Culture, Totalitarianism and Religion

In 1934, the prolific author and Catholic convert, Christopher Dawson, published an essay entitled “Religion and the Totalitarian State.” In it, he reached a positive conclusion that the Church “exists to be the light to the world.” Of the secularist culture, he said, “it is a prison in which the human spirit confines itself when it is shut out of the wider world of reality.” He continued by stating: where the “light” exists, the elaborate mechanisms for living in the dark become useless. It was clear that he was largely addressing the totalitarian regimes of fascism, communism, and the emerging national socialism of Germany. But he also issued concerns about tendencies that can appear in secular, democratic institutions. In all of these cases, he realized that the media—especially the film industry—can have an extraordinary influence over people. Of Hollywood’s power, he stated: “Has not Hollywood got a distinct ethic of its own which influences the minds of its audiences? Is this ethic in any sense Christian?” The same questions could be asked today. Their relevance to Catholic legal theory includes the formation of attitudes which, in turn, can influence the evolution of social norms and law.

I have just finished reading about the Golden Globe awards presentation and found out who was successful and who was not. “The Chronicles of Narnia”—whose themes include the pitching of evil against good, self-sacrifice for others, and redemption—received no awards; however, it was nominated for two of the music categories. Other themes (love is a force of nature; life is more than the sum of its parts; a member of the jet set going to the heartland to write a story) were far more successful in winning the various film categories. I have also just read how the films which won can be a strong influence on the yet-to-be-announced Academy Awards nominations. It is fair to state that the winners of the Academy Awards, like the Golden Globe champions, can have another strong influence on the culture—a culture that extends beyond one country into the world. Ultimately, Dawson’s concern was how the totalitarian mind—be it situated in the mechanisms of the State or the media—can crush the presence of religion from modern life through the “sheer weight” of public opinion that is molded by the State and the thriving culture. I recall a few years ago how this was demonstrated during the Academy Awards presentation when “The Cider House Rules” received elaborate commentary, immense applause, and (I believe) a standing ovation for the political message it conveyed.

Indeed, the cinema can have an enormous impact on how our lives in common is regulated, but it may be some time before the cultural effect, if any, of last evening’s Golden Globe event can be determined.  In the meantime, we might consider what Dawson said at the end of the essay to which I referred: totalitarianism (like a theatre) is a place of darkness, but the knowledge of God that is the gift of the Church is one of light.   RJA sj