What do Captain America and Aslan have in common? Dr. Adam Barkman, professor and chair of Redeemer鈥檚 Philosophy department, has a theory.
Barkman travelled to the Universit茅 Paris Nanterre in Paris, France last November to deliver a lecture series called 鈥淎merican Religion and Heroic Films.鈥 He was asked to give these talks because of his recent explorations of philosophy in the works of contemporary film directors like Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton and James Cameron. Barkman has also taken on a new position as editor of the series Critical Companions to Contemporary Directors, which is being published by Lexington Books. The series, which has three titles released so far, explores film through the lens of philosophy and other academic disciplines.
Barkman鈥檚 lecture series, supported by grants from both Redeemer and Paris, was drawn from two of his main interests: the philosophy of C. S. Lewis and contemporary film. 鈥淲hile C. S. Lewis was not an American philosopher, he has been massively influential on American Christianity,鈥 Barkman says. 鈥淭hat influence includes, but is not limited to, his view of the intersection between reason, imagination and myth making.鈥
Lewis鈥檚 own novels, The Chronicles of Narnia, have sparked the imagination of Hollywood and are ingrained in the minds of secular audiences. The fantasy series has been adapted for television, radio, stage and film. It鈥檚 even been picked up by Netflix. The streaming service announced in the fall of 2018 that it is developing new series and film projects based on the beloved book series.
Barkman鈥檚 lecture brought Lewis鈥 perspective to American films. 鈥淭his typeof reading,鈥 Barkman explains, 鈥渋s less suspicious of heroic films as propaganda鈥 though heroic films can be this. It is more attentive to supernatural imagery that breaks in and the ethical behaviour that is upheld for instructive purposes.鈥滾ewis, known for his prolific writing on apologetics, used fiction to teach lessons on morality and religion.
Barkman found a sense of camaraderie with Lewis. C.S. Lewis described a sense of rightness when he attended a lecture discussing the theology of John Milton at Oxford University, a place that began as a Christian institution. Barkman experienced a similar feeling as he lectured openly about Christian ideas at the Universit茅 Paris Nanterre. He says, 鈥淚鈥檓 sure Thomas Aquinas was paying me no mind, but if he were, he might have smiled to see another philosopher at his university doing the work the university had been made for.
Dr. Barkman will be giving another series of talks on philosophy in film at the Universidad de Buenos Aires in April 2020 and delivering the keynote at the Film, Philosophy and Religion conference at Concordia University of Edmonton in May 2020.