The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Inception

I like thought provoking films and last night we sat down and watched the Leonardo DiCaprio film Inception, which certainly comes into that category. The film examines the whole realm of the dream world and reality as opposed to non-reality. For the first 10 minutes or so you haven't got a clue what is going on but slowly the story unfolds and things are explained and most of it becomes clear although it cleverly leaves you hanging at the end. With good acting, very impressive sets and effects it is a fascinating film. The basic premises and some of the conclusions are complete poppycock, of course, but once you accept these, it makes for a very interesting set up. Throughout the film uses the word "subconscious" which is really a Freudian word and best avoided. We have an unconscious, there are things in our minds that we are not entirely aware. However, the idea that there is a world beneath our conscious world that somehow has a life of its own is incorrect. Ah well, good fun.

7 comments:

Bob the Badjohn said...

I loved this film. Having seen it at the cinema I couldn't wait for the DVD to be released. Well, of course, I had to wait but you know what I mean. During those first 10 minutes or so I thought I was going to end up hating the film, so you never know. Regarding the effects, I particularly liked what they did in the French dream sequence. Did you wonder why the Hotel dream experienced the lack of gravity but not the snow sequence?

Anonymous said...

1. I don't think films suit you.
2. If I had a penny for every time I heard that "unconscious" speech...

Gary Brady said...

Monsieur Badjohn Sounds like we had a similar experience of the film though I'm sure it's best seen first in the cinema. I thought there was some attempt at explaining the gravity thing but none of the explanations hold up really. For example the idea that time expands as you get deeper "makes sense" somehwo but on no real basis.
Rhodri seems to think I didn't enjoy it but I did and on the matter of the unconscious ....

Anonymous said...

Gary, it isn't real. Or is it?

What I got from it redemptively is this - when Di Caprio goes down the levels of his subconscious (in the lift) it made me think of how deep the work of Redemption is. Scars from our subconscious can affect us deeply, seeming perhaps to have a life of their own. I'm sure the writer had nothing of the sort in mind but hey...

Just a thought - God makes us willing in the day of His power. How does He do that? Does He do it by Inception? Something to think about - or completely ignore.

Gary Brady said...

I'm sure it's good to get thinking like that and I'm sure redemption gets right down to the bottom indeed we must be born again or born from the top. There is something greater than an inception - a conception! he doesn't just renew our thinking but the soul itself.

Anonymous said...

Good comeback - I like it!

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