The Thin Place
Join Ken and Todd every two weeks as they explore films that are about or advance our understanding of issues of faith and spirituality. Some films may do so overtly, through a direct examination of these themes as subjects; others may be more subtle or even opaque in the way they prompt us to think on such things. Still other films may serve primarily as a catalyst for dialogue or discussion. Insights can be gleaned from a part of a larger whole, a scene, a shot, a moment. As the title suggests, such moments can be elusive, fragile, or obscured.
George MacDonald wrote about the thinness of the veil that separates the natural from the transcendent. How does art pierce that veil? When does film contain traces of the divine? Tune in to find out.
- Update frequency
- every 19 days
- Average duration
- 41 minutes
- Episodes
- 46
- Years Active
- 2011 - 2014
Episode #26: Will God Give Us A Pass For Watching The Sessions?
Ken and Todd tackle Ben Lewin’s The Sessions. Can a priest ever give you permission to sin? Does calling something therapy change what it is? Is God a bully who hates us and wants us to be miserable?…
00:34:43 |
Thu 22 Nov 2012
Episode #25: The Exorcist and Christian Approaches To Horror
Ken and Todd revisit William Friedkin’s horror masterpiece, The Exorcist, and use it as a springboard to talk about whether or not Christians should watch horror movies. Does the film imply that evil…
00:57:29 |
Mon 22 Oct 2012
Episode #24: Looper and the Morality of Time Travel
Ken and Todd look at Rian Johnson’s sci-fi, time-travel hit, Looper. Is changing the future the same as "playing God"? Is there anything theological about the film’s depiction of addicitons? What ver…
00:40:23 |
Mon 01 Oct 2012
Episode #23: Grace and Merit in Great Expectations
Guest host Andrew Johnson joins Ken at the Toronto International Film Festival to discuss Mike Newell’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic novel. What is the difference between grace and random …
00:29:10 |
Tue 18 Sep 2012
Episode #22: An Encounter With Simone Weil
Director Julia Haslett makes a documentary that is part biopic, part self-reflection. How should we respond to human suffering? Do Simone Weil’s writings give us a road map for answering that questio…
00:49:16 |
Wed 29 Aug 2012
Episode #21: Is Vertigo the Best Film of All Time?
Critics polled by Sight & Sound magazine in 2012 ranked Vertigo as the greatest film of all time. What does that ranking say about the spirit of the age? Is the greatness of a film measurable? If not…
00:47:49 |
Wed 15 Aug 2012
Episode #20: Nature, Nurture, Truth, and Lies in The Dark Knight Rises
How Batman is not a "Christ figure" but Bane is reminiscent of...Willy Wonka!?! It's the summer's most anticipated film as only The Thin Place can cover it. Ken and Todd discuss whether Christopher N…
00:44:28 |
Tue 24 Jul 2012
Episode #19: When We Watch Chariots of Fire, Do We Feel His Pleasure?
Few films are more beloved in Christian circles than Chariots of Fire. Todd and Ken ask why this is the case, and whether the film that beat out Raiders of the Lost Ark for an Academy Award has stood…
00:46:31 |
Sun 08 Jul 2012
Episode #18: What We Choose to Believe About Prometheus
Ridley Scott’s return to science fiction is not only one of the most anticipated films of the year - a prequel to Alien - but it also attempts to address deep philosophical and religious questions. C…
00:42:40 |
Fri 15 Jun 2012
Episode #17: The Elliptical Structure of Bresson's Lancelot du Lac
As a touring retrospective and the reissue of a famous anthology revive interest in the enigmatic and critically revered Robert Bresson, Ken and Todd examine the French director’s Lancelot du Lac.
S…
00:37:55 |
Fri 15 Jun 2012
Episode #16: Theology and Social Justice in Love Free or Die
Ken and Todd discuss the theology of gays in the Christian church, the social justice of gays in America, and the differences (if any) between the two as they review a documentary about the first ope…
00:49:43 |
Sat 05 May 2012
Episode #15: Blue Like Jazz -- Satire or Bildungsroman?
Ken and Todd discuss Blue Like Jazz, Steve Taylor’s adaptation of Donald Miller’s best seller. Is the film a satire of Christianity? A Christian satire of the godless university? Is it funny? Will Ch…
00:37:19 |
Sat 05 May 2012
Episode #14: A Separation -- Meditations on Legalism
Ken and Todd discuss A Separation, Asghar Farhadi's Academy Award winning film about a couple contemplating divorce in contemporary Iran. Is it ultimately more about the moral choices individuals mak…
00:29:43 |
Mon 09 Apr 2012
Episode #13: Faith and Disillusionment in Primary Colors
Ken and Todd discuss Primary Colors, Mike Nichols's adaptation of the fictionalized depiction of an adviser grappling with whether or not he can support a flawed governor who is running for presiden…
00:43:10 |
Fri 23 Mar 2012
Episode #12: Undefeated and the Moral Economy of the Universe
Todd and Ken discuss Undefeated, the Academy Award winner for Best Documentary of 2011. Take care to build character, football coach Bill Courtney preaches, and winning will take care of itself.
SHO…
00:43:31 |
Sat 03 Mar 2012
Episode #11: Things I Don't Understand
Todd and Ken discuss David Spaltro's drama about a woman tormented by questions about what happens after we die.
SHOW NOTES:
0:30 - Intro, summary, and definition of an "indie movie"
6:18 - Is deat…
00:37:00 |
Tue 21 Feb 2012
Episode #10: Akira Kurosawa's High and Low
In this episode, Todd and Ken discuss High and Low. Is Mr. Gondo a Christ-figure? What is the value of a human being? Is the kidnapper really a madman?
SHOW NOTES:
0:30 - Intro, summary, and spirit…
00:33:10 |
Wed 08 Feb 2012
Episode #9: Soul Surfer and the Pesky "Christian" Label
In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss Soul Surfer. Is "Christian Movie" a label or a genre? Does it make any difference? Did Soul Surfer do better than most Christian Movies at not making Todd want t…
00:35:59 |
Wed 25 Jan 2012
Episode #8: Purpose and Brokenness in Martin Scorsese's Hugo
In this episode, Todd and Ken look at Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. Is being a part of a larger whole horrific or comforting? Are some life purposes more exalted than others? Can community make us whole?
…
00:31:29 |
Sun 22 Jan 2012
Episode #7: Le Havre and Fairy Tale Morality
In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss the new film (and Cannes Palme d’Or nominee) from acclaimed Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, Le Havre. Is this tale of a community rallying around a young Africa…
00:46:43 |
Sun 22 Jan 2012
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