SWASHBUCKLING FAITH

review by

Larry Shallenberger

SWASHBUCKLING FAITH: Exploring for Treasure with Pirates of the Caribbean

by Tim Wesemann

(Multnomah)

Reader Appeal: Youth and Adults who are fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise.

Genre: Christian Living

In the movie Dodgeball, Peter la Fleur runs the Average Joe Gym. An accepting and affirming soul, la Fleur collects an odd assortment of clients, including “Steve the Pirate”-- a fully-grown man who runs through the gym, speaking pirate jargon, dressed as a swashbuckler. When the movie approaches the height of its conflict, the normally calm Peter confronts Steve and shouts, “You’re not a Pirate.” I have to confess, I had times while reading Swashbuckling Faith when I wanted to shout similar words into the book. And somehow a few pages later, I was drawn into Wesemann’s vision of open-seas faith. Let me explain…

Swashbuckling Faith is a book of 32 short, readable devotions, each of which were inspired by the 2003 movie release Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Wesemann opens each devotional with a synopsis of a scene from the movie, followed by a biblical reflection that springboards from the film. Wesemann summons lessons on forgiveness, perseverance, salvation, the Holy Spirit, and a host of other spiritual applications from the movie. 

Wesemann writes like a boxer. He is ever light, shifting, and spry with his prose. This reader was surprised with frequent changeups from chapter to chapter. For instance, in one chapter Wesemann uses drama, in another he gives us a biblical paraphrase, in a third he interweaves a short story with biblical texts. Our guide to Captain Jack Sparrow’s world is not afraid to take chances, and he keeps us on our heels. I found myself enjoying Wesemann’s humor and spiritual applications in spite of myself.

Wesemann is obviously a huge fan of the Pirates franchise. In the acknowledgement he admits to sitting at home in his “offical Jack Sparrow Costume” while writing the book. At times his enthusiasm for pirates gets distracting. Reading Scripture in the “Jack Sparrow Translation” and wading through the “ayes” and the “shiver me timbers” became tedious at times.

Another weakness of the book was that the devotional ties to the movie were often tangential at best. This is a movie based on an amusement park ride and there’s nothing in the central theme, plot, or characters that provoke spiritual analogy. Jack’s story doesn’t parallel any biblical narrative. Jack is a loveable, drunken anti-hero—not a paragon of any discernable virtue. As a result, the spiritual connections Wesemann makes to the movie are frequently strained. For example, in the film Commodore Norrington comments, “I believe thanks are in order.” And this incidental piece of dialogue leads to a devotion on gratitude. The devotion is poignant, wise, and well written---but not truly connected to the film’s story.

FAMILYFANS RATING: Swashbuckling Faith deserves two grades. An “A” for Tim Wesemann’s writing and spiritual insights. And a “C” for attempting to mine timeless truths from a lighthearted summer blockbuster.

--LS