Greg Garrett: Saved by the Movies

Among the many people and things he credits with saving his life while he was struggling with depression, author Greg Garrett includes an Episcopal parish in Austin, Tex.; the music of the Irish rock band U2, and movies such as Magnolia and The Matrix. "Sometimes popular culture could open things in me that weren't being tapped by organized religion," the award-winning author of essays, novels, a memoir and several nonfiction books told RBL.

Garrett said his life-threatening depression was mysteriously healed after he went through a spiritual transformation, which he describes in Crossing Myself (NavPress, 2006). "Something spiritual happened," he said, "and my life was given back to me." Now he teaches English at Baylor University in Texas and will graduate this month from the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, after which he plans to continue teaching and writing. His latest book, The Gospel According to Hollywood (Westminster John Knox, June), explores theological themes in dozens of classic and recent films.

"The nexus of everything for me is story," Garrett said. "Either I'm creating stories or writing about stories or teaching with stories. I love a good story, and I also love the transformational aspect of great stories. Narrative really helps us makes sense of our lives."

Garrett has always seen the archetypal faith narratives from the world's religious traditions reflected in the culture around him. In The Gospel Reloaded: Exploring Spirituality and Faith in The Matrix (Pinon Press, 2003), co-authored with Chris Seay, Garrett drew comparisons between Jesus and the Buddha and that movie's main character. And as a consultant/ghostwriter with Seay and Enron v-p Chris Bryan for The Tao of Enron (NavPress, 2002), he explored spiritual lessons from the fall of the Fortune 500 company.

To those who might criticize his inclusion of R-rated, violent movies such as Pulp Fiction in The Gospel According to Hollywood, Garrett said that while he respects other's opinions, he also realizes that God has always used imperfect vehicles to communicate with human beings. "I can tell you from my own experience that Pulp Fiction was an instrument for bringing me back to God."