First Reformed

Whenever my dad and I have religious conversations, he always notes that the Bible is often misrepresented as this big rule book. He reminds me that, rather, it is a book with rules and stories that are up for interpretation. Those are two very different things. It's often overlooked the role Christianity has had in the environmental state of the world, especially in an American context. Manifest Destiny, beyond the displacement of Native Americans, also justified the widespread extraction of environmental goods through the belief that God had promised Americans this land and the right to do with it whatever they pleased. How do such justifications come about? Especially in a religion that not only uplifts nature as God's creation, but also makes numerous positive metaphors referencing the earth and its beauty? It ties back to my dad's point. Selfish interests, capitalism, and other misguided interpretations of the Bible lead to situations similar to that seen here. It is wholly necessary to wrestle with one's faith, and frankly, it's impossible to go through life without doing so. Toller, of course, takes this to the extreme (and I think that's on purpose, cause this feels to me like a retelling of the book of Job). Still, healthy self-discourse about your faith is imperative to ensure religion is used for the benefit of humanity, even if that includes critique, like in this movie. Also, shoutout to Ethan Hawke; you should have won an Oscar.