The Tablet, October 31, 2009

the

tablet

A branch of the WFU School of Divinity Keeping you informed

October 31, 2009

Volume 5, Issue 4

Looney’s Top 10 Halloween movies to watch this weekend By Scott Looney Staff Writer

inside this special issue 2 Student Spotlight: Matt Johnson and DivVine

3 Should Christians celebrate Halloween? 4 Top Ten Halloween No-Nos

Holidays ought to be judged by the quality of their movies and TV specials. The following movies are not the ten best horror movies, but simply ten movies that span the horror genre and will get you in the spirit for scares and candy. 1. Trick ‘r Treat (2008): After playing to great response in horror festivals, this new Halloween anthology film has been relegated to straight-to-DVD fate. It is not great, but it is very good and will be a Halloween staple in a few years. 2. Halloween (1978): A genre-defining horror classic. No defense is needed for this slasher. 3. The Orphanage (2007) This Spanish ghost movie has moments of beauty and terror, often simultaneously. Still need convincing? It is basically a Guillermo del Toro movie, but better. 4. Rosemary’s Baby (1968): Every October you need to watch one member of the unholy Trinity (Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and

The Omen). This year make it Rosemary’s. 5. The Shining (1980): Nobody captures true madness better than Stanley Kubrick. Nothing makes for a scarier axe wielding father than a truly mad one. Do the math. 6. Freaks (1932): Halloween glorifies the macabre, and the large cast of real life sideshow “entertainers” typifies the macabre in ways no movies have or still can. 7. Drag Me to Hell (2009): This summer’s unjustly ignored outing by Sam Raimi plays like a 1980s horror great. With equal parts blood, scares, and laughs, Drag Me to Hell recaptures the fun of horror found in Raimi’s older Evil Dead series. 8. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): This movie is terrifying! Modern horror movies attempt to recapture this terror with grotesque images. They fail because it is not images that make this movie grotesque but a feeling of helplessness and an instinct to fight or flight (leaning heavily towards the latter).

Editor’s Note: I’ll be watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 9. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966): A heart-warming enjoyable classic is just what you will need after watching the original Texas Chainsaw. For anyone who ever got a rock while trick or treating, this pick is for you. 10. Nosferatu (1922): In the silent era, horror movies relied on lighting and atmosphere, and no group of early filmmakers better captured moods than the German expressionists. Nosferatu is less of a Dracula movie than a dream about a Dracula movie. If you have already seen this silent masterpiece, go for the lesser known but similar Vampyr (1932).

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Matt Johnson: Baptist Preacher Extraordinaire By Ben Wright Staff Writer

After last year’s meeting of the New Baptist Covenant, the Div School community was made aware of the superior preaching skills of Matt Johnson. This third year is proud of his Baptist identity. His dad was in the Navy, so Matt moved around frequently growing up but considers North Carolina his home. Johnson majored in music as a Wake Forest undergrad before traveling to the University of North Texas where he earned a Masters in Music and Vocal Performance. During this time he and fellow WFUSD student Clare Johnson got married. Together they moved to Philadelphia to work with urban children through an afterschool program. “We both knew we wanted to go to seminary, but we wanted some ministry experi-

ence first,” said Johnson. Having enjoyed his undergraduate experience and what the divinity school had to offer, Matt entered WFUSD in the fall of 2007. “I’m glad I did it and I’ve learned a lot from it, but it’s been difficult,” said Johnson about his Div School experience. He added that he has grown a lot and made friends that will last a lifetime. Matt has furthered his

ministerial experience by working each year in addition to his studying. He is currently the Minister of Worship and Education at Piney Grove Baptist Church in Mt. Airy, with Mark Reece, MDiv ’08, as his head pastor. Working has kept him grounded while at school. “It’s easy to get annoyed at people in the abstract, but when you have to do it, and know that people are going to come on Sunday . . . I better be prepared with something,” said Johnson. Matt has grown more committed to being a Baptist minister through his time here. The influence of progressive Baptist professors has had a lasting influence. “You have to stand somewhere,” said Johnson about being a Baptist. He added that he values the historic Baptist principles of a free and

independent church and freedom of conscious. He shared that he feels free to follow his own person beliefs about God and where his theology takes him while maintaining his identity in the tradition. Outside of class Matt enjoys relaxing in front of the TV and spending what little free time he has with Clare. “We really are best friends and like to just hang out and talk to each other,” said Johnson. Matt is also an avid Wake Forest sports fan and comes to most of the home games. He even has a Demon Deacon tattoo. Matt is grateful for his WFUSD experience. “I just think about how privileged I am to be able to be doing this, studying something I love, in a place that I love being at, with people that I really like,” said Johnson

Q: What will you be for Halloween? “My wife and I are trying to put costumes together to go as Danny Zucko and Sandra Dee from Grease - I of course will be Sandy. - Can’t find tight leather pants in my size however.” - Brian Russell, 2nd year

“A High School Musical character.” - Shannon Axtell, 2nd year

“Edgar Paul Herrington IV.” - Ben Wright, 3rd year

“The boyfriend and I are going as Rage and Zephyr, the Gay Crusaders...no, seriously.” - Adam Huffman, 2nd year

“Probably a ghost like you are when you’re a kid with a sheet and holes cut our for eyes.” - Stephen Russ, 3rd year

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Dear Sophia, I like to think of myself as a good and faithful follower of Christ and a decent representative of the Christian faith. However, every October I look around and I see all of these churches, including my own, celebrating Halloween by throwing parties. They encourage their children to dress up as witches and devils and prance about demanding candy from adults who are likewise dressed as vampires, monsters, and ghouls. It’s not that I don’t like to have fun, I love a good Christmas cantata anytime. But isn’t Halloween a pagan holiday? What place does it have in our communities of faith? - Horrified by Halloween in High Point Dear Horrified, Don’t worry, your perspective is perfectly normal. Many within the Christian tradition share your concerns. Halloween, as a celebration of that which is dark, mysterious, and even ethereal, represents things that are altogether foreign to the Christian paradigm. Several denominations choose to not cel-

Events and Announcements Second Year Guy Aiken will appear in Sonnets for an Old Century Where: Mainstage in Scales When: Friday & Saturday, 10/30 & 31, @ 7:30pWednesdaySaturday, 11/4-7, @ 7:30pSunday, 11/8, @ 2:00p Tickets: $12, $5 studentshttp://www.wfu.edu/theatre/

Worship Bulletin Nov. 3 at 11:00 a.m. in Wait Chapel: Kaleidoscope Worship Service with Rev. Joe Cobb presenting “At the Table” Visit http://wakedivchapel.wordpress.com/

ebrate the holiday, preferring All Saints Day or Reformation Day instead. Historically, Halloween began as a Celtic holiday that marked the end of summer. It was said to be a time when the space between our reality and other realms was especially thin, hence the current practice of costumes and the focus on the macabre. Churches can adopt these notions of thin space and the coming of winter and use Halloween as a time of reflection. As the days grow shorter and colder, we must always be mindful that our time here on Earth is not unlimited and we spend our days wisely. Not only can Halloween be a time to reflect on our own lives, but also on the lives of those who have gone before us. In many Hispanic cultures, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) takes the place of Halloween and is a holiday that focuses on respecting one’s ancestors and welcoming those who have passed on. Halloween can be a time of fruitful reflection and communal healing if it is understood properly and respected appropriately. -Sincerely, Sophia

the

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tablet

a branch of the WFU School of Divinity keeping you informed

Melissa Guthrie-Johnson Editor-in-Chief

Christa Chappelle Design Editor

Charles Smith Copy Editor

Adam Huffman Artwork & Photography Editor

Top Ten top 10 WFUSD Halloween No-No’s

10. Trick-or-Treat at Jason Apicella’s house at your own risk - apples and sugar-free gum await. 9. Anatomically realistic Origen costumes are frowned upon. 8. Snowflake costumes may lead to Snowflake Battles, especially if Blake Miller is around. 7. Hiding in the bushes to scare Dr. Dunn is not recommended.

Barrett Wooten Staff Writer

Ben Wright Staff Writer

Brian Layman Staff Writer

Pete Zimmerman Staff Writer The Tablet is a bi-monthly publication of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity and serves as an informative, community-building vehicle. Submissions can be e-mailed to [email protected]. Please include a contact phone number or e-mail address. Submissions must be no longer than 250 words. The right to edit is reserved. Please note that the newsletter content does not represent the views or opinions of the divinity school or all Tablet members.

6. Dr. Tupper has already called dibs on the Johnny Cash costume, so don’t try it. 5. The faculty will be hosting the first annual Judgment House - weigh the measure of your soul before attending. 4. Pagan rituals make Sister Laretta angry - you won’t like her when she’s angry. 3. Logan Lloyd has a secret identity , but he’s bashful about it. Avoid mentioning Rivoldo in front of him. 2. Don’t be confused by Jill Crainshaw’s costume - it’s a metaphor. 1. The Tablet Staff may not wear costumes, but they will make fun of yours! Beware!