Amidst countless new entries this year on Taylor’s student-run radio station, WTUR, one show host will seek to draw a deep connection between cinematic art and the Christian faith.
Graham Abney, a sophomore film and media arts major, will be hosting “Our Faith on Film” every Wednesday on WTUR from 4 to 4:50 p.m. with guest appearances during each show.
The WTUR radio station has been moved to the Horne Academic Center, Ben Reitz, a junior film and media arts major and the station audio production manager, said. Currently, the station is not fully set up, but it will be ready to launch in the next two weeks.
WTUR has almost a complete roster of brand-new shows this year, Reitz added.
Abney aims to give people the opportunity to hear more about faith-based films and find a deeper meaning in them when listening to “Our Faith on Film.”
While there has been some disdain in culture for Christian filmmaking recently, television shows like “The Chosen” have still increased in popularity, Abney said. He has found himself deeply interested in finding value and meaning in these works, while also drawing lessons from popular media that aren’t overtly Christian.
“I've always loved film, and I just admire storytelling and the power of storytelling,” he said. “As a Christian, I think there's so much value in watching movies and finding the subtext hidden in movies that we can apply to our faith.”
A section of the show will talk about a featured guest’s experience with film storytelling before Abney will delve into the premise and notable points about the movie they have chosen to analyze. During his 50 minutes on Taylor’s student radio station, Abney will sprinkle in lesser-known trivia and fun facts about the movie of the week.
A later section of “Our Faith on Film” will be devoted to having a deeper discussion about theological takeaways from the movie.
Abney was first inspired to start the show after Josh Walsh, a producer of For King & Country’s “Unsung Hero” movie, talked to film students when visiting Taylor for a screening of the unreleased movie. During the conversation, Walsh emphasized the various challenges of making a film from a Christian perspective that doesn’t patronize the audience or become propaganda.
Abney realized that his interest in exploring themes, subtext and the deeper lessons from faith-filled films while having conversations with other people about it could make a good radio show.
The upcoming first episode of “Our Faith on Film” will feature sophomores Gracelyn Fletcher and Ella Cook, two of Abney’s friends who he spent time with in the 2024 spring semester when working on a short film project. Together, they will be taking a look at “The Truman Show," a comedic science-fiction movie about mass media and its implications on reality.
“I felt like there's so much deeper meaning there than on the surface,” Abney said. “It's an entertaining story, but as a Christian—as a young person, finding your way in the world, and just kind of opening your eyes to maybe what the world tells you is acceptable or what you should strive for.”
Abney added that he has a gigantic and diversely selected list of movies, ranging from silent films to recent cinematic phenomenons. His list includes “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “The Prince of Egypt” and “The Passion of Joan of Arc.”
Faith plays a vital role in helping Christians to see the artist in people who create stories through film, Caleb Joshua Heffron, a junior multimedia journalism major and music director for WTUR, said. Creating films can provide an avenue for Christians to express their faith, whether they are exploring nature, people or God.
Heffron said that even though stories are told that are contrary to the Christian faith, it doesn’t mean that Christians should ignore the beautiful aspects that movie creators have incorporated into the plot line.
“WTUR has had a long history of different movie-centered shows and podcasts, and I think that (Graham) is influencing the Christian walk into his show,” Heffron said. “His purpose is a really cool niche that hasn't gotten a lot of the time.”
