Higher Up and Farther In
Various Works
Reviewed by R.C. Sproul Jr.

Hi, my name is RC, and I'm a TV-aholic. Thankfully I've been in recovery for about eight years. It wasn't Bill W.'s book that helped me, but Ken Myers' All God Children and Blue Suede Shoes, and Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death. After reading those books I set out on a mind exercise program. No more television of course. But what would I do with my evenings? I knew I wasn't in good enough shape to curl up with Turretin. But I wanted to get there. Step one in the weaning/training process was to read junk novels. I went through the entire Dirk Pitt series by Clive Cussler. Then I went to novels of importance that were still easy to read. I read Dracula with the strains of the Mass is D minor playing, and reread The Scarlet Letter. Then I read biographies, Here I Stand on Luther, and Ian Murray's biography of Edwards. By then television had lost its taste (perhaps appeal is a better word).

At this point my evening reading isn't heavy theology, but it is a heavier than Tom Clancy. On my bed stand lies Paul Johnson's Birth of the Modern. Perhaps it's a failure of my recovery, but I still search for good books that are fun. And when my search ends in failure, I turn to C.S. Lewis. I have been through the Narnia Chronicles and The Space Triology over fifty times total. It is the reading equivalent of comfort food for me.

The Namia Chronicles are like Veggie-Tales, made for kids but plenty of morsels for the grown-ups. The stories charm, and with each reading one sees more of the gospel. But I read them for pleasure, because they are good clean fun. Of course one has to watch out for the slips into Arminianism, but these are stories, not theological treatises. That though doesn't stop me from being moved by the gospel as Aslan breathes His last, (well, at least until the resurrection) or the hope of the future as the whole crew moves ever higher up and farther in after The Last Battle. (That phrase, by the way, "higher up and farther in" was one of three reasons for choosing The Highlands Study Center for our name. None of those reasons included the fact that we live in what is called the Highlands of Virginia. We didn't know that until after we named the study center.) Nor does it stop me from being stirred by duty when Trampkin declares after volunteering for a mission he advised against, "I know the difference between giving advice and taking orders." Nor can I help but reflect on my own egotism and insecurity as I watch Mark mentally tortured by post-modern vagaries in That Hideous Strength.

If you haven't read these works, read them. Don't let your own egotism stop you from enjoying children's stories, or the out of vogue science fiction genre. And read them like stories, don't let pleasure be overcome by dissecting the world view. Be careful, but have a good time.

Across the Eighth Dimension
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, directed by W.D. Richter
Reviewed by Laurence Windham

Every now and then by action or by speech, a person will unintentionally throw open a window of their being that reveals more about them than you knew, suspected, or would ever want to know. It is rare indeed for such to be published. But this particular issue of ETC is about pleasure, and I have to confess that I really like the movie, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension.

Now this is not an epic, as one might think from the title. But it is a fun film about loyalty, camaraderie, and fighting the evil Lectoids. The cast was made up of some good actors during their younger days: Peter Weller, Ellen Barkin, John Lithgow, Jeff Goldblum, and Christopher Lloyd. The story is a classic formula of good versus evil that combines sci-fi, Rock and Roll, romance and comedy into a mix that is quirky, quotable, and not quite for everyone. Actually this might be classified as a 'guy" movie, as I cannot recall any female liking it. Anyway, do not run out and rent this movie thinking your life will be forever enriched. The reason I like it so much is that you see a team of like-minded people, using their individual talents and working together toward a purpose, while also having fun. (Not unlike the Highlands Study Center.)

A film you may have missed, but do not want to miss out on is The Outsiders. This film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, tells the story of social conflict between the greasers, the lower income, wrong side of the tracks kids, and the soc's, the well- to-do preppie kids. The story is told from the perspective of Pony-boy, a reflective, sensitive member of the greasers. Pony Boy's persona is such that members of both groups respect him and come to the point of confiding their fears, ideas and desires to him. His presence transcends the way things are and have always been.

This poignant film has a superb cast of young actors that went on to make it big in Hollywood. Their performances in this movie though, are better than most if not all the work they have done since. The cast includes: Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, and C. Thomas Howell.

Sometimes on Fridays we host a movie night at our home for the college group. One such night we all enjoyed the wonderfully directed, Searching for Bobby Fischer. This movie is based on the true story of a little boy who becomes a chess playing prodigy. The classic tension of parental pressure to excel and a child's desire to be a child are portrayed here in three hanky fashion. I know the story line may not cause you to pop a wheelie on the way to the video store, but this movie is a real gem, one that I can without reservation, guarantee you will enjoy.