The Nature of Existence

Walking Shadows | Release Date: June 18, 2010

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emjayphdNov 3, 2011

This documentary is okay. It has two main weaknesses, both of which are significant. One is that the format doesn't lend itself to real discussion of the questions and issues raised. Nygard would have done better to cut at least half of theThis documentary is okay. It has two main weaknesses, both of which are significant. One is that the format doesn't lend itself to real discussion of the questions and issues raised. Nygard would have done better to cut at least half of the topics covered and gone more in depth into the ones that remained. (The documentary is composed of a host of very short interview snippets on topics as wide ranging as "The Soul," "Sex," "Morality," "Spirituality," and "God," each of which could have been the focus of the whole project.)

The other major weakness is that the film's pretense to objectivity really is just a pretense. Although representatives of a variety of worldviews are interviewed, the most prominent religious "thinkers" are people like campus evangelist Jed Smock and a group of Ultimate Christian Wrestlers, whereas the naturalist point of view is represented by world-class scientists. This is hardly a fair fight. It's too bad Nygard didn't see fit to arrange interviews with American Christian philosophers like Alvin Plantinga or William Lane Craig. When he was in England, he managed to get a sit-down meeting with world-famous atheist Richard Dawkins; why didn't he look up Alistair McGrath, John Polkinghorne, N. T. Wright, Brian Leftow, or Richard Swinburne?

If you're looking for a serious and fair-minded discussion of important questions, this isn't the documentary for you. If you're looking for something in the vein of Bill Maher's "Religulous" (but with a less aggressive tone), you'll enjoy this very much.

A friend on Facebook linked to the blog entry below just this morning; folks who are interested in this kind of thing might want to take a look:
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/2011/11/02/children-atheism-religion/… Expand

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