He begins with a history of film as it pertains to the present enmity between the church and Hollywood. This provides insight into the origins of the stereotypes each has of the other and shows the boundary between the two as permeable. Johnson illustrates his point through Biblical precedent in which the secular world provided instruction for the people of God. The compiler of Proverbs, for example, uses 30 sayings from the Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope, a pagan source. If we believe that God has blessed all of creation, then we must also believe that God is in all of human culture.
Movies can offer wisdom and insight into culture as it grapples with the mysteries of existence.
Johnson encourages an examination of the continuum of theological approaches to film. In Johnson's model, film is a vehicle for the sacramental. Unlike other art mediums such as literature or painting, film offers a more complete visceral experience. Believers must recognize then that the heart of film is the story. In so doing it can inform our understanding of the Christian story.