through itsmusic. Throughout most ofthe movie, Mac sings thesongs of his past - country western songs of"champagne ladies" and "broken dreams" - with arecurring refrain, "It hurts so much to face reality."But he is haunted by the faint memory of a forgottenmelody. Through Rosa, who knows tragedies of herown, new themes are introduced. She sings hersongs, "Jesus Savior Pilot Me" and "Jesus Saves,"and tells Mac, "Each night when I say my prayers Ithank God for his tender mercies." Finally, whenMac loses his daughter through a tragic accident, heallows himself to sing the haunting refrain burieddeep within his memory, "On the wings of a snowwhite dove, God sends his pure, sweet love," which is
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Notes from "Life in the Spirit. .• "
ous ministerial capacities among Churches ofChristin Southern California.
1 For a discussion on this see EdwardSchillebeeckx, Christ: The Experience of Jesusas Lord (New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1980)123.
2 Ibid.3 Paul Tillich, The New Being, (New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons, 1955) 16.4 Schillebeeckx, 126.5 Notice the Greek verb Paul uses -
metamorphous the - from which we derive our wordmetamorphosis. Arndt and Gingrich specificallynote that this verb is used in the passive sense in Rom12:2 - "Let yourselves be transformed."Notes from" A God of Mercy. .. "
1 G.W. Bromiley, "God," The InternationalStandard Bible Encyclopedia, Fully Revised, Vol.2 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982) 500-0l.
2 There are several passages in Deuteronomywhere Moses links God's mercy- shown in the sue-
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the theme song carrying the message of the movie.The message is that God sends his love, as
the song says, "on the wings of a dove." God does notprotect his children from the inevitable pains andsufferings oflife, but he knowingly sends the "tendermercies" that somehow make life worth livingnonetheless. As Mac Sledge answers Sonny's ques-tions regarding death and grief, he says, "I don'tknow." The message is that he does know, but willnot trivialize his grief through hollow words. Ibelieve this is a profoundly powerful film. It is asreligious a film as has ever been produced, and itclearly speaks of God even though in an unusuallysecular way.
Reviewed by Michael D. Gose who teaches educa-tion and offers a class on the genre of films at SeaverCollege, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California.
cesses ofthe people, past and future-to His maintain-ing of the covenant with the patriarchs (e.g., Deut4:31; 7:8; 10:12-22).
3 Similarly, the eternality of God's "compassionand grace," the certainty of His "love and faithful-ness," is highlighted in Psalm 103.
Notes from "Galatians Reader'sGuide"Malibu, California.
1The article by C. H. Turner, "Greek PatristicCommentaries on the Pauline Epistles," in Dictio-nary of the Bible, Volume V, edited by JamesHastings, lists the major commentaries from theancient period. James Moffatt, Introduction to theLiterature of the New Testament (1922), lists themajor commentaries throughout Christian historyon each book of the New Testament.
2 The same point is briefly made in Thomas H.Olbricht, "An Aristotelian Rhetorical Analysis of IThessalonians," in Greeks, Romans, and Chris-tians: Essays in Honor of Abraham J. Malherbe,edited by David Balch, Everett Ferguson, and WayneMeeks, 1990, p. 221.
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