The latest battle in the eternal war between Good and Evil has come to New Jersey in the late, late 20th Century. In Kevin Smith's comic fantasia , angels, demons, apostles and prophets (of a sort) walk among the cynics and innocents of America and duke it out for the fate of humankind.

In what can only be deemed a comedy parable, two renegade fallen angels attempt to jerry-rig the entire cosmological system -- unless a rag-tag group of humans can stop faith. Bethany, Linda Fiorentino, the heroine of DOGMA, is a woman who feels her prayers haven't been answered when, out of nowhere, a heralding angel appears in her bedroom and declares her the potential savior of humanity. This abrupt meeting sets her off on an extraordinary journey of mystery, comedy and suspense as she is transported to a fantastical world of celestial characters and spirited adventure. Along the way she will meet up with a heaven-sent messenger (Alan Rickman), an apostle with a 2,000 year old beef (Chris Rock), a hotheaded demon (Jason Lee), a heavenly Muse (Salma Hayek) and two unlikely Prophets known as Jay and Silent Bob as they each discover the power of their own individual faith.

Few comedies have at stake the very fate of humankind, but DOGMA is not your usual comedy. It is an imaginative and surreal adult fable bursting with wild ideas, fantastical creations and boisterously funny characters. The film is both Kevin Smith's fantasy about the relationships, conflicts and lifestyles of Celestial Beings - who it turns out are just as caught up in the small indignities and large absurdities of the universe as humans -- and a love letter to the sacred mysteries of life.

HOLLYWOOD JESUS VISUAL REVIEW

Bethany is a back slidden Catholic, She doesn't believe God hears prayers and she works in an abortion clinic. Sound like the kind of person that God would call for a special mission to save the world? Does she qualify to be a messiah? Her name, Bethany, is interesting. It means "house of God." She is the very kind of person God as always called. In the Bible God used Rahab the whore to helped Israel (Josuha 2), and made Mary Magdalene, who had seven demon, a disciple of Jesus (Luke 8:1-2).

Bethany is also called because she is the distant great grand niece of Jesus. Jesus, as the film notes, never had children. But, he did have half "brothers and sisters" (Mark 3:31, Mark 6:3, John 5:7). Bethany is related to one of these. This fact of Jesus' family does not eliminate the virgin birth of Jesus, as some have accused Dogma of doing.

Why does it take a movie like Dogma to remind us that Jesus was not Lilly white. Rufus the 13th apostle makes a case for a black Jesus. Why not? Jesus was certainly not white. Most probably he was an olive brown skinned middle eastern 5' 2" Jewish man with black curly hair. Jesus was also related to Moses who married a black African Cushite woman (Num. 12:1). Jesus also spent time in Africa (Matthew 2:13). Jesus is not only identified as a Jew coming out of Africa (Matthew 2:15), he is also linked in his genealogy in Matthew chapter one to all sorts of people, both Jew and Gentile, whores and prophets, murderers and liars. The point is, Jesus connects with everyone.

Rufus also makes a case for more than 12 apostles. Indeed, there was an inner core of twelve apostles (Luke 6:13), beyond these there were several other apostles, like Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14), Apollos (1 Cor. 4:6-13), and also Andronicus and Junias (Rom. 16:7). I once counted over 20 apostles mentioned in the Bible. Rufus is the 13th apostle because of his incredible bad luck.

Silent Bob and Jay are the perfect prophets. Consider the prophets in the Hebrew scriptures. There is Hosea, who God says to take an adulterous wife, and Amos, who was an uneducated flock keeper. Ordinary dudes like Jay and Bob.

Loki and Bartelby are the two fallen angels trying to get back into heaven. They fit Paul's description of angels that are like humans, "angels unaware."

There is the sh*t monster, a symbol of evil, which reminded me of when God asked the prophet Ezekiel to make cakes cooked over human excrement (Ezekiel 4:9-13).

Combine all these elements with walking on water and you have the perfect symbols for a cosmic spiritual battle.

Dogma is fun to watch. It takes unexpected turns throughout the journey to New Jersey. Lots of interesting things. For example, the golden cafe is a dead ringer for Mickey Mouse.

Dogma introduces us to God in human form as a woman! The Bible tells us that "God is not man" (Numbers 23:19) and likewise, God is not a woman. But since humans are created in the "image of God ..both male and female" (Genesis 2:27) God therefore shares both male and female qualities. Jesus tells a story in which he uses a woman to portray God in Luke 15:8-10. And there is the mother hen image in Luke 13:34. Dogma stresses these female aspects of God as the caring healer who takes time to smell the flowers.

Bethany is fatally shot at the end of the movie. God heals the wound and Bethany rises to life again. This makes her a Christ image. Moments later she is found to be miraculously pregnant. This makes her a Virgin Mary image. Is this wild or what.

Dogma ends with God reentering the Catholic church. A nice gesture on Kevin Smith's part.

Three cheers for Dogma. Absolutely brilliance.

Oh, by the way, Kevin Smith is right. God does care about humans. And God is very involved in the human condition. God is ever ready to love and care for you. God is only a prayer away.