The Conjuring: What Will Save You?

Sometimes, when I least expect it, a central tenet of my faith comes at me in a whole new way, kind of like that car out of nowhere when you're driving down the road. That happened, again, and I suddenly find myself talking about salvation. Me. Who knows that language has all sorts of issues. Me. Who talks about transformation more readily than salvation.

But here I am, talking about salvation, all because of a horror movie.

I love horror movies. I know that. Most people who are only acquaintances know that. It hits home a little bit more, though, when I look at my DVD collection or Netflix recommendations. Dark, twisty, things jumping out, mess with your head sorts of movies--I just can't get enough. I especially love the ones with a theological twist. Yes, I know, that's not surprising either, given my profession. I own all of The Exorcists and The Omens. I've seen a long list of others with similar themes. A horror movie is the only genre that regularly gets me to the theater of my own free will. Well, maybe a dystopian theme, too.

Given all that, of course I saw The Conjuring on its opening weekend. I just couldn't wait any longer. Plus, a cool movie theater is a great way to spend a hot Phoenix afternoon.

It was a good movie, overall, and other watchers have agreed. It's getting mostly positive reviews and there are rumors of a sequel. It's got just enough based in reality creepiness to satisfy those who aren't as crazy about gory horror movies. There are parts that will mess with your head. It is part of a long line of particular ilk of horror movies about exorcisms yet manages to engage and surprise. That's not always easy to do.

Yet, the resolution was anything but satisfying, at least for me. Because it was unlike any other similar horror movie in one way: there's no clear notion of who or what would save the family in distress, even though there's no doubt they need saving.

Yes, there's a clear answer to that question in the movie in the couple whom God had brought together. At least kind of. But there's not an answer to the broader question about who is saving the family in distress.

In every other movie of this sort, it's clear that God will do the saving. Maybe through priests, maybe through the church, maybe through a person who doesn't know they're following God but can't escape God. But it is God who saves. There's no doubt. There's often theology I disagree with and theology that is downright heretical, but it's still theology.

Not in The Conjuring. The film waffles from a transcendent God, to the power of the Roman Catholic Church, to the power of the evangelical movement, to humans themselves. In the end, though, there's no claim about who did the saving. Instead, it seems to be the product of a postChristian culture that doesn't know what claim it is actually making about what is transformative and worthy of pursuing.

It's from a perspective that has no clue what or who saves.

It's not a secular claim about who or what saves. Whoever wrote this film doesn't know what could save even though there is a clear need for salvation.

So I'm wondering, here in the midst of an individualistic, consuming-to-the-point-of-being-parasitic society, how to talk about salvation better.

Because maybe, just maybe, the problem is an unwillingness to answer the question, "What will save you?"

And you should totally see the movie so we can talk about it some more.