Jesus in Twentieth Century Literature, Art, and Movies

Description

In the twentieth century a number of novelists, artists, and filmmakers, resurrected the life of Jesus genre made so popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by Renan, Strauss, and others. In addition, novelists Norman Mailer, Jose Saramago, and Ricci have written their own gospels. Burns' collection--taken from a conference at a 2004 regional SBL meeting--explores the ways in which these portraits of Jesus continue to fulfill the familiar observation that people tend to depict Jesus in their own image. In several of the portraits of Jesus, the artists offer a creative response to the realities of the human condition of our time.

Paul C. Burns is Associate Professor Emeritus of Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

"Burns has gathered a group of well-written scholarly reflections on 20th-century books, paintings, and movies that center on the person and purpose of Jesus. The scholars represented here are a distinguished international group from the United States, Great Britain, and Canada, and the level of writing throughout is elevated, but relatively jargon-free, making these essays more accessible than many written by specialists. The book is thus appropriate for most readers with an interest in the depiction of Jesus in modern art, literature, and cinema." - Greg Garrett, The Living Church, September 14, 2008 -- Greg Garrett "Paul C. Burns of Vancouver asks nine of his colleagues to join him in writing essays about a wide range of authors and artists who during the last century...have purported to offer improved versions of Jesus, in print, on canvas, on film...the book offers ample background about each topic, making a helpful reference..." -Paul Lintern, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Winter/Spring 2009 "Both scholars and lay readers interested in twentieth-century literature, art or film that deal with religious topics will enjoy these helpful case studies." -Margaret E. Ramey, Biblical Theology Bulletin, Vol. 39, 2009