By religious, I mean movies about faith, not necessarily Christian or so-called family values. Sometimes, the movies ask tough questions. They are not always inspirational. I have never particularly liked movies about Jesus, because, in my opinion, no movie even comes close to depicting Jesus as I understand him. I suspect the Jesus of history does not resemble the Jesus of motion pictures.
For religious movies, the bar is pretty low, but there are some classics. These are in alphabetical order, not in the order of my preference.
A Man Called Peter
- A Man for All Seasons
- Amazing Grace
- Ben Hur
- Brother Sun, Sister Moon
- Chariots of Fire
- Dead Man Walking
- Eat, Pray, Love
- Elmer Gantry
- Entertaining Angels
- Fiddler on the Roof
- Gandhi
- Going My Way
- Lilies of the Field
- Malcolm X
- Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Saved
- Shoes of the Fisherman
- Song of Bernadette
- Soul Surfer
- The Bells of St. Mary’s
- The Chosen
- The Hiding Place
- The Mission
- The Nun’s Story
- The Passion of Joan of Arc
- The Robe
- The Scarlet and the Black
Which movies would you add to this list?
MARION D. ALDRIDGE
Where the Pavement Ends 
Ah yes, Chariots of Fire. Not only my favorite movie about religion, but my favorite running movie well. Wonderful movie. There’s another great “religious” movie on here with Kevin Spacey. I need to try and remember the name of it. Its not a traditional Christian movie per se, but it works. Finally, while not a Christian movie (and a very odd movie, overall), the character John C. Reilly plays in “Magnolia,” is one of my favorite Christian “characters” in recent film.
Somebody by email suggested :Jesus Camp” which I have not seen. Also, Babbette’s Feast and Schindler’s List, which I have seen and are wonderful.
I think this is the right movie. The Apostle with Robert Duvall.
I remember that one, Mary Frances, and it was a keeper.
Hmmm, thank you, Marion. Food for thought. It’s hard to find a good movie nowadays. I’ll look into more of these.
Shawshank Redemption If the scene in the sewer escape from prison and subsequent glory of escape in the stream does not remind us of descending into hell and resurrection…nothing will.
Doug, You are the second person to add Shawshank Redemption. Good catch.
Sound of Music?
Oh, God! with George Burns, John Denver and Teri Garr. One of my favorite quotes from this movie is, “If you find it hard to believe in me, maybe it would help you to know that I believe in you.”
O God ought to be on the list, Beverly.
Why not, Earl? Someone suggested Schindler’s List.
Walking Across Egypt.
I don’t know that film, Pam, unless that is related to the book Clyde Edgerton wrote.
There is a wonderful stage play based on the book. Greenville Little Theater performed it last year. I do not know the movie either.
Frank, You’ve got to give me a better clue than that! I saw “God’s Man in Texas” at Trustus Theater in Columbia a few years ago, a sad story about W.A. Criswell’s resistance to retiring and letting go.