I am interested in what happens with the Bible in popular culture and so I like to see what’s happening with movies like Evan Almighty. The other day on his blog FilmChat, Peter Chattaway cites a NY Times article that discusses the advertising of Evan Almighty towards church-going audiences. Chattaway doesn’t think that this is a big deal and I would normally agree with him, but I just saw a copy of Christianity Today with one of the most interesting advertisements I have ever seen (particularly on this topic of the Bible in popular culture). They have created a faux cover (which tricked me!) making it look like the big story in this issue is Evan Almighty with the title “Evan Help Us: How a Movie – and a Movement – are Partnering with the Church to Change the World.” It’s really quite impressive. They also have a “traditional” advertisement on the back cover (see the image above), and things that look like they’re not about the movie but really are on the inside covers (one about a ministry called ArkAlmighty and another about a “Rock the Boat” benefit concert with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity). The actual cover story in the issue is about Donald Miller is “shaping a new generation of evangelicals” as a “better story teller.”

I saw that others have noticed the tricky advertising at Lake Neuron and Paleoevangelical. On the latter post, Ben Wright seems to think this is “Christianity for sale” and says it is “one of the more appalling things I’ve seen in a while.”

So which is it: no big deal or terribly appalling? I probably fall somewhere in the middle. Christianity Today is a magazine that covers issues related to evangelical Christianity; it does not represent Christianity (at least not for me) and thus isn’t actually “selling out” Christianity. It is a for-profit magazine. Perhaps if it were allowing advertisements for, oh, I don’t know… nuclear weapons, then we might worry about the integrity of its advertising. [I am being facetious, of course, there are a lot of advertisements that I'd be offended with, but I don't want to get sidetracked.] But a movie? About a guy called by God to create an ark? That hardly seems so scandalous to me.

On the other hand, I do have to admit how shocked I was when I saw it. I said “wow” about five times. The last time I said it, my wife thought I had moved on to some other topic and asked what I was reacting to. No, I was still reacting to the faux cover. It is pretty bold, and more than a little deceptive. I think it is at least noteworthy.

Nevertheless, I’m still going to see the movie. I think Steve Carell is hilarious.

Update (5/31/07): Just noticed the author of this reflection at The Parish, who is not sure what to think about the cover, while the author of this post at The Point seems to be quite angry about it. And Peter Chattaway did respond to my comment on his post after seeing the ad for himself and thought, yes, that is a little over the top. Also, I noticed that someone from Christianity Today ended up at my blog by searching for “evan almighty christianity today.” So, someone at CT is curious how it’s being received.

Update (6/5/07): Noticed that someone from Grace Hill Media (apparently out of an office in Plano, TX) was checking this post out today after searching for “arkalmighty” at Technorati (which isn’t connecting for me at the moment). I just think it’s interesting to see them checking things out.