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200+
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OUR HERITAGE

History of Religion’s Role in forming Culture

The morality of a story is not defined by the existence of swearing or violence, but by the overarching virtues, vices, and worldview taught as truth by the storyteller.

From the earliest days, religion has understood that stories shape souls and societies. Narratives — whether told around fires, performed on stages, or projected on screens — form imaginations, teach virtues or vices, and orient people toward what is true, good, and beautiful… or toward what degrades. The Christian Church has long taken this responsibility seriously, discerning and guiding the stories that influence culture for the salvation of souls.

The Early Church in Roman Times: From Opposition to Christian Storytelling

In the Roman Empire, Christians encountered a culture saturated with pagan theater and spectacles. Church Fathers such as Tertullian (De Spectaculis), Clement of Alexandria, and St. Augustine warned against performances that glorified immorality, idolatry, adultery, and violence, viewing them as occasions of sin that corrupted minds and drew hearts from God. Augustine, in his Confessions, reflected on how theater inflamed passions and distracted from eternal truth. Yet the Church did not merely reject; it transformed storytelling. Early Christians emphasized sacred narratives — the Gospels, lives of the saints (hagiography), and parables — as powerful tools for catechesis and evangelization. Over time, this led to the positive use of drama within a Christian framework.

The Medieval Church: Mystery Plays and Morality Plays as Teaching Tools

In the Middle Ages, the Church harnessed drama to teach the faith to largely illiterate populations. Liturgical drama grew out of the liturgy itself (e.g., the Quem Quaeritis trope for Easter). This evolved into mystery plays (dramatizations of biblical stories and salvation history) and morality plays (allegorical dramas like Everyman, personifying virtues and vices in the soul’s struggle toward God). These were acts of the Church’s teaching office — vivid, communal ways to proclaim Scripture, illustrate moral truths, and foster conversion. The Church sponsored, regulated, or tolerated them as instruments of grace.

Early Modern Period: Guiding Literature and Theater

As printing spread and secular literature grew, the Church exercised vigilance through the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (Index of Forbidden Books) to protect the faithful from works that undermined faith or morals. Theater faced similar scrutiny when it promoted vice or ridiculed the sacred. The principle remained consistent: stories that shape culture must be measured against divine truth and human dignity.

The 20th Century: Cinema, the Hays Code, and the Legion of Decency

The invention of motion pictures brought new urgency. In 1930, Hollywood adopted the Motion Picture Production Code (Hays Code), heavily shaped by Catholic advisors including Jesuit Fr. Daniel A. Lord and publisher Martin Quigley. It required films to uphold moral standards and avoid glorifying evil. In 1934, the U.S. bishops launched the National Legion of Decency, a Catholic-led movement that mobilized millions to pledge against immoral films. Pope Pius XI strongly endorsed it in his 1936 encyclical Vigilanti Cura. The Legion’s A/B/C ratings exerted enormous cultural influence during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

The Shift to Modern Ratings (1968 Onward)

By the 1960s, cultural shifts and legal rulings led to the decline of strict self-censorship. In 1968, the MPAA replaced the Hays Code with the voluntary age-based ratings system (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17) still in use today — a move from prescriptive moral guidance toward parental information.

Shepherd Ratings: Renewing the Ancient Tradition Today

Shepherd Ratings continues this centuries-old Christian mission in the digital age. Rooted in Scripture (“The eye is the lamp of the body…” — Matthew 6:22), Catholic teaching on human dignity, and the Church’s long practice of discerning stories, we offer families clear, charitable guidance for film and media. We build on the strengths of the Hays Code and Legion of Decency while learning from their limitations, adding explicit attention to equality, global cultures, and the full dignity of the person. Our goal remains the same as the early Church’s, the medieval dramatists’, and the Legion’s: to help stories elevate souls, foster virtue, and point toward the True, the Good, and the Beautiful — so that what we watch draws us closer to Christ and builds up the Kingdom.

“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Use it Yourself

The Shepherd Ratings Code

This is the text of the Shepherd Rating Code used above. Just copy the text > paste it into your favorite AI > ask the AI to rate any movie/show/album.

Shepherd Ratings Code

Motion Picture Guidance Inspired by Catholic Teaching

✦ Preamble

Media producers and creators recognize the profound influence of film, music, and other media on the human person, society, and culture. Films and music are gifts from God that can serve truth, beauty, and the common good. They have the potential to elevate the soul, foster virtue, and reflect the dignity of every human being made in the image and likeness of God.

While films and music are primarily works of art and entertainment, creators bear a moral responsibility to respect the dignity of the person, uphold the natural law, promote justice and charity, and avoid leading audiences into moral confusion or sin.

In the spirit of the Gospel, films and music should strive to illuminate the struggle between good and evil, offer paths to redemption, and celebrate the true, the good, and the beautiful.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23)
“Bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

✦ General Principles

  1. No work should degrade the dignity of the human person or lower the moral standards of those who receive it. Sympathy should never rest with evil, injustice, or sin in a way that glorifies wrongdoing without showing its consequences or the possibility of conversion.
  2. Correct standards of life—rooted in truth, respect for the human person, the sanctity of marriage and family, and the common good—shall be presented, subject to the legitimate requirements of drama, art, and entertainment.
  3. Natural and human law shall not be ridiculed, nor shall sympathy be created for their violation. Works should illuminate the moral order and the dignity of every person, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, or background.
  4. A work is judged by what it teaches, not only by what it depicts. A character may sin. The work may not treat a breach of the moral law as freedom, as love, as wisdom, or as a success the plot quietly pays.
  5. A redemptive last act does not excuse the work if its most repeatable element—song, slogan, image, or set piece—teaches the contrary.
  6. Grave fault may be forgiven after repentance. It may not be refunded. An ending in which the sinner keeps the spoils of disobedience, a pact with evil, or rash bond, and the authority who opposed it simply yields, is not conversion.
  7. The Ten Commandments (Catholic numbering) are the measure of the moral law on screen. Occurrence without approval does not by itself cap a rating. Endorsement, glamour, or unrepentant reward of a breach caps the rating at B or C.

✦ Particular Applications

I—Crimes Against the Law and Human Dignity

Crime and violence shall not be presented so as to inspire imitation or glorify evil. Evil must be shown in its true ugliness, with attention to justice and the possibility of repentance.

  1. Murder, brutality, and revenge shall not be depicted in excessive or gratuitous detail, nor justified as morally acceptable ends.
  2. Methods of crime should not be instructional.
  3. Illegal drug use and trafficking shall not be glamorized.
  4. Portrayals of violence must serve the story’s moral arc and never desensitize viewers to the sacredness of human life.
II—Sex, Chastity, and the Dignity of the Person

The sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, the gift of human sexuality ordered toward love and life, and the dignity of every person shall be upheld. Films must not objectify the human body or reduce persons to objects of lust.

  1. Adultery, fornication, or other violations of chastity may appear as plot elements but must never be presented as morally acceptable or desirable.
  2. Scenes of passion must serve the story and avoid explicit or arousing depictions that could lead viewers into sin.
  3. Seduction, rape, or sexual exploitation shall be treated with gravity, never for comedy or titillation, and must clearly show their moral evil.
  4. Pornography, objectification, or any depiction intended to arouse disordered sexual desire is forbidden.
  5. Sex hygiene and related topics, if treated, must respect modesty and the sacredness of the body.
  6. Nudity or undressing scenes are permitted only when artistically essential, non-exploitative, and presented with restraint and respect for human dignity.
  7. Marriage at the end does not sanctify a courtship that began in haste, secrecy from the parents, or muteness before a stranger.
III—Vulgarity and Profanity

Low, crude, or vulgar language and behavior should be subject to good taste. Gratuitous profanity or blasphemy (especially misuse of the holy name of God) is to be avoided, as it offends the dignity of the Creator and the sensibilities of the audience.

IV—Costume and Modesty

Dress and presentation of the human body shall respect modesty and the dignity of the person. Indecent exposure or costumes designed solely to provoke lust are forbidden.

V—Dances and Movements

Dances or movements that are explicitly sexual or designed to incite lust are to be avoided. Artistic dance that expresses beauty or emotion is permitted when it respects the dignity of the dancer and viewer.

VI—Religion

Religious faith, beliefs, and persons shall be treated with respect and never denigrated as foolish or unimportant. Ridicule of any religion — or the subtle undermining of Christian tradition/sacraments through tone or false framing — is condemnable. Clergy and sacred rites may be portrayed realistically but never in a way that mocks the sacred. Pacts with witches, spirits, or rival gods are occult furniture: they may appear as danger; they may not appear as a path that prospers.

VII—Dignity of Women and Men

Films shall uphold the equal dignity of men and women as created in the image of God. Women should be portrayed as full persons with inherent dignity, agency, and moral worth—not merely as objects of desire or supporting figures in male narratives. Stories should avoid reducing women to stereotypes or objects of male gaze. Where possible, films are encouraged to include meaningful interactions among women characters that explore their own aspirations, relationships, struggles, or vocations beyond their connection to male characters.

VIII—National and Racial Feelings

All peoples, races, ethnicities, and cultures shall be represented fairly and with respect. Racism, ethnic stereotyping, or any denigration of human dignity based on origin is forbidden. Films should promote solidarity and the universal dignity of every human person.

IX—Locations and Settings

Bedrooms and private settings must be treated with delicacy and respect for modesty and chastity.

X—Repellent Subjects

Subjects such as suicide, euthanasia, abortion, excessive cruelty, or the degradation of human life must be handled with extreme care. When included, they must clearly illustrate the moral evil involved and never be presented sympathetically or without consequences.

XI—Freedom, Vocation, and the Meaning of Love
  1. Freedom shall not be identified with the absence of moral law, duty, office, or communion with others. License presented as liberation is a moral error, even when the character later “comes home.”
  2. “Being oneself,” authenticity, or unburdened self-expression may appear as a temptation, a wound, or an incomplete stage. They must not be treated as the highest good or as equivalent to charity.
  3. Love is willing the true good of the other, including form (marriage, family, repentance, responsibility). Mere affirmation, permissiveness, or the refusal of judgment is not love.
  4. Isolation, exile, or the casting off of a crown or role may be depicted, but must not be glamorized as the soul’s proper end.
  5. Restlessness toward one’s given world, sex, or household is not the same as a call from God. An “I want” that requires disobedience, a change of nature, or a bargain with evil—if sung as prophecy and then granted—is a false vocation.
XII—Songs and Takeaway Teaching

Songs, reprises, and set-piece images are remembered longer than plot. They are among the most important words in a work for the soul of the viewer.

  1. Lyrics of every prominent song shall be judged as teaching.
  2. A hymn that praises selfishness, license, or flight from duty is not cancelled by a later song or speech about self-gift.
  3. The rating follows the worst song (or slogan, or image) that the work offers as good—not a villain’s number that the story itself marks as evil.
  4. If Arc and Takeaway conflict, the published rating may not be higher than the Takeaway allows. A1 requires both to align.
XIII—Parents, Office, and Obedience
  1. Legitimate authority in the family—especially father and mother over a child not yet independent—shall not be treated as the enemy of love or of the self.
  2. Grave disobedience, flight from home, or a secret pact that rejects a parent’s lawful command may appear as plot, but must not be crowned. The child must meet repentance, restoration, or a loss proportionate to the act—not a refund of the wish.
  3. A parent who commands what is evil may be resisted. A parent who commands what is merely hard, cautious, or unfashionable is not thereby a tyrant.
  4. Binding oneself to a stranger—especially across household, people, or kind—without time, counsel, or parental blessing is rashness, not vocation.
  5. A father’s or mother’s later smile does not erase the lesson if they are simply overruled so the child may keep what disobedience won.
The 10 Commandments / Natural Law as Ceiling

The Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17, Catholic numbering) measure the moral law on screen. When in doubt, refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. If the finished argument or the takeaway presents a commandment broken and unrepentant, or broken and rewarded, the rating is at most B. Villainy that is punished, and faults that are confessed and cost something, do not by themselves cap the rating.

✦ Ratings

Ratings will be broken into 4 categories:

A1 Good for All

Fully aligns with Christian principles. Good for kids and adults. (Similar to G)

A2 Good for adults

Fully aligns with Christian principles, but themes best suited for adults or children with parental guidance. (Similar to PG/PG-13)

B Beware

Contains morally objectionable elements that require discernment for all (Similar to R)

C Condemned

Likely to cause moral confusion, sinful thoughts, and pollute the soul. Best avoided

✦ Rating Product

Output the title and rating, then a Quick Summary of the work and its morality in ideally 280 characters or less. The public Quick Summary is a parent’s card, not a sermon. Describe the work, name the teaching, name the hazards, name the audience.

Name the Takeaway in one line when it matters (e.g., “Takeaway: ‘Let It Go’—license as freedom”). Provide Scripture: A1/A2 Supporting Scripture; B one verse supporting and one condemning; C Scripture vs Takeaway.

Follow with a breakdown of each Particular Application (I–XIII), plus Commandments/Takeaway if they decided the stamp.

✦ Conclusion

We have undoubtably made mistakes in this code and application of this code will be debated. We ask for yours and God's forgiveness for mistakes we have and will continue to make. We pray God will grace us with the sight to see our errors and for the courage and wisdom to correct those mistakes quickly.

We pray this code will help everyone fill their eyes and ears with media and stories that bring them into closer union with God and build up the Kingdom of Heaven in every family, community, and country around the world.

“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

God's is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.

This code is offered in humility. We welcome charitable feedback as we seek to serve truth, beauty, and the common good through media discernment.

INTERACTIVE

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Recently Rated

A few examples from our growing collection

It's a Wonderful Life
1946 • Frank Capra
A1
A timeless story of faith, family, and redemption. One of the most beautiful depictions of Christian hope in cinema.
Quo Vadis
1951 • Mervyn LeRoy
A2
Epic story of early Christians in Nero's Rome. Strong faith themes with some dramatic intensity.
The Polar Express
2004 • Robert Zemeckis
A1
A beautiful Christmas story about faith, wonder, and believing in what cannot be seen.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
2000 • Coen Brothers
B
Charming and clever, with strong themes of redemption and brotherhood. Some language and mild violence.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you.

Matthew 28:19-20