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Canada's Churches get Biblical Epic
by Bible Network News Staff

Jesus (Henry Ian Cusick) and His disciples in a scene from The Gospel of John.

TORONTO, Canada, April 8, 2004 — Lost amid the media frenzy surrounding The Passion of the Christ is the other Biblical epic released this past year. Lost, at least, until now, when Canadian churches have been given the opportunity to screen The Gospel of John for themselves.

The Canadian Bible Society announced last week that it has teamed up with Visual Bible International Inc., producer of the critically acclaimed film, to bring John to Canada's Christian community.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Bible Society can negotiate licensing arrangements with churches for public showings of the film.

What the critics are saying about The Gospel of John:

**** out of five stars!
"Illuminating! "The Gospel of John" is superior to almost all religious films ever made. Henry Ian Cusick is the finest and most refined Christ in film history!"

- The Toronto Sun

"A handsome, polished production with textual integrity. Henry Ian Cusick presents an assured, robust portrayal of Jesus."

- The Globe and Mail

"Stunning! ‘The Gospel of John' approaches the biblical text with humility and reverence as a basic point of reference for Christian and non-Christian alike. Kudos to Drabinsky, Saville and company for reminding us just how revolutionary Jesus was – and is."

- The Catholic Register

"The Gospel of John" is the most religiously significant film in years."

- DecentFilms.com

"This is the greatest story ever told-told in the greatest way imaginable!"

- Movieguide

"From a believer's point of view, it's a stunning re-enactment. Even a regular churchgoer will not often even read an entire Gospel in one sitting, much less hear it spoken aloud, much less see it re-enacted, and the effect is not only mesmerizing, but illuminating."

- United Methodist Reporter

In much the same way that churches have bought blocks of tickets to The Passion, it is hoped that they might also see John as a rallying point for their congregations. One of the main criticisms of Mel Gibson's film is that it doesn't provide any background information to give context to Christ's suffering and death on the Cross. John, on the other hand, "answers all the questions that the Gibson movie poses," says David Duncan, coordinator of the project for the Society, "It just fills out the whole story."

Indeed, the film was hailed as an "excellent teaching tool for adolescents and teens to become familiar with Jesus and what He stood for" by the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Duncan agrees. "The film is the Word of God, word for word from the Good News Translation," he points out, "this makes it an extremely reliable instructional tool on the Gospel."

"The other great part of this program," he says, "is that it involves minimal cost - if any - to the churches." This is because churches are given the opportunity to recoup their licensing costs simply by purchasing a number of DVD or VHS copies of the film which they can resell to their own congregations. For example, a congregation of 150 people can purchase as few as eight copies at $59.99 for a total of $479.92 to offset their costs and be permitted to show the film publicly up to six times in a twelve month period.

So far, the program is a great success. A recent screening at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, for example, saw a packed amphitheatre. Additionally, the minimum sales figure was hit before the lights were even dimmed. "What a thrill to be part of this ministry," says Wilf Wight, District Director for the region, noting that attendees of the film "voiced sincere and deep appreciation."

"In many ways, the Gospel of John Project brings the Canadian Bible Society back to its roots," says Duncan. "Bible Society work began in Canada in 1804 with the Gospel of John, when it was published for the first time in the Mohawk language. Now, 200 years later, the Canadian Bible Society is once again bringing John's Gospel to Canadians." In time, Duncan would like to see the film screened either publicly or privately by every household in Canada.

The Bible Society also has The Gospel of John available for sale in both DVD and VHS format. To purchase a copy, visit www.biblescanada.com (Canadian residents only) or contact your local Canadian Bible Society office.

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