The Fiery Priest
Summary
The Fiery Priest is a South Korean action-comedy about a former special operations soldier-turned-Catholic-priest as he and his ragtag team of scrappy believers and lost souls take down the web of corruption plaguing their neighborhood.
Assessment
The Fiery Priest is a rare piece of media that perfectly balances Christianity with storytelling. Surprisingly rich in theology, the story never devolves into sermonizing, but demonstrates the Christian sanctification process in a solid, relatable way. The story is driven by the characters, not a Christian message, and their actions point towards either faith (if they are a protagonist) or corruption (if they are an antagonist).
The show is well-acted, directed, and written, if a little over the top on occasion for comedic purposes (it is, after all, an action-comedy). The political intrigue is a little routine, but nothing falls into agonizing cliche or boring repetition. Each character fulfills their role in a dynamic and interesting way, with several redemption arcs that do not feel forced.
A special note for Protestants: while this show does focus on a Catholic priest, it does not dive into the nitty-gritty of the Catholic faith — especially in areas where Protestants and Catholics tend to differ. Its theology remains universal to the Christian faith as a whole, with solid messages on redemption, faith, trusting in the Lord, and repentance.
Light-o-Meter
Writing: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Filmmaking: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Acting: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Cleanliness: 5 out of 7 Little Lights (for the violence, although it’s often comedic, there is a decent amount of blood and bruising)
Theological Message: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Overall: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Talk
Welcome to 2025’s first SALT article! I am super excited to share my absolute favorite piece of Christian fiction from 2024 as a way to start the new year off right. I’m not exaggerating, this is probably one of the best pieces of Christian fiction I have ever seen. The Fiery Priest is funny, dramatic, full of cool fight scenes, and sometimes it is just a little bit surreal in the most hilarious ways. Most importantly, however, is that it actually has some fantastic theological messages (especially considering the fact that I believe it is a secularly made show). And it maintained its faith even in the little things and the little encouragements the characters were giving one another. I kept waiting for some New Age, “just follow your heart” ridiculousness to creep in, but it never did. And the Christian characters also remained faithful to the Lord and were shown actively turning to Him when they were lost and needed guidance!
Every time I thought it was drifting away from a solid theological foundation or its faith-filled roots, it circled back to God or Scripture in a way that was not obtuse or preachy. Yes, faith permeates every inch of this show, but it never devolves into a sermon for the audience. The message is conveyed completely by the characters’ actions and reactions, rather than having a blunt monologue sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of an action-comedy. The characters behave like real people trying to overcome their pasts or stay true to the faith in their present. While the heroes are by no means perfect (the main character has some serious anger management issues), they are striving to do better and rely on the Lord in times of crisis, and that is how the story conveys its message.
Actually, this is exactly the kind of media that I want to see so much more of in the Christian storytelling space. It shows Christians with real problems, who sometimes do everything under the sun except repent and run from the Lord or get angry at Him, who are trying to be diligent and do not have the strength to do so on their own. But in no way does their faith take the fun out of the story. In no way does the Christian message of this show take precedent over the plot. This is how Christian storytellers need to tell overtly Christian stories.
Also, as a fun little side note: if you are a Protestant and one of the concerns you have about Catholicism is calling the priests “father”, know that — while it is translated to “father” in the English subtitles — the Korean word for “priest” is actually the same as their word for “bride”; thinking “bride of Christ” type theology, rather than calling someone else “father”.
Wrap-up
The Fiery Priest is a hilarious, Christian action-comedy from Park Jae-Beom. A vigilante Catholic priest and his band of repentant sinners seek to take down corruption in their neighborhood, relying on their skills, talents, and faith in the Lord to bring evil to justice.
Where to Enjoy
Amazon: Watch The Fiery Priest | Prime Video
RakutenViki: https://www.viki.com/tv/36461c-the-fiery-priest
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