Book of Clarence

Without Works

Episode Notes

Lemuel: I am Lemuel Gonzalez, repentant sinner, and along with Amity Armstrong, your heavenly host, I invite you to find a place in the pew for today’s painless Sunday School lesson. Without Works.

Amity: Today we will have an open discussion on the controversies around a recent film, “The Book of Clarence,” a recent comedy about fictional characters who live in Jerusalem at the time of Christ, and interact with Jesus and his disciples.

Lemuel: The stories’ protagonist is a feckless young man played by LaKeith Stanfeild. Accompanied by his best friend Elijah, played by RJ Cyler, the two travel a picaresque route through Jerusalem, meeting the disciples, the Holy parents, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, and Jesus himself.

Amity: The questions we will be asking are these:

How does the film address the story?

Is the film sacrilegious or misrepresent the Bible story?

Is it ever appropriate to make fun of sacred topics?

Why the controversy? Is it because of the light tone taken to sacred subjects, or is it because the film represents nearly all of the biblical characters as African?