We live in a metamodern age—an era oscillating between modern and postmodern rhythms: irony and sincerity, doubt and desire, skepticism and hope. Technology streams film and music across global screens, drawing us into shared spaces where spiritual questions surface. People confess wounds, explore identity, and seek transcendence not only in sanctuaries but also in theaters, playlists, fandoms, and online communities—the places where dialogue flows.
For Christians, this cultural moment presents a prime opportunity for evangelism efforts to transition from surface-level engagement to deeper understanding by applying Francis Schaeffer’s four standards—technical excellence, validity, intellectual content, and integration of content and vehicle — to metamodern tropes. These principles help believers navigate cultural streams with discernment and hope, shifting from moral scorekeeping to gospel-centered analysis that fosters authentic dialogue (Col. 4:5–6).
In a metamodern age, film and music are not obstacles to evangelism—they are mission fields, flowing with longing, confession, and searching—the very waters where Jesus calls His people to fish.
We will explore the metamodern dynamics of the Wicked and Wicked: For Good double-feature (a non-Christian work) and Sho Baraka’s Midnight of a Good Culture (an overtly Christian work). Both create cultural “streams” where spiritual longing surfaces—inviting Christians to engage thoughtfully and cast their nets for ongoing gospel-centered dialogue.
Applying Schaeffer’s Standards to Wicked and Wicked: For Good
The Wicked two-part movie adaptation is steeped in metamodern themes. It dismantles unjust systems while affirming sincerity, friendship, and hope, exploring identity, injustice, forgiveness, and the enduring question of whether goodness can survive in a fractured world. That said, here is how to connect the film with Schaeffer’s four standards:
Technical Excellence as a Bridge. The Wicked films showcase critically acclaimed production design and award-winning costumes, enriched by color symbolism, genre-blending choreography, and layered musical craftsmanship. Francis Schaeffer urged Christians to affirm technical excellence as a reflection of the imago Dei in human creativity. Asking “What scene or sound moved you most, and why does beauty hold such power?” casts a question that shifts conversations to transcendence and the God who authors beauty (Isa. 55:8–9; Ps. 19:1–4; Rom. 1:20).
Validity as Emotional Honesty in a Broken World. Metamodern art thrives on sincere contradictions, and Wicked reveals this tension. Elphaba longs for justice yet feels powerless; Glinda craves admiration but yearns for integrity; the Wizard hides insecurity behind spectacle. Rejecting simplistic resolutions, the films reveal emotional honesty—envy, grief, confusion, desire—reflecting Schaeffer’s principle of “validity,” the integrity of the artist’s inner world. Asking “Do you feel tension between who you are and who you want to be?” surfaces universal longings for wholeness and need for God’s presence (Ps. 147:3; John 10:10; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 5:7).
Intellectual Content as Worldview Themes of Power, Propaganda, and Redemption. Wicked conveys a worldview shaped by critiques of corrupt institutions, fragile truth, and humanity’s craving for belonging and redemption. Although not Christian, it reflects universal desires for justice and a sense of identity. Asking “Why do we root for Elphaba’s redemption?” uncovers moral intuitions God placed in every heart (Ecc. 3:11; Prov. 20:27; Rom. 2:14–15).
Integration of Content and Vehicle as Musical Motion. Schaeffer’s fourth standard asks whether artistic form reinforces content. Wicked seamlessly integrates musical form and narrative meaning with metamodern nuance, exemplified by irony in “Popular,” longing in “I’m Not That Girl,” defiant hope in “Defying Gravity,” and sacrificial love in “For Good.” Harmony, color, and choreography embody the narrative’s oscillation between despair and hope. Asking “How did the music reveal why personal choices in the story mattered?” identifies how storytelling awakens spiritual sensitivity (Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23; 18:10-35).
Applying Schaeffer’s Standards to Sho Baraka’s Midnight of a Good Culture
If Wicked offers a metamodern musical fantasy, Sho Baraka’s album exhibits a metamodern approach to applied theology through hip-hop. His work weaves lament, humor, social critique, marital reflection, Black historical consciousness, worship, and political insight into one of the richest examples of Christian metamodern expression to date.
Technical Excellence as a Polymath’s Craft. Sho Baraka conveys mastery of metaphor-rich, rhyme structures, jazz-soul-boom-bap fusion, and soulful cadence with lyrical depth. Schaeffer’s call to affirm artistic skill applies strongly here. Highlighting Sho’s craftsmanship goes beyond aesthetics—it recognizes creativity as a reflection of the imago Dei. By attributing his artistry to God’s gift, we affirm that beauty and skill originate in the Creator, deepening respect for the regenerate artist and strengthening their credibility of evangelism (Matt. 25:14–30; 1 Cor. 10:31; James 2:14–26).
Validity as Hip-Hop Confession. Sho’s honesty is metamodern to the core: he admits marital strain, shame, repentance, exhaustion, faith crises, political frustration, and gratitude. His art oscillates between prophetic critique and personal confession. Asking “Why are we drawn to art that tells the truth about our brokenness?” creates space for honest reflections about sin, grace, and the God who heals (Ps 32; 51; 2 Cor. 12:9-10; James 5:16; 1 John 1:8-10).
Intellectual Content as Christ-Centered Black Imagination. Sho’s Christian worldview is deeply rooted in the Black intellectual tradition, drawing on voices such as Du Bois, Wheatley, Hughes, Baldwin, and the Black church. His work critiques nationalism and Black nihilism, affirms justice, celebrates beauty and marriage, and anticipates eschatological reconciliation. Asking “Sho imagines a future of restoration—what would a world made whole look like to you, and who could make that possible?” creates dialogue exploring God’s vision for the City of God, inhabited by redeemed humanity (Heb. 11; Rev. 7:9–11; 21–22).
Integration of Content and Vehicle as Applied Theology. The album’s dawn-to-midnight arc mirrors a spiritual pilgrimage—awakening, conflict, lament, repentance, and rest. Its structure reflects Sho’s theology, rooted in Scripture’s four plot movements: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Asking “Which part of the album felt most like your own story?” provides space to share personal testimony (2 Cor. 5:17–20; Eph. 2:1–10).
Evangelism in a Metamodern Age
Both Wicked and Sho Baraka reveal the power of metamodernism to express spiritual longing. Their oscillation between sincerity and irony, critique and hope mirrors the emotional terrain where the gospel speaks clearly. Applying Schaeffer’s standards enables Christians to affirm beauty, embrace honesty, discern worldview, and engage art with spiritual attentiveness. In a metamodern age, film and music are not obstacles to evangelism—they are mission fields, flowing with longing, confession, and searching—the very waters where Jesus calls His people to fish.
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