Scott
Puritan Board Graduate
This is my longer analysis of the Kingdom of Heaven. Appreciate any feedback. [SPOILER WARNING]
The Kingdom of Heaven is an anti-religion humanist epic. The moral of the story is that humanism is better than religion. KOH uses a traditional storytelling formula designed to convince people to reject a particular belief or worldview. A sympathetic hero begins the story believing in the worldview the screenwriter wants to discredit. After seeing the worldview for what it really is (according to the storyteller at least), the hero reluctantly rejects that worldview in favor of one the screenwriter wants to endorse. In this case the hero, Balian, starts as a Christian. Through the tribulations of a crusade, he bravely and nobly becomes a humanist.
Humanism is an ethical philosophy that involves the search for truth and morality through purely human means in support of purely human interests. In focusing on man´s capacity for self-determination, humanism rejects transcendental justifications, such as the supernatural and divine revelation (such as the Bible). Humanism also tends to be egalitarian, seeking to make all people equal in terms of wealth and societal status. The movie advocates all of these features of humanism.
It should be noted at the beginning that the movie does portray many real problems in Christianity and religion. For example, the real world has religious hypocrites, crimes done in Christ´s name, and dangerous theology (eg. the Roman theology of suicide or the burning dead bodies). The failing with KOH is its solution to these problems. The hero´s victory does not come by convincing the hypocrite to be authentic, reforming bad practices in religion, or reforming theology. Rather, KOH advocates the rejection of religion altogether. This statement by one the knights depicted by the movie as wise sums up the whole film: "œI put no stock in religion."
The movie starts with Balian as a blacksmith in a small French village. His beloved wife has committed suicide. This event begins the portrayal of religion as wicked. According to the theological understanding of the time, suicide was believed to be an irredeemable sin. In other words, if someone committed suicide he or she went to hell. The village priest (who symbolizes religion generally) not only refuses to bury her but also posthumously punishes her by having her head cut off.
This is a good example of a real problem that the movie could have handled with a good solution. No sin is irredeemable. If a genuine Christian is so overcome by the lies the Devil that he commits suicide, he will still go to heaven. That sin, like all others, has been redeemed by Christ. The Roman theology of the time was wrong on this point. Balian´s ultimate response to this and other problems is to reject religion. A better response to the same problem was seen in the Luther movie. A boy committed suicide and the people expect he will go to hell. Like Balian, Luther was faced with a a crises of what to make of this. Instead of rejecting religion altogether, Luther challenges this theology of suicide on Christian grounds. He says the boy was overcome by the deception of the Devil and that God will forgive him. Luther insists on burying the boy with a Christian burial and says last rites over him. It is the same problem (the incorrect theological notion of suicide as an irredeemable sin), but the movies have very different solutions. In KOH it is a step towards the rejection of religion. In Luther it leads to purification of religion.
The priest has other problems. He is a thief. He steals a gold cross off the corpse. He is also cruel. He mocks the grieving Balian, jeering that Balian´s wife is in hell. With a smile, he wonders what she is doing in hell with no head. The priest models the wickedness present in nearly every religious authority in the movie. Balian murders the priest in a fit of rage and seeks forgiveness by going to Jerusalem.
A series of events in Jerusalem move Balian toward humanism. This includes seeing Muslims pray (they look so similar to Christian prayers "“ implying a moral equivalence), experiencing the peace between religions provided by the humanistic perspectives of the humanistic Christian King of Jerusalem and the humanistic Muslim Saladin, discussions with wise men such as his father and the King of Jerusalem, witnessing the bloodlust and avarice of the most dedicated religious orders, and confrontations with religious authorities, such as the Bishop of Jerusalem.
The most explicit expression of humanism is in a dialogue between Balian and a wise knight, identified only as the Hospitaler (an medieval order of knight-monks):
Hospitaler:
How do you find Jerusalem?
Balian:
God does not speak to me. Not even on the hill where Christ died. I am outside of God´s grace.
Hospitaler:
I have not heard that.
Balian:
At any rate, it seems that I have lost my religion.
Hospitaler:
I put no stock in religion. By the word "œreligion" I´ve seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. And goodness, what God desires, is here [pointing to Balian´s head] and here [pointing to Balian´s heart]. By what you decide every day, you will be a good man. Or not.
The statement "œI put no stock in religion" sums up the whole movie. The Hospilater´s statement that fanatics use the "œwill of God" as an excuse for any action is supported at several points in the movie where both Christians and Muslims claims contradictory things are God´s will. The Hospitaler´s ethics are purely human-centered, an essential feature of humanism. And the source of ethics, the head and heart, or reason and emotion, are the final sources of humanistic ethics as well.
Balian´s confrontations with religious authorities also move him toward humanism. Here are a few examples of encounters with the Christian bishop of Jerusalem:
 Before the Muslims lay siege to Jerusalem, the bishop tells Balian that the two of them should sneak out the back of the city and escape on horses. Balian asks about the people and the bishop basically says "œtoo bad for them but it is God´s will." Balian declines the coward´s exit. This scene shows the Christian as unconcerned about people. The humanist loves people and will defend them. The humanist is the hero.
 After a day of being seiged by the Muslims, Balian orders the bodies of the dead burned in order to prevent disease. The priest objects on religious grounds. Balian says something to the effect of "œGod will understand. If He does not, He is not God and we need not be concerned."
 Right before the Muslims are about to break through the gates of Jerusalem, the bishop advises "œConvert to Islam and repent later." With scorn, Balian turns and says, "œI am learning allot about religion from you." In other words, religion is fraud and hypocrisy. Who needs it?
In the end Balian learns to rely on his own independent conscience and human wisdom rather than on anything transcendent. He delivers his most explicit affirmation of humanism in a speech rallying his troops to fight off the last wave of Muslims. He says that the troops should not fight for God or any transcendent reason but rather "œfor the people in the walls." At this, the Bishop exclaims that Balian is speaking blasphemy "“ and he is right. Balian´s speech humanistic to the core. Moral action does not have or need a transcendent (God) justification. Rather, the only thing that justifies it is humanity.
Balian fights and lives for a "œKingdom of Conscience" "“ which is an important phrase that shows up at key points the movie. That term is often repeated, which means that the screenwriter thinks it is important for the audience to pick up. It is clear that the Kingdom of Conscience is morality based on human experience, reason, and emotion independent of God. Looking to one´s purely human conscience is a better source than looking to any transcendent source, like God, religion, the Bible, or anything beyond human reason. The Humanist Manifesto II reads, in part: "œWe affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational needing no theological or ideological sanction. Ethics stems from human need and interest." That is the Kingdom of Conscience that movie advocates.
The contrast of this movie´s humanism with Christianity is stark. The greatest law in Christianity is to love God with all one´s mind, heart, and soul. The second greatest law is to love one´s neighbor as oneself. Humanism seeks to have a form of the second while rejecting the first. Also, the source of Christian ethics is transcendent, meaning Christian morality comes from God, not man. To put it simply, "œThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7. In contrast to making one´s own autonomous reason and experience the ultimate standard, Proverbs 3:5-6 cautions: "œTrust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." That is not the way the Hospitaler, or any of the good guys, sees things in KOH.
There is one other point worth mentioning. This is an anti-religion movie, not just an anti-Christian movie. It is true that the Christians are depicted as fanatical, bizarre, bloodthirsty, and generally repulsive. The Muslims are not. But the movie attacks religion generally. This is illustrated in the confrontation between Saladin and a religious Muslim. The movie portrays Saladin as a wise Muslim ruler. The religious Muslim tells Saladin to rely on God for victory over his enemies. Saladin says that we should instead rely on human wisdom. The religious Muslim (who is not depicted as fanatical) says that Saladin won't rule long with that kind of attitude (a vague threat perhaps). Saladin says that in that case he "quakes for Islam." Wise Saladin advocates the human and earthly over the transcendence of the religious muslim. Saladin is essentially a secular Muslim - he retains the outward trappings of Islam but advocates humanism. He is essentially of the same stuff as the other humanists of the movie, Godfrey, the Hospitaler, the King of Jerusalem, and others. The differences between these men are external. They appear and talk the language of their respective religions but at core they are all humanists.
[Edited on 2-21-2006 by Scott]
The Kingdom of Heaven is an anti-religion humanist epic. The moral of the story is that humanism is better than religion. KOH uses a traditional storytelling formula designed to convince people to reject a particular belief or worldview. A sympathetic hero begins the story believing in the worldview the screenwriter wants to discredit. After seeing the worldview for what it really is (according to the storyteller at least), the hero reluctantly rejects that worldview in favor of one the screenwriter wants to endorse. In this case the hero, Balian, starts as a Christian. Through the tribulations of a crusade, he bravely and nobly becomes a humanist.
Humanism is an ethical philosophy that involves the search for truth and morality through purely human means in support of purely human interests. In focusing on man´s capacity for self-determination, humanism rejects transcendental justifications, such as the supernatural and divine revelation (such as the Bible). Humanism also tends to be egalitarian, seeking to make all people equal in terms of wealth and societal status. The movie advocates all of these features of humanism.
It should be noted at the beginning that the movie does portray many real problems in Christianity and religion. For example, the real world has religious hypocrites, crimes done in Christ´s name, and dangerous theology (eg. the Roman theology of suicide or the burning dead bodies). The failing with KOH is its solution to these problems. The hero´s victory does not come by convincing the hypocrite to be authentic, reforming bad practices in religion, or reforming theology. Rather, KOH advocates the rejection of religion altogether. This statement by one the knights depicted by the movie as wise sums up the whole film: "œI put no stock in religion."
The movie starts with Balian as a blacksmith in a small French village. His beloved wife has committed suicide. This event begins the portrayal of religion as wicked. According to the theological understanding of the time, suicide was believed to be an irredeemable sin. In other words, if someone committed suicide he or she went to hell. The village priest (who symbolizes religion generally) not only refuses to bury her but also posthumously punishes her by having her head cut off.
This is a good example of a real problem that the movie could have handled with a good solution. No sin is irredeemable. If a genuine Christian is so overcome by the lies the Devil that he commits suicide, he will still go to heaven. That sin, like all others, has been redeemed by Christ. The Roman theology of the time was wrong on this point. Balian´s ultimate response to this and other problems is to reject religion. A better response to the same problem was seen in the Luther movie. A boy committed suicide and the people expect he will go to hell. Like Balian, Luther was faced with a a crises of what to make of this. Instead of rejecting religion altogether, Luther challenges this theology of suicide on Christian grounds. He says the boy was overcome by the deception of the Devil and that God will forgive him. Luther insists on burying the boy with a Christian burial and says last rites over him. It is the same problem (the incorrect theological notion of suicide as an irredeemable sin), but the movies have very different solutions. In KOH it is a step towards the rejection of religion. In Luther it leads to purification of religion.
The priest has other problems. He is a thief. He steals a gold cross off the corpse. He is also cruel. He mocks the grieving Balian, jeering that Balian´s wife is in hell. With a smile, he wonders what she is doing in hell with no head. The priest models the wickedness present in nearly every religious authority in the movie. Balian murders the priest in a fit of rage and seeks forgiveness by going to Jerusalem.
A series of events in Jerusalem move Balian toward humanism. This includes seeing Muslims pray (they look so similar to Christian prayers "“ implying a moral equivalence), experiencing the peace between religions provided by the humanistic perspectives of the humanistic Christian King of Jerusalem and the humanistic Muslim Saladin, discussions with wise men such as his father and the King of Jerusalem, witnessing the bloodlust and avarice of the most dedicated religious orders, and confrontations with religious authorities, such as the Bishop of Jerusalem.
The most explicit expression of humanism is in a dialogue between Balian and a wise knight, identified only as the Hospitaler (an medieval order of knight-monks):
Hospitaler:
How do you find Jerusalem?
Balian:
God does not speak to me. Not even on the hill where Christ died. I am outside of God´s grace.
Hospitaler:
I have not heard that.
Balian:
At any rate, it seems that I have lost my religion.
Hospitaler:
I put no stock in religion. By the word "œreligion" I´ve seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. And goodness, what God desires, is here [pointing to Balian´s head] and here [pointing to Balian´s heart]. By what you decide every day, you will be a good man. Or not.
The statement "œI put no stock in religion" sums up the whole movie. The Hospilater´s statement that fanatics use the "œwill of God" as an excuse for any action is supported at several points in the movie where both Christians and Muslims claims contradictory things are God´s will. The Hospitaler´s ethics are purely human-centered, an essential feature of humanism. And the source of ethics, the head and heart, or reason and emotion, are the final sources of humanistic ethics as well.
Balian´s confrontations with religious authorities also move him toward humanism. Here are a few examples of encounters with the Christian bishop of Jerusalem:
 Before the Muslims lay siege to Jerusalem, the bishop tells Balian that the two of them should sneak out the back of the city and escape on horses. Balian asks about the people and the bishop basically says "œtoo bad for them but it is God´s will." Balian declines the coward´s exit. This scene shows the Christian as unconcerned about people. The humanist loves people and will defend them. The humanist is the hero.
 After a day of being seiged by the Muslims, Balian orders the bodies of the dead burned in order to prevent disease. The priest objects on religious grounds. Balian says something to the effect of "œGod will understand. If He does not, He is not God and we need not be concerned."
 Right before the Muslims are about to break through the gates of Jerusalem, the bishop advises "œConvert to Islam and repent later." With scorn, Balian turns and says, "œI am learning allot about religion from you." In other words, religion is fraud and hypocrisy. Who needs it?
In the end Balian learns to rely on his own independent conscience and human wisdom rather than on anything transcendent. He delivers his most explicit affirmation of humanism in a speech rallying his troops to fight off the last wave of Muslims. He says that the troops should not fight for God or any transcendent reason but rather "œfor the people in the walls." At this, the Bishop exclaims that Balian is speaking blasphemy "“ and he is right. Balian´s speech humanistic to the core. Moral action does not have or need a transcendent (God) justification. Rather, the only thing that justifies it is humanity.
Balian fights and lives for a "œKingdom of Conscience" "“ which is an important phrase that shows up at key points the movie. That term is often repeated, which means that the screenwriter thinks it is important for the audience to pick up. It is clear that the Kingdom of Conscience is morality based on human experience, reason, and emotion independent of God. Looking to one´s purely human conscience is a better source than looking to any transcendent source, like God, religion, the Bible, or anything beyond human reason. The Humanist Manifesto II reads, in part: "œWe affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational needing no theological or ideological sanction. Ethics stems from human need and interest." That is the Kingdom of Conscience that movie advocates.
The contrast of this movie´s humanism with Christianity is stark. The greatest law in Christianity is to love God with all one´s mind, heart, and soul. The second greatest law is to love one´s neighbor as oneself. Humanism seeks to have a form of the second while rejecting the first. Also, the source of Christian ethics is transcendent, meaning Christian morality comes from God, not man. To put it simply, "œThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7. In contrast to making one´s own autonomous reason and experience the ultimate standard, Proverbs 3:5-6 cautions: "œTrust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." That is not the way the Hospitaler, or any of the good guys, sees things in KOH.
There is one other point worth mentioning. This is an anti-religion movie, not just an anti-Christian movie. It is true that the Christians are depicted as fanatical, bizarre, bloodthirsty, and generally repulsive. The Muslims are not. But the movie attacks religion generally. This is illustrated in the confrontation between Saladin and a religious Muslim. The movie portrays Saladin as a wise Muslim ruler. The religious Muslim tells Saladin to rely on God for victory over his enemies. Saladin says that we should instead rely on human wisdom. The religious Muslim (who is not depicted as fanatical) says that Saladin won't rule long with that kind of attitude (a vague threat perhaps). Saladin says that in that case he "quakes for Islam." Wise Saladin advocates the human and earthly over the transcendence of the religious muslim. Saladin is essentially a secular Muslim - he retains the outward trappings of Islam but advocates humanism. He is essentially of the same stuff as the other humanists of the movie, Godfrey, the Hospitaler, the King of Jerusalem, and others. The differences between these men are external. They appear and talk the language of their respective religions but at core they are all humanists.
[Edited on 2-21-2006 by Scott]
