We Need a New Genre of Christian Movies
From Morality Tales to Justice-Fueled Narratives
This article is about telling better stories. If what I’m saying resonates with you, then I need your support. Become a paid subscriber today.
I finally figured it out.
Here’s what bothers me most about the Christian movie genre.
The struggles are all so individualistic.
One person’s doubt. One person’s redemption. One person’s prayers.
But what about structural injustice?
What about racism, poverty, mass incarceration, political corruption?
Instead of collective liberation, we get personal piety.
Instead of societal change, we get sanitized morality tales.
There’s no sense that faith can disrupt systems.
That it can transform communities.
That it can dismantle oppression.
Instead, faith becomes a tool for self-help.
Not for justice.
Not for freedom.
Not for love that overturns tables.
But the Gospel is bigger than self-improvement.
It’s about setting the captives free.
And that includes all of us.
A Look at the Top-Grossing Christian Films
These thoughts occurred to me because I recently watched a trailer for an upcoming Christian film.
I have no issue with the film itself, the talent involved, or the studio behind it.
But seeing a familiar theme in the trailer helped me articulate an insight that had eluded words for so long.
The Christian film industry suffers from an epidemic of individualism.
Let’s examine the highest-grossing Christian films and their themes:
The Passion of the Christ (2004, Icon Productions) – $370 million
Theme: Graphic depiction of the final hours of Jesus Christ.Heaven Is for Real (2014, Sony/TriStar Pictures) – $91 million
Theme: A young boy's near-death experience and claim of visiting Heaven.I Can Only Imagine (2018, Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions) – $83 million
Theme: The story behind the hit song by MercyMe, focusing on personal redemption.War Room (2015, Affirm Films [Sony]) – $67 million
Theme: A family's transformation through prayer.Miracles from Heaven (2016, Affirm Films [Sony]) – $61 million
Theme: A young girl's miraculous healing from a rare disease.God's Not Dead (2014 Pinnacle Peak Pictures [formerly Pure Flix) – $60 million
Theme: A college student's debate with an atheist professor.Son of God (2014, 20th Century Fox) – $59 million
Theme: Series focusing on the life of Jesus Christ.The Shack (2017, Lionsgate) – $57 million
Theme: A man's spiritual journey after a family tragedy.Soul Surfer (2011, Affirm Films [Sony]) - $43 million
The Star (2017, Sony Pictures Animation) – $40 million
Theme: An animated retelling of the Nativity story.
These films predominantly focus on individual spiritual journeys, personal redemption, and family-oriented narratives. They tend to emphasize personal faith and morality, with less attention to systemic issues or collective social justice themes.
The Need for a New Narrative
The current landscape of Christian cinema often overlooks the broader societal implications of faith. There's a noticeable absence of narratives that address systemic injustices or collective struggles.
Faith, at its core, is not just about personal salvation but also about communal transformation. It's about challenging oppressive systems and advocating for justice.
We’ve seen what Christian movies have been—now let’s imagine what they could become.
Envisioning a New Genre
What if Christian films were bold enough to preach liberation?
Imagine stories that:
Highlight communities fighting against systemic oppression.
Showcase faith as a catalyst for social change.
Depict collective journeys toward justice and equality.
Such narratives would not only resonate with broader audiences but also stay true to the transformative essence of the gospel.
The gospel doesn’t shrink stories—it expands them. It’s time our films did the same.
If this vision stirred something in you—if you’re a filmmaker, writer, producer, or funder who wants to help build a new genre of Christian storytelling—reach out:
info@jemartisby.com.
I think we need a movie about the life of John Brown. His Christian upbringing and faith that lead him to be an abolitionist even as white Christian nationalism overwhelmingly supported slavery and oppression. His intersection with Frederick Douglas and how Douglas, as a Christian, brought scathing indictments against the white church. Brown’s plan to free slaves culminating in with what happened at Harper’s Ferry and the speech Brown gave just before his execution. Then pointing to how this led to the Civil War. If done correctly, it would be epic.
Imagine how today’s white Christian nationalist movement would try to spin this as woke propaganda and antithetical to the narrative of American exceptionalism. MAGA would lose their minds.
I agree! The challenge will be making these films marketable. Self-help genres sell, helping others not so much.