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Her.meneutics is edited by associate editor Katelyn Beaty and online editor Sarah Pulliam Bailey.

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April 7, 2009

TV's Women of Faith

The medium has a long way to go in its portrayal of both women and Christians, but ABC's Lost may be a promising start.

Laura Leonard

Ninety-nine percent of all American homes have a television set. Like it or not, TV is a part of our everyday lives. We can't write if off as trivial; we're watching it, and so are our friends, family, and neighbors. There's a lot of junk out there, sure. But great TV - which is admittedly rare - is no less worthy of our attention than a great movie or book. At its best, a good show expands our understanding of who we are and what it means to be human. It affirms what's universal to the human experience and challenges us to consider the world from another point of view. But what about our point of view, as women and as evangelicals? Who is telling our stories?

1x12_CharlieAndRose.jpg
It's not surprising to discover that TV is lacking in sophisticated portrayals of both women and Christian faith. Alyssa Rosenberg's recent Atlantic article, "Joss Whedon and the Real Girl," dissected popular director Joss Whedon's complex, engaging portrayals of women in his hit shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. "Despite the fantastical circumstances his women find themselves in," writes Rosenberg, "Whedon has been unusually successful in bringing them to life by grounding them in the common experience of women, and portraying that experience with a sympathy and verisimilitude extremely rare in male directors." But what about the "common experience" of faith? Interestingly, Rosenberg points to a moment in which a female character explores issues of faith and science as an example of the sophisticated character development typical of Whedon's work. And she criticizes his latest show, Dollhouse, for failing to explore the "the intriguing alliance between feminism and evangelical Christianity" that informs the anti-human-trafficking work around which an episode revolves.

I'm hard pressed to think of a female character on television today who thoughtfully approaches issues of faith, but one that comes to mind is the character of Rose on Lost. The show is one of the few on television that actively engages themes of faith - at its center is the fate vs. free will debate - though it does so mainly through its male characters. Rose, albeit a character who rarely sees screen time, embodies a thoughtful, confident faith that does not resort to stereotypes of religious folks. In one of the most moving scenes of the series, Rose prays with a character struggling to make sense of a difficult situation. Her prayer (to "our heavenly Father") comforts, and her faith impacts all those who come into contact with her.

I would love to see more of this kind of character, both to process my own faith and to help others understand the unique viewpoint of Christian women. Lost's nuanced portrayal of faith has led to constructive conversations with friends who would normally dismiss Christianity because of TV's portrayal of them as silly, judgmental, or unintelligent. While TV has a long way to go, Lost represents small steps toward engagement with the issues of faith that make up our stories.

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Posted by Katelyn Beaty on April 7, 2009 9:16 AM

Comments

Like you said, it's hard to find a woman with faith on TV, let alone one that isn't to make fun of Christians (I love the office, but the Angela stuff for instance - she is made out to be a party pooper, as well as a hypocrite)
I agree wholeheartedly with especially this from you (as well as everything in this post): "I would love to see more of this kind of character, both to process my own faith and to help others understand the unique viewpoint of Christian women."

You have all but convinced me to watch my first episode of Lost! Maybe that's what I will do this summer...

Posted By: Liz | April 7, 2009 10:35 AM

Good point. But Rose hasn't been in any episodes recently. I hope they brought her back soon.

Posted By: Sarah | April 7, 2009 12:42 PM

I was thinking about this issue--albeit more generally of evangelical faith on TV (not limited to female characters)--specifically re: House. It seems they replay the same story (and often, the "faithful" are women): a patient comes in with belief. House sets out to disprove that. He does, but the faithful continues to believe. House's fellow doctors attempt to convince him that the patient's faith is okay because it gets them through the day, and aren't they happier than House is?
Except Paul calls that type of faith foolish.
I'd like to see the patients come up with something more than "it makes me feel good."

Posted By: Heather | April 7, 2009 6:31 PM

You're so right - it's basically impossible to find a recurring female character that is, at minimum a church goer, let alone a woman of faith. Perhaps someone should give a little nudge to writers and producers that it'd be great to see women that we can relate to - those who face the daily challenge of living by faith, maintaining intergrity, etc.

Perhaps it's too real?

Posted By: Vicki | April 8, 2009 8:45 AM

Though I grant your premise, I have a few favorites, both from the work of Aaron Sorkin. The short-lived Studio 60 had a very engaging, flawed but faithful character, Harriet Hayes. And West Wing's first First Couple depicted a quite vibrant faith, frequently discussed - for instance, a funny riff about Eph. 5 and submission :)

Posted By: Brenna | April 8, 2009 4:01 PM

One of my favorite shows is Law and Order, but their treatment of Christians (male or female) is irritating. Believers are virtually always portrayed as either dangerous nuts or deluded fools.

Posted By: Lynn Waller | April 12, 2009 8:37 AM

It's possible that the reason Hollywood writers portray believers like this is because they've never met a believer who is a reflection of Christ. They can't write about things they don't know.

Posted By: Cassandra | April 15, 2009 5:33 AM

It's gone now, but of course one of the overarching themes of the remarkable sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica was religious faith. Indeed, the show's basic premise was of a religious war breaking out between humans and the machines we'd created. The humans are polytheists, while the robots believe in one true God. The resulting drama was complex and often confusing, but remarkably thoughtful about the role that religion plays in every society.

Posted By: jesme | April 17, 2009 4:56 PM

i want paula white email address .so i can send her message .and her back to me . talk by email .but i dont give out my pass word . and i dont ask other for theirs .

Posted By: walter jackson | May 29, 2009 7:48 PM

i love women of faith.....i need some faith books for my wife.

Regards

Emmanuel.U.Nwaogu

Chemiron International Limited
P.o.Box7502- ikeja,Lagos
Nigeria

Posted By: Emmanuel.U.Nwaogu | June 25, 2009 3:55 AM

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