Postmodern Realities Episode 228 Has Pixar Lost Its Soul? Assessing an Animated Journey to the Afterlife and Back
Pixar’s twenty-third film, Soul (Disney+), offers glimpses into the afterlife and the nature of the soul, not as an academic presentation on metaphysics or theology, but to tell a story about life. Nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature Film, there’s no doubt that Soul is a fun, compelling film, beautifully scored and animated, and voiced by excellent talent (such as Jamie Foxx as Joe and Tina Fey as 22). Christian readers are sure to have had a few red flags raised, theologically speaking, leading to several questions. Joe is almost dead, but he can return to his body? The afterlife made a mistake? Souls exist before they are born? Humans can visit celestial realms via meditation? Does God exist or do anything in this fictional world? Parents may be especially alarmed, unsure of how to assess Soul, or not sure if their children should even be allowed to view it. In the end, Soul is about life and the wonderful possibilities and experiences it holds for each of us. There is more to life than achieving our dreams. And biblically Christians are to live our lives, glorifying God in what we do. Soul is not crafted to teach us the minutiae of eschatology, including what happens when we die. Instead, it focuses on the value of life and making the most of the time we have. Ultimately, Soul is a life-affirming story, celebrating the promise that life holds. For the Christian, made in God’s image, we have the potential for what we paradoxically may term ordinary greatness. Our lives may seem ordinary, but we are destined for royalty as children of God. Yes, this life can be heartbreaking and difficult, but it also holds so much more that is good and true and holy.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Robert Velarde about his online-exclusive article, “Has Pixar Lost Its Soul? :Assessing an Animated Journey to the Afterlife and Back”. https://www.equip.org/article/has-pixar-lost-its-soul-assessing-an-animated-journey-to-the-afterlife-and-back/Please note this article will be fully accessible by the public in the future, to get early access to read it now, please see our FAQ section on Early Access to Online-Exclusive Articles by clicking here. https://www.equip.org/early-access-to-online-exclusive-articles-faqs/We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, please click here. When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast. Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this authorEpisode 207 BoJack Horseman: Loneliness in a Godless UniverseBoJack Horseman: Loneliness in a Godless Universe Episode 185 Star Trek: Picard and Transhumanism — Where No One Has Gone BeforeStar Trek: Picard and Transhumanism — Where No One Has Gone BeforeEpisode 179 Rick and Morty: Scientism, Self-Centeredness, and the Search for MeaningRick and Morty: Scientism, Self-Centeredness, and the Search for MeaningEpisode 110 Ancient Aliens Did Ancient Extraterrestrials Visit...