At Play in the Fields of the Lord

[LeeR49]

I just finished watching the movie, At Play in the Fields of the Lord. I can certinaly see why it seems to be liked by so many nudists. I can't imagine a better portrayal of pure, non-sexual nakedness than this film. There is a lot of nuidty -- kids as well as adults, but it is never portayed as sexual or even odd. In fact, no one ever draws attention to it. Even the "missionaries" had nothing to say about all these naked people. The uncredibly uptight Hazel, upon discovering her son nude and watching a couple "romp" in the hammock, said nothing about his nudity -- she was upset only about his watching ths couple make love. This showed a clear separation of nudity and sex.

However, I was not as happy about another aspect of this movie. As a Christian and a professional missiologist, I feel compeled to say that the portrayal of Christian missionaries was utterly inaccurate and prejudicial. I work with missionaries and mission organizations every day, and can assure anyone that the kind of attitudes portrayed in these roles would never be tolerated by any reputable missionas agency. Missionaries are thoroughly trained professionals who understand the need for contextualization, respect for the culture, humility, service and sacrifice. This portrayal of missionaries is nothing short of slander.

If anyone is interested in reading about a real life missionary who came upon a tribe much like the tribe in this movie, and reached them with the Gospel while maintaining full respect for their culture, I would recommend the book Bruchko, (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0884191338/qid=1078362343//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-5238085-0892844?v=glance&n=507846) the story of Bruce Olson, who was captured and nearly killed -- not once, but several times -- by the feared and violent Molitone, who live in the jungles of Columbia. Ultimately, "Bruchko" won them over, and they won him over to their culture and way of life. After 42 years, Bruce continues to live among these now gentle people, and plans one day to be "burried" in the Molitone way -- in a hammock hung high in the trees where the vultures will come and carry his body into the sky.

That is what real Christian missions is all about.

Lee

[LeeR49]

I just finished watching the movie, At Play in the Fields of the Lord. I can certinaly see why it seems to be liked by so many nudists. I can't imagine a better portrayal of pure, non-sexual nakedness than this film. There is a lot of nuidty -- kids as well as adults, but it is never portayed as sexual or even odd. In fact, no one ever draws attention to it. Even the "missionaries" had nothing to say about all these naked people. The uncredibly uptight Hazel, upon discovering her son nude and watching a couple "romp" in the hammock, said nothing about his nudity -- she was upset only about his watching ths couple make love. This showed a clear separation of nudity and sex.

However, I was not as happy about another aspect of this movie. As a Christian and a professional missiologist, I feel compeled to say that the portrayal of Christian missionaries was utterly inaccurate and prejudicial. I work with missionaries and mission organizations every day, and can assure anyone that the kind of attitudes portrayed in these roles would never be tolerated by any reputable missionas agency. Missionaries are thoroughly trained professionals who understand the need for contextualization, respect for the culture, humility, service and sacrifice. This portrayal of missionaries is nothing short of slander.

If anyone is interested in reading about a real life missionary who came upon a tribe much like the tribe in this movie, and reached them with the Gospel while maintaining full respect for their culture, I would recommend the book Bruchko, (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0884191338/qid=1078362343//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-5238085-0892844?v=glance&n=507846) the story of Bruce Olson, who was captured and nearly killed -- not once, but several times -- by the feared and violent Molitone, who live in the jungles of Columbia. Ultimately, "Bruchko" won them over, and they won him over to their culture and way of life. After 42 years, Bruce continues to live among these now gentle people, and plans one day to be "burried" in the Molitone way -- in a hammock hung high in the trees where the vultures will come and carry his body into the sky.

That is what real Christian missions is all about.

Lee

[namedun]

I was always under the impression that missionaries went to tribes to convert them to both christianity, and the "modern" way of living. I suggest everyone read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

[nudebynature]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by LeeR49:
I just finished watching the movie, At Play in the Fields of the Lord. I can certinaly see why it seems to be liked by so many nudists. I can't imagine a better portrayal of pure, non-sexual nakedness than this film. There is a lot of nuidty -- kids as well as adults, but it is never portayed as sexual or even odd. In fact, no one ever draws attention to it. Even the "missionaries" had nothing to say about all these naked people. The uncredibly uptight Hazel, upon discovering her son nude and watching a couple "romp" in the hammock, said nothing about his nudity -- she was upset only about his watching ths couple make love. This showed a clear separation of nudity and sex.

However, I was not as happy about another aspect of this movie. As a Christian and a professional missiologist, I feel compeled to say that the portrayal of Christian missionaries was utterly inaccurate and prejudicial. I work with missionaries and mission organizations every day, and can assure anyone that the kind of attitudes portrayed in these roles would never be tolerated by any reputable missionas agency. Missionaries are thoroughly trained professionals who understand the need for contextualization, respect for the culture, humility, service and sacrifice. This portrayal of missionaries is nothing short of slander.

If anyone is interested in reading about a real life missionary who came upon a tribe much like the tribe in this movie, and reached them with the Gospel while maintaining full respect for their culture, I would recommend the book Bruchko, (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0884191338/qid=1078362343//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-5238085-0892844?v=glance&n=507846) the story of Bruce Olson, who was captured and nearly killed -- not once, but several times -- by the feared and violent Molitone, who live in the jungles of Columbia. Ultimately, "Bruchko" won them over, and they won him over to their culture and way of life. After 42 years, Bruce continues to live among these now gentle people, and plans one day to be "burried" in the Molitone way -- in a hammock hung high in the trees where the vultures will come and carry his body into the sky.

That is what real Christian missions is all about.

Lee <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>It has been a few years since I have seen the movie. The last time was on network TV in Canada, with no cuts. Attitudes toward nudity on tV is more relaxed here than in the States.

I disagree somewhat with your assessment of the missionaries. I know several missionaries and they are as you say, highly trained professionals.

That was not always the case. Missionaries to Africa succeeded in teaching shame. They brought with them notions of western culture and tried to "civilize" the natives. Natives were often treated like children. Missionaries who "went native" were usually derided.

I agree that this no longer the case, although I am sure that cultural bias continues to exist. When Franklin Graham talked about evangelizing Uraq after the invasion, his comments were very ignorant of Islam and betrayed his western prejudice against Muslims.

It is good movie and worth viewing again even though has been around for awhile. The scenery is beautiful and worth seeing the movie for alone. There is some memorable nudity from Kathy Bates and Tom Berenger, which at the time (1991) was unusual. Not too much full frontal male nudity and Kathy Bates does not fit the usual mold.

There is much innocence as you said.

[hm0504]

I thought the movie was excellent in all its aspects.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>As a Christian and a professional missiologist, I feel compeled to say that the portrayal of Christian missionaries was utterly inaccurate and prejudicial. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>There are positive and negative portrayals of Christian characters though the overall impact would be negative. As a Christian, I didn't have a problem with it because there certainly are blatant cases of the impact of missions being negative. In Canada (and I think Australia and probably other Commonwealth countries), we are dealing with something called the Residential Schools that existed for several decades in the 1900s. Churches, like mine, are now confronted with major issues of cultural and sexual abuse. We do also know that most of the Residential School missionaries were trying to do good and not harm, but one cannot help but recognize there is more than one face to missions.

Any movie should only be regarded as telling a particular story from a particular perspective. I don't expect, nor even want, a dramatic movie to be an objective analysis.

[wannabenaked]

Didn't the early Spanish "missionaries" to the Americas give the Mayans the option to convert or die?

[RalphVa]

I saw that movie in Singapore after they started allowing R rated movies. I recognized the site immediately, as I'd been to southern Venezuela where those rivers meet near Canaima (near Angel Falls).

From the stories of the way missionaries behaved when they went to Hawaii the first time, I think it's an accurate portrayal.

[Rex]

Some of the English missionaries who went to Africa, were also commission agents for the English cotton mills.
They told the "naked savages" to wear clothes, then traded with them for rolls of cotton material.
Some of the overseas Christian organisations do a lot of practical good nowadays.
I'm happy to give two of them some small financial support.

[Trailscout]

When US soldiers were stationed in Micronesia in the South Pacific in World War II, they gave tee shirts to the local women because they went topless and we wanted to civilize these people and help lift them out of their poverty.

The women were delighted with the tee shirts and considered them a lovely novelty.

But the soldiers were taken aback when they saw the women wearing their new tee shirts.

The ladies had carefully cut out holes in the tee shirts for their breasts!

[toofeelgood]

At play in the fields of the lord illustrates how normal the unclothed body is and how narrow minded western societies views about it are. A movie deffinately worth seing for many reasons... The normalcy of living where it is warm enough to be unclothed all the time, the awefull way western society tries to change other cultures...

[hm0504]

Though the presentation of missionaries is mixed: one is shown as glory-obsessed and one is shown as viewing the natives as disgusting, the main character and the priest are clearly keen on truly understanding and helping the natives in their struggle with encroaching "civilization".

And anyone familiar with Christianity, cannot help but notice the core Christian themes underpinning the story -- eg. obviously the main character portrays a Christ-like figure.

[harold]

I haven't had the opportunity to view this movie. I live in Edmonton, Alberta. I called Blockbuster and they do not have the movie for rent. I tried to order it from HMV and they said that it was unavailable. Would anyone happen to know where I could obtain a copy of the movie?

[namedun]

"When US soldiers were stationed in Micronesia in the South Pacific in World War II, they gave tee shirts to the local women because they went topless and we wanted to civilize these people and help lift them out of their poverty."

To me poverty is a relative term. People you see that are trying to live the way we live but can't because they have no money are in poverty; People that live a natural, tribal lifestyle can be as rich as any of us.

[Jochanaan]

Missionaries have come a long way since the 16th century. My brother-in-law was a missionary with the Navigators to Indonesia for more than a decade. He once told me that he didn't preach "Christianity" at all; he just told the people about Jesus. And he worked well with the natives. Even though he's been back in the States for ten years or so, he still keeps in touch with friends in Indonesia.

I've known several other missionaries and children of missionaries well. Without exception, they love the people they serve--and it is service, not conquest--and are distressed when the people are hurting, oppressed, or poor. These missionaries so identify with the culture they live in that there's a long period of adjustment when they return to their own country.

As for "At Play...", I've read the book but not seen the movie. Among other things it's an excellent portrait of the wrong kind of missionary. If you can find it, there's another book called "Through Gates of Splendor;" its author, Elizabeth Elliott, returned to minister to the Aucas of Peru and Ecuador who had killed her husband and four others. These were the right kind of missionaries.

[Trailscout]

namedun,

I agree with you. The Micronesians lack of tee shirts was not a sign of poverty. These people had dark skin, which protected them well enough from the sunlight that clothing was not needed, nor was it needed for warmth, since their islands are close to the equator.

Since those arrogant days of the 1940's, the concept of "appropriate technology" has arisen. A culture may be static, that is, refuse all technological or cultural change. Western society seems to have taken the path of embracing all technological innovations, even if they have a negative impact upon society.

The concept of "appropriate technology" welcomes some changes, provided they meet certain criteria:
1. The changes must affirm the values of the culture. There may be certain exceptions to this goal in cases of cultures that advocate female genital mutilation, cannibalism of one's enemies, rigid caste systems that discriminate against ethnic groups, etc. A de-nazified postwar Germany did not have to abandon their German cultural heritage, just those aspects of their past that trampelled on the basic human rights of their citizens and those national traits that led them into war with the rest of the world.
2. The changes must not diminish species diversity nor otherwise degrade the environment.
3. The technology should be sustainable, i.e., it should not make the people newly dependent on outside raw materials or know-how.
4. The new technology must make the people more adaptable to changes in their surroundings, improving their odds of long-term survival.
5. The technology must be of such a nature that the concepts can be refined and improved locally.
There are probably some other considerations, but this is a working framework of the concept.

[brzl66]

Having grown up in a missionary family in South America, I have to concur with NudebyNature and Jochanaan that things have changed. I have been back in the US for nearly 20 years, but in the time I was growing up down there I did see a fair amount of condescension towards the "natives" on the part of many missionaries, even when they did truly love them. Much of this was often unconscious; there has tended to be (ihmo) an ingrained attitude of cultural superiority in many US (and European) christians. This was by the way well noted and recognized by the people among whom we served. And any missionaries who did "go native" were often disparaged. Since my family had for the most part "gone native" (and I was usually mistaken for a native of european descent and rarely bothered to correct that), I was often privy to some of the discussions which occurred among the younger folks. That said, I have seen a sea-change in some of the churches sending out missionaries, and in many of the younger people going out. Many groups such as the Navigators and SBC are training their emissaries in cultural sensitivity.

I think the movie did a very good job of taking on the two attitudes amongst many missionaries, and I did appreciate the respectful manner in which the subject was treated. I also recently viewed a short documentary by Steven Curtis Chapman in which he went back and interviewed the Huaorani tribe which had killed Elliott et al. Many have come to know Crist through the ministry of Elizabeth Elliott and some of the other spouses. While there has been some inevitable "civilization" due to the contact, these missionaries for the most part respected the humanity of these people.