Date

3-21-2023

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Keywords

Creative Writing, Creative Screenwriting, Screenwriting, Film, Movies, Theology, Spiritual Disciplines, The Crown, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Silence, Unbroken, Craft, Art, Balanced, Christian Films, Streamline films

Disciplines

Creative Writing

Abstract

This thesis will attempt to examine the need for a balanced Christian message in film and how everyday acts of the Christian faith can inspire Christ-like transformation within society. This thesis will also explore the importance of developing faith and spiritual disciplines through the creative screenplay, All Hail the Hoodlums. Throughout history, living as a faithful Christian and practicing spiritual disciplines can appear to go directly against society’s natural flow as belief in a Creator oppose man’s selfishness and sinful nature. Seemingly, society at large currently projects that believing in a Monotheistic and Triune God and having a deep personal relationship with something “spiritual” is preposterous (Carr-Chellman, 2017). Furthermore, the word “discipline” also distinguishes the wildly popular worldview of “do whatever makes you happy” as it requires doing hard and resilient practices which benefits are not immediately seen (Young, 2012). While faith is common in society and there are seemingly churches on every corner, deep acts of faith like spiritual disciplines can seem rare and even rarer in film. Through the creative screenplay All Hail the Hoodlums, this thesis will attempt to showcase the importance of a balanced Christian message and elements of the Christian life for the purpose of sparking transformation in the Lord, personal development, and growth within audience members with a fun, action-packed historical drama and project. This thesis project will also aim to showcase how movies, documentaries, and television shows allow for natural creative expression to display a message or present an acute awareness of an issue, including the Gospel message. There is power in film, and there is power in believers who strengthen their relationship with God through core practices like prayer, serving, and giving. By using creative screenplays and films as strategic tools to showcase spiritual disciplines and a realistic look at a relationship with Christ, the Gospel message could seemingly reach a broader audience. With this in mind, while the screenplay All Hail the Hoodlums is not an exclusively Christian film, spiritual disciplines and solid faith practices are heavily intertwined within the subtext of the creative screenplay, indicating its value within the thesis project.

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