Epic

Eldredge, John. Epic. Thomas Nelson, 2004. 

John Eldredge’s book Epic was clearly written from a perspective that integrates faith and art by offering a reorienting look at the gospel through the lens of storytelling. In the prologue, Eldredge explains that we have “lost our story.” Seeing reality through the scientific worldview has created a widely held cultural belief that the universe began “by accident” and will end “by accident” which is not only extremely discouraging, but also disorienting “like coming to a movie 20 minutes late.” He argues that not only is this belief system fundamentally hopeless, but also - if you think about it a little harder - scientifically (and indeed, artistically)  fundamentally flawed. Epic is Eldredge’s attempt to help us all recover the story we are in by harkening back to the stories that we all love. 

Eldredge uses examples from many books and films to show us that gospel truths are not just true, but also compelling and desirable realities. By breaking Epic into 4 succinct acts he shows us how these truths fit into the larger story as well. He speaks to our love of heroes, the necessity of a villain, the appeal of romance, and the necessity of sacrifice as universal truths found in stories because they are telling us something about reality. 

By being willing to enter into the world of story, Eldredge is capable of offering a far more compelling version of the Gospel than is often presented (or at least the gospel presentation that has wormed its way into the cultural imagination). Eldredge takes the gospel from “you are a sinner, but Jesus died for you, don't go to hell” to “mankind has fallen because of an unspeakable evil, but a hero will rise from Nazareth to save the world.” Both statements are true, but Eldredge’s version evokes desire by speaking to the part of us that wants to be part of a larger story. In my opinion, this small book is an excellent example of what the church can accomplish when we have an integrated view of art and theology.