Representing Religion in Film

Description

This is the first full-length exploration of the relationship between religion, film, and ideology. It shows how religion is imagined, constructed, and interpreted in film and film criticism. The films analyzed include The Last Jedi, Terminator, Cloud Atlas, Darjeeling Limited, Hellboy, The Revenant, Religulous, and The Secret of my Success. Each chapter offers: - an explanation of the particular representation of religion that appears in film - a discussion of how this representation has been interpreted in film criticism and religious studies scholarship - an in-depth study of a Hollywood or popular film to highlight the rhetorical, social, and political functions this representation accomplishes on the silver screen - a discussion about how such analysis might be applied to other films of a similar genre Written in an accessible style, and focusing on Hollywood and popular cinema, this book will be of interest to both movie lovers and experts alike.

Tenzan Eaghll is an independent academic and author whose work has been published in Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Religious Compass, Implicit Religion, and the Bloomsbury Critiquing Religion series. He is the creator and co-host of the podcast Fascism in Cinema. Rebekka King is Associate Professor and Co-Director of Religious Studies at Middle Tennessee State University, USA. She has published in Critical Research on Religion, Religion and Society: Advances in Research, and the Bloomsbury Critiquing Religion series.

Relevant for students and scholars across a range of disciplines, Representing Religion in Film not only provides analyses of compelling case studies, but it also presents the theoretical tools necessary for studying religion and popular culture more broadly. Read with a highlighter and a bag of popcorn. * K. Merinda Simmons, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Alabama, USA * This book will change the way we think about religion and film studies. * William L. Blizek, Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA *