Interpreting and Understanding the Bible Through Film (original) (raw)
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Australian Religion Studies Review, 2000
Scant critical attention has been devoted to utilising popular films for religious education despite: (a) cinema being the 20th centmy art fonn (b) RE classes traditional being tagged as "the boring subjec~ "and (c) significant declines in biblical knowledge amongst the populace. Even Jess well known is the richness of biblical figures embedded in movies beyond Cecil B. DeMille style Biblical Epics, but which can be easily invoked to enthuse media-weaned students. A brief survey of(a) Redeemer Christ-Figures, (b) Saviour Christ-Figures; (c) OffBeat Christs, (d) Female Christ-Figures, (e) and other cinematic manifestations of biblical characters were canvassed Such consciousness raising will help recenter religious pedagogy and establish cinematic theology as a viable teaching modality for the post-mille1111ium era.
Reviews in Religion & Theology, 2006
Book reviewed:Cinéma Divinité: Religion, Theology, and the Bible in Film, Eric S. Christianson, Peter Francis and William Telford (eds), SCM press 2005 (0-334-02988-0), xvii + 373 pp., pb £19.99
Film as medium for meaning making: A practical theological reflection
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2017
The reflection on film will be situated within the framework of popular culture and livedreligion as recognised themes within the discipline of practical theology. It is argued that theperspective of viewers is of importance within the process of meaning-making. By focusing onthe experience and meaning-making through the act of film-watching the emphasis is not somuch on the message that the producer wishes to convey but rather on the experience that iscreated within the viewer. Experience is not viewed as only emotional, but rather that, at least,both the cognitive and emotional are key in the act of watching a film. It is therefore arguedthat this experience that is seldom reflected on by viewers could serve as a fruitful platform formeaning-making by the viewer. In a context where there seems to be a decline in institutionalisedforms of religion, it is important to investigate emerging forms of religion. Furthermore, theturn to the self also makes people’s experiences and practic...
Teaching the Bible and Film: Pedagogical Promises, Pitfalls, and Proposals
Teaching Theology & …, 2010
This article begins by recognizing the increasing use of film in Religion, Theology, and Bible courses. It contends that in many Biblical Studies (and Religious Studies and Theology) courses, students are neither taught how to view films properly, nor how to place films into constructive dialogue with biblical texts. The article argues for a specific pedagogical approach to the use of film in which students learn how to view a film closely, in its entirety, on its own terms, and in its own voice.
2021
i "Rindge's primer on biblical film initiates his readers into both biblical film and biblical film scholarship. Amazingly, along the way, Rindge also finds time to introduce readers to many of biblical scholarship's tropes (e.g., the messianic secret, the son of man, the move from the Proclaimer to the proclaimed, and the historical Jesus). The last three chapters alone are worth the book's price as they provide a hermeneutic by which readers can create their own new conversations with the manifold ways that bible and film interact (Bible in Film, Film as Bible, and Bible and Film/ TV). Although a primer, Rindge's book, particularly its penultimate chapter, suggests exciting new scholarly possibilities."
THE BIBLE AND CINEMA: Artistic-Literary Convergences
POLIGRAFI, v. 29, n. 115/116, 2024
From Northrop Frye's perspective, which views the Hebrew Bible as the foundational imagination behind the literary ideologies that shaped Western thought, this discussion aims to highlight some points of convergence between biblical literature and the narrative structure found in contemporary cinema, one of the most sophisticated storytelling mediums today. The theoretical framework for this exploration draws on the works of scholars such as Robert Alter, Daniel Marguerat and Yvan Bourquin, Gary Yamasaki, and David Bordwell, among others. As Adele Berlin points out, the narratives of the Hebrew Bible convey their message through both the form and content of the text. Building on this idea, the focus here is to demonstrate that beyond thematic parallels, the narrative structure of the Bible aligns methodologically with the storytelling techniques of modern cinema.
Nourishing Faith through Film: Using Popular Biblical Epics as a Religious Education Resource
Journal of Christian Education, 2001
Reading the Bible is not a typical habit of contemporary youth. A survey among year 9 and 10 students (13-15 years old) in Britain revealed that 66% never read it, while just 5% read it more frequently that once a week (Francis 2000). But young people spend a great deal of time watching films. Indeed, "they will fix themselves on the images of a movie screen much more easily than they will on an instructor, no matter how good the course is" (Scully 1997, p. 7). Since popular films "exist as natural texts for our students interested in religion in contemporary society" (Ostwalt 1998, p. 4), they can become a contemporary site for religious activity (Kozlovic 2000a). Because "film is so hot and the culture of movie-going so strong... having a 'place' to talk about film through the lens of theology can be a relevant way to bring faith and life closer together" (Pacatte 2000, p. 33). The religious education (RE) programmes in schools have potential to provide such a "locus theologicus" for the Christian faith (Greeley 1988). THE AUTHENTICITY OF BIBLICAL FILMS There is certainly no dearth of filmic choices available to cater for differing methodologies, pedagogic levels, desired learning outcomes, student demographics, and participant interests in RE programmes. Comprehensive listings are given in
Media - Kultura - Komunikacja Społeczna
The paper seeks to present topics and themes that seem inevitable to be reviewed when looking for the answer to the question whether the motion picture medium can become a suitable means for the church to communicate and convey the message entrusted to it. The essay first tries to describe what characterises the religiosity of the people of our time. This brings us to a phenomenon which is better described by the term ‘subjective turn’ rather than postmodern. The functional definition of religion can be used to describe the religious functions of film. Starting from the transcendent function of religion a theological approach to film also becomes necessary. In linking theology and film, our inquiry cannot be confined exclusively to academic or church circles, but must include the wider public, social spheres as well. A theological approach to culture helps us to place the topic in a more general, broader framework. Karl Barth’s interpretation of culture can be a warning that the sel...