My Top 15 Bible/Church History Movies

Books are not always better than their movie adaptations; except when that book is The Bible, then the book is always better.

Nonetheless, this movie is arguably the best attempt (that I am aware of) to faithfully communicate the gospel while still being of a reasonably good production quality. Unfortunately, too many movies about the gospels cannot claim the faithfulness of this film.

The Gospel of John film is a careful adaptation of it's namesake gospel, based on the Good News Bible. It's the best.

This is probably the best produced movie about Christ available. It effectively communicates the death and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all of us who choose him. This film is brutal and immensely powerful, but I would classify this is required viewing for all film buffs and bible believers alike.

This happened. The 'why' is what is so tough to experience.

Romans 5:8, Isaiah 53:5

Admittedly, I am not a fan of Cecil B. DeMille's slew of Biblical epic's. This is the exception.

The significance of this film as a true silver screen classic is undeniable. Anyone who has ever watched television on a Good Friday has probably seen it through, even if fragmented.

This epic remains the best on-screen portrayal of one of the most significant portions of the Old Testament.

This is a topic that has drawn me in absolute wonder since childhood. Where movies like "The Mission" gained tremendous viewership over the decades for the portrayal of missionaries in the new world, this Canadian-made sleeper has the staying power that separates it from comparison.

Brian Moore's book about a Jesuit priest in the party of Samuel de Champlain, in "The Land God Gave to Cain," is well adapted and effectively communicates the call of the apostle.

This is required viewing for any film and/or Canadian history buff.

The story of David and Bathsheba told with a Hollywood spin (did he just enter the Holy of Holies???). As usual, Gregory Peck is solid and the movie is effective at portraying David at a dark point in his life. Stick this one out as it attempts to illustrate greater accuracy than most of this genre, just be patient.

This is certainly not a picture of the David who penned "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple." Rather, this is a David who has rebelled in his heart, pursued his lusts, and and murdered to cover it up.

This is a worth while watch for fans of the biblical epics.

Human history is often a dirty topic. Even the folk heroes of humanity can be someone else's villain. The same is true for Oliver Cromwell, who's memory is hated and despised in Ireland to this day. Whereas this movie communicates Oliver Cromwell's puritan passion, seemingly absent of fault, both stars Alec Guiness (Charles I) and Richard Harris (Cromwell) play their characters with dignity and respect.

As a movie, standing alone, "Cromwell" portrays one side of the man and fails to shed light on the dirtier sides of the story. A more accurate biopic may have illuminated the more complex story of the English civil war and it's figures. Nevertheless, this movie effectively portrays a period of European church history and it's shaping of the west. As a stand alone movie, this film probably deserves wider recognition; it's entirely worth seeing.

Decent illustration of Abraham, albeit the film seems to fill in some historical gaps from the apocryphal Book of Jasher.

Unlike the 1998 sequel to this mini-series, the original 1993 entries were substantially longer and accordingly had much more to work with. This movie takes advantage of this time allotment.

If you're reading this list, this is probably worth your time. And Richard Harris is always a treat.

Probably the best biblical movie about the Christmas story. Definitely worth the watch.

Human history is often a dirty topic. Even the folk heroes of humanity can be someone else's villain.

With full respects to Martin Luther as a great reformer, which he was, this movie avoids his polarizing anti-Semitic teachings. Right, wrong, or indifferent, biopics should have additional criteria to be judged by than those of pure fiction. Unfortunately, a more accurate biopic may have illuminated the more complex story of the father of the protestant reformation.

Nonetheless, "Luther" is a worthwhile viewing standing alone, as it adapts immensely significant history to the screen, such as Luther's 95 Thesis on the church door... I think Luther would have been a blogger.

McDreamy is the wailing prophet!!!

I came into this movie with little expectation, so I suppose I was impressionable. But given it's brief 1-1/2 hour time allotment, it accomplished more than I expected, especially considering that the setting of the movie was a great exile and the subject was one of the major prophets.

McDreamy is adequate if you can forget he is, well... McDreamy. This was a challenge.

Admittedly, this movie gets a little hammy at times, and contains probably the most neutered version of Xerxes possible (pardon the eunuch joke, but this is ancient Persia we're talking about). Xerxes here is only a few Xerxes short of being the world's first boy band.

But hey, it's a reunion of legendary movie icons Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif, so say no more.

This movie tells the story of Esther and the orgins of the Jewish celebration of Purim. If you're reading this list you'd probably be interested in seeing this movie.