This presentation was first given at the 10th annual conference for Theology & Peace in Chicago. It explores four different Scripture-based methodologies: Deep Viewing, Theological Reflection, Cinema Divina, and the Character Lens. Presentation by Sr Rose Pacatte. (Note: one could also use the themes of Catholic Social Teaching or other criteria and adapt the methodologies accordingly.) This presentation was used as an introduction to the 2008 film "The Visitor." We then screened the film, took a break, and had a conversation using mostly the Cinema Divina approach. Be sure to obtain a license from CVLI.com or Swank.com before showing a film outside the home or the regular school curriculum. (Thanks to Meredith Gould for use of her quote about theology/)

1. Watching film as a
spiritual practice
Rose Pacatte, FSP
Pauline Center for Media Studies
SisterRoseMovies.net
BeMediaMindful.org
RosePacatte@gmail.com
SlideShare.net/rosepacatte

2. Lectio divina
• The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the
citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself,
for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord
your God.
• Leviticus 19:34

3. Spiritual practice
• Deep viewing
• Heuristic
• The story
• Semes
• Discourse
• Proximity
• Culture/context
• Production/techniques
• (Thank you to Kelly Sassi for this outline on Deep Viewing)

4. Spiritual practice
• Theological reflection
• Attending
• Understanding
• Judging
• Deciding
• Acting (in love; being in love)
• Bernard Longergan

5. Watching film as a
spiritual practice
• Cinema divina
• Based on Lectio divina

6. Theology & film

7. The sacramental
• Outward expressions of interior realities
• Grace

8. Spirituality & film
• Spirituality builds on the human
• Growing in relationship with self, God and others

9. Cinema divina
• Reflection: What is your emotional response? Your
observations, connections, and
• spiritual questions?

10. Cinema divina
• Lectio
• attending; listening; experiencing the Word of God in the
film; not always as an explicit “word” but as “reality”; what
did I hear, experience? What is the story?

11. Cinema divina
• Meditatio
• reflecting on the film and the Word of God; what aspect of
the Gospel and film “chose me”?

12. Cinema divina
• Oratio
• prayer; how has the Word touched my heart? what feelings
does God’s reality evoke in me?

13. Cinema divina
• Comunio
• how has the Word influenced my communication, my
communion, with God and neighbor?

14. Cinema divina
• Contemplatio
• contemplation; entering into the silence

15. Cinema divina
• Actio
• What does God ask of me through Word and film?

16. Cinema divina: sharing
• The participants sharing on the film can respond to any of
the questions above; a person may remain silent.

17. The Visitor (trailer)

18. • What part of the movie CHOSE YOU?

19. •
• * Lectio (attending; listening; experiencing the Word of God in the
film; not always as an explicit “word” but as “reality”; what did I
hear, experience? What is the story?)
• * Meditatio (reflecting on the film and the Word of God; what aspect
of the Gospel and film “chose me”?)
• * Oratio (prayer; how has the Word touched my heart? what feelings
does God’s reality evoke in me?)
• * Comunio (how has the Word influenced my communication, my
communion, with God and neighbor?)
• * Contemplatio (contemplation; entering into the silence)
• * Actio (what does God ask of me through Word and film?) The
participants sharing on the film can respond to any of the questions
above; a person may remain silent.

20. • Deuteronomy 10: 19 You shall also love the stranger, for you
were strangers in the land of Egypt.
• Leviticus 19:34 The alien who resides with you shall be to you
as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself,
for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your
God.
• Matthew 5:43-44 You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall
love your neighbor and hate your enemy’. But I say to you,
love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.
• Matthew 25:40 Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the
least of my brethren you did it to me.
• Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one
another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
• Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore
love is the fulfilling of the law.

21. • Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God
shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is
right is acceptable to him.
• Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See the home
of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his
peoples, and God himself will be with them.”
• 3 John 1:5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the friends, even
though they are strangers to you; they have testified to your love before the
church. You do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God; for they began
their journey for the sake of Christ, accepting no support from non-believers.
Therefore we ought to support such people, so that they may become co-workers
with the truth.
• Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your
soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as
yourself.
• Hebrews 13: 1 Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to
strangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
• Colossians 3:11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised
and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
• Matthew 25: 35 I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave
me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
• Romans 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to
strangers.

22. Character lens
• Another way to view a film:
• Write the name of a character on a 3 x 5 card (duplicate
names as needed)
• Experience the film through that character
• Conversation:
• How well did the character inhabit or reflect the Scripture
quote (or other criteria such as social teaching.)
• How did the character find meaning to his/her life? Or
contribute meaning to the life of another?
• What did the film mean to you?