Chrystal Downing | More Than a Message: Dorothy Sayers, Film, and the Flesh of Christian Art

What do a detective novelist, a WWII radio drama, and a blockbuster film have in common? According to Dr. Crystal Downing — everything.

In this episode of Thinking Christian, I’m joined by Dr. Crystal Downing, former co-director of the Marion E. Wade Center and author of The Wages of Cinema, to explore what it means to see Christianly. Drawing on the often-overlooked theology of Dorothy L. Sayers, we challenge the idea that film is just a vehicle for a message. Instead, we unpack how film — like the Incarnation — is about form, flesh, and the fullness of expression.

We talk about why reducing movies to “good messages” is a kind of cinematic Docetism, how Sayers’ Trinitarian model of creativity reframes Christian art, and why Christians should stop watching movies passively and start engaging them as embodied works of meaning.

Expect commentary on Birdman, Bridge on the River Kwai, The Matrix, and yes… even Dodgeball.

This conversation is a deep dive into media, theology, and why Christians need to become more attentive critics — not just consumers — of the stories that shape us.

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