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What did you guys think of the ending of the movie? I was thinking the movie was alright until I got to the end. Just ludicrous in my view. I think it casts doubt on the integrity of the Bible as the inerrant word of God.
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No offense, but in order to understand the film I think you first need to do your homework on the historicity of the Bible as a “literary text.”
Might I recommend any of the books by Bart Ehrman
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Lol bart ehrman? No bias there...Comment
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You know its just a movie, right?Comment
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I found it crazy that he was blind the whole timeComment
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When Denzel sat at the desk and said get some paper...lots of it...
I felt like a victim of bait and switch.
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Ehrman, despite being agnostic, is both accessible as a writer and is a solid scholar....
However, there is a long historical list of religious thinkers that deal with the historicity of the Bible. Here are just a few...
Cardinal Bessarion
Angelo Poliziano aka “Politian”
Lorenzo Valla Adnotaciones in Novum Testamentum
Erasmus of Rotterdam
Richard Bently
J.J. Wetstein
Johann Ernesti
Fredrick Wolf
Karl Lachmann
J. A. Bengel
Etc...
As I see it, the movie deals with the idea that the Bible itself, while a scared text, is like all ancient books (to include the Koran for that matter) which are subject to oral tradition and scribes —and therefore contains transcription errors, mistakes (made by scribes), contradictions in accounts, addendums by monks, marginalia, etc...
We know for example that the Gospels were not written by Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. We know that they were written years after the Death. We know from a close reading of the Gospels that they contradict one another. We also know that there are many ancient variations of the Bible and that “books”, “testaments” or stories about the life of Jesus were included and excluded by specific people for specific reasons. That is to say, we know something about the historicity of this text.
This should not threaten or shake our “Faith”. By the very definition of the term, to have “Faith” is to “Believe” based upon the Spiritual without evidence or proof. If we had “proof” that the Bible was the exact unaltered Word of God, then we would not need Faith.
I find the movie interesting because just like Mathew, Mark, Luke or John the Bible itself now becomes the “Testament According Eli”. As such, through the trials and turbulations of Eli it will once again take its fundamental role and prominence in bringing the “Word of God” to humanity. Only in this case, in the film humanity has been all but destroyed in this post apocalyptic world. By bringing the Bible to those charged with rebuilding society, Eli becomes a sort of new prophet who delivers not only the message of salvation, but in doing so, salvation itself —and thereby extending and preserving the Christian tradition and saving those who choose to believe for all eternity.
In the end, as others have said, “it’s just a movie”... enjoy it for what it is....Last edited by Arrieta578; 07-20-2019, 7:03 PM.Comment
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PS: Just occurred to me... Eli is short for Elias or Elijah. Elijah's name means “Yahweh is my God” and is spelled Elias in some versions of the Bible. The story of his prophetic career in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Kings Ahab and Ahaziah is told in 1 Kings 17–19 and 2 Kings 1–2 in the Bible.Comment
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2 thumbs up to Arrieta578, you nailed it sir.Comment
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You summed up exactly why I thought the movie was garbage. It's inconceivable that he was able to memorize the Bible word for word, verse by verse. For that reason, his version of the Bible is cast into doubt that it's the inerrant word of God. Rather, it's man's word commingled with God's inspiration and it's subject to translation and transcription errors. And that's the general misconception of the current Bible.Comment
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i don't think a Braille version of the old and new testaments would have fit in that book.Comment
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