Pollard on Film

This programme, including clips from the film, explores the concepts of freedom and determinism that are expressed in the film The Adjustment Bureau. 

The programme invites discussion of the question 'How do you react to a supernatural being like "The Chairman"?' - and sets up any talk about freedom.

Published: 29th March 2011
Length: 11 mins

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 Suggestion for use

1. Show the first part of the programme, then freeze frame on the question: How do you react to a supernatural being like "The Chairman"?
2. Invite people to share their answers with one another
3. Invite feedback and discuss what our answers tell us about:
   
   • Our willingness to let anyone other than ourselves have control over what happens in our lives 
   • Our thoughts about whether such control might be good or bad (begin to draw out the question of whether there might be a devil who also wants to influence our lives - and whether the Chairman in the film is like the good God who wants the best for us or like the destroying devil who wants to manipulate and control us)
4. Show the rest of the programme
5. Deliver a short talk lifting off from the suggestion to consider the differences between the control that the devil wants to have in our lives compared to God who loves us and wants to set us free. You could look particularly at John 10:1-18, and especially verses 7-10, explaining the relationship between living life Jesus’ way and having life in all its fullness.

Background reading

Before using this programme you may find the following helpful:

• Philosophical Investigation and Spiritual Reflection in Contemporary Popular Culture (a lecture Nick Pollard gave in Oslo, Norway, when he expanded on the ideas in this episode)
• Wikipedia articles on Logical Determinism, Physical Determinism and Theological Determinism (N.B. we cannot vouch for the accuracy of any content in Wikipedia)
• Wikipeadia articles on Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnipresence (N.B. we cannot vouch for the accuracy of any content in Wikipedia)

Copyright

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