Joshua is a story about Christ in modern-day society.  Joshua comes off as an eccentric character who visits a small town.  The town is completely transformed by his presence.  Long-standing religious conflicts are resolved and the characters learn to appreciate one another in the faith. 

Joshua’s story line and characters illustrate the necessity for Christ in a relationship with the Father.  The film demonstrated that all Christians are well-meaning but that each one has different personal and spiritual strengths and weaknesses.  It also was telling of human self-righteousness in its purest form and what kind of harm it can cause.

The book the movie was based off of was written by Joseph F. Girzone. Girzone is a former Catholic priest who left the priesthood in 1981 due to health reasons. In 1995, he established the Joshua foundation, "an organization dedicated to making Jesus better known throughout the world." Joshua is another Jewish name for Jesus. Joseph Girzone also wrote the book "A Portrait of Jesus." A Portrait of Jesus studied the life and character of Christ while Joshua told a story.