ANGELS & DEMONS (2009)

Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: David Koepp, Akiva Goldsman
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor
Rated: PG-13

About the film:
The Vatican again turns to noted symbologist Robert Langdon to help solve a crisis that involves four kidnapped Cardinals, a stolen container of destructive anti-matter, and the legendary group known only as the Illuminati.

Movie Quote:
“Science and religion are not enemies. There are simply some things that science is just too young to understand.
Camerlengo Patrick McKenna (Ewan McGregor) in Angels and Demons (2009)

Bible Quote:
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Romans 3:31 (KJV)


Commentary:
The observation made by one of the characters in Angels & Demons is a valid one. Throughout the years there have been those who regard scientific knowledge and religious faith to be diametrically opposed one to the other. Such a mindset limits our understanding in both categories. Science is nothing more than a systematic approach to acquiring knowledge – the study of the world around us using a methodology requiring observation, experimentation, and measurement. As such, science is not an enemy to faith… it is simply another means by which our faith can grow.

All of God’s creation can and should be scientifically studied. God, as creator of this world and all else, established the physical laws which govern its rule. Such laws are observable, and can be tested and measured. And seeing as how God has been around much longer than man and his scientific knowledge, it is little wonder that our science often “discovers” truths that God revealed to us thousands of years earlier.

One of the keys to scientific study is to share one’s findings, thus enabling others to build upon the work of all those working in the same field. If we want to learn all there is to know about a subject, it only makes good scientific sense to include in our studies, a study of the knowledge God has already made available to us through His Word.

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What are some of the “modern day” scientific discoveries that God provided foreshadowed knowledge of in the Bible?
2. Like science, art can also be seen as a help or a hindrance to one’s faith. What are some of the examples of art being used for either purpose?