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Passion movie had limited impact
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New Survey Examines the Impact of Gibson’s “Passion” Movie - This new study by the Barna Group basically concludes that The Passion of the Christ may not have been 'the greatest outreach opportunity in 2000 years.'
Among the most startling outcomes drawn from the research is the apparent absence of a direct evangelistic impact by the movie. Despite marketing campaigns labeling the movie the “greatest evangelistic tool” of our era, less than one-tenth of one percent of those who saw the film stated that they made a profession of faith or accepted Jesus Christ as their savior in reaction to the film’s content.
Equally surprising was the lack of impact on people’s determination to engage in evangelism. Less than one-half of one percent of the audience said they were motivated to be more active in sharing their faith in Christ with others as a result of having seen the movie.
. . . One of the lessons from this situation, according to Barna, is that major transformation is not likely to result from one-time exposure to a specific media product.
(via Religion News Blog)
3 comments
The article also says this: “[The lack of a lasting evangelical impact] does not negate the power of the movie or the value of the message it sent, but it does remind us that a single effort that is not adequately reinforced is not likely to make a lasting impression”
This study does refute the idea that “The Passion” is a quick ticket to easy evangelism. But we should also note that many Churches and pastors who were very enthusiastic about the movie recognized that the movie in and of itself was not evangelism, and worked hard to extend the exposure to the movies themes by holding discussion groups, inviting people to church, etc. This study certainly allows for the theory that “The Passion” was a opportunity in evangelism that needed to be acted on.
I’m not sure I think the movie was really all that great of a tool for starting dialog with non-Christians…but let’s be fair about what the study says.
I didn’t mean to be unfair. I’ve said all along that the movie is cool and does have a real impact on people.
True, in and of itself, it (at least thus far; the future is still before us) may not have been the key tool for leading people to Christ. However, if everyone was tranformed in faith by one single solitary event, we’d live in a completely Christian world. To use the well-worn analogy, planting a seed doesn’t guarantee that the plant will grow. There is always the next step. For many people, Christians and non, the movie could serve as the seed being entered into the soil. Now it’s time for us to grab the watering can.
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