Cross-cultural effectiveness of Christian message films: Taiwanese responses to the concepts of God and Christianity in the film 'Bruce Almighty'

In recent years, an increasing number of films with Christian messages or which have elements within them that could point people to the Christian faith have been produced in the United States and worldwide. The usage in church or in evangelical efforts of such films in a cross-cultural context has increased. This study explored the social influences of Bruce Almighty, a popular feature film, on Christian and non-Christian college students in Taiwan. By applying McGuire's Communication/Persuasion Matrix, the research examined whether the study participants' level of attention, comprehension, liking, agreement, and intended spiritual behaviors changed after viewing the film. The results suggested that messages about God and Christianity within Bruce Almighty had a significant positive influence on many Taiwanese college students' perceptions of God and Christianity. Both Christian and non-Christian viewers appeared to be influenced by the films' religious messages, although it was Christian believers who tended to be most responsive. It also was discovered that age, education, having Christian family members, "openness" and perceived relevance of Christianity all had some bearing on whether the religious messages in Bruce Almighty influenced those that viewed the film.