NOTE: Use the article below to collect several talking points you can use to share your faith while discussing a popular movie

Les Miserables video – the cast discusses spiritual lessons

Two months ago, there were perhaps six online articles about the spiritual themes within Les Miserables. And this despite the fact that it has been the world’s most popular musical, seen by many millions and translated into 21 languages.

Today, there are hundreds of blog posts and articles (as a Google search will show). Even mainstream secular newspapers are publishing such features. Rev Ian Bradley’s paywalled article in Britain’s The Times is typical of many thought-provoking analyses of the clear redemptive themes in the film. (Bradley is author of You’ve Got to Have a Dream: The Message of the Musical looking at the spiritual dimension of musical theater.) He comments:

I have met and interviewed three people converted to Christian faith through the experience of watching the show. It was my own experience of attending a matinee of Les Miserables in the Edinburgh Playhouse 15 years ago that first made me realize the spiritual and theological power of musical theater (a subject on which I have written extensively and now supervise PhD students and teach the only university course in the world.) I was surrounded by teenagers whose pre-show banter proclaimed them to be dedicated exponents of cool cynicism. I watched a transformation as they were caught up in, and moved to tears by, the message of forgiveness and sacrificial love.”

Has any other mainstream film ever generated such widespread discussion of Christian faith? It is God’s gift to you, to use. Internationally, it has huge potential. It is already the most popular film in Korea, ever, and is running at #2 in Japan. The story has always had great resonance across many cultures. (How about a manga version of the story?)

Here’s a ready-made article Mercy Triumphs you can freely republish online or in print, and downloadable Damaris video resources to use in meetings, youth groups or embed online. Our main Les Mis post contains a wide range of links, articles, books and other resources.

Are you planning to use Les Mis as a starting point in any way? Please share your experience here.

Crosswalk.com has produced this video, interviewing members of the cast about the spiritual themes they clearly see:

You can watch at GodTube, and embed the video in your own blog, church or other website.