Film as Cultural Artifact: Religious Criticism of World Cinema

Film is popularly described as a mirror of culture. It plays a pivotal role in facilitating intercultural dialogue in our global village. World cinema helps us understand and appreciate each others cultural identity, and promotes harmony across different cultures in our pluralistic society. It introduces us to the life of the other in an entertaining yet engaging fashion, creating cultural bridges that foster a sense of unity in the midst of our diversity.

This book argues that cultural anthropology and theology offer two distinct, yet intrinsically connected theoretical frameworks to formulate a more holistic reading of religion from world cinema. It proposes an integrated methodology for religious criticism of film in which we look at religion as a subsystem of culture and observe how religious experiences depicted on the screen are mediated through the personal bias of the auteur and the context in which the film is produced. It thus creates a renewed appreciation for the religious diversity in our world by providing a new way of observing and interpreting ethnographic information from world cinema.

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Film as Cultural Artifact: Religious Criticism of World Cinema

Film is popularly described as a mirror of culture. It plays a pivotal role in facilitating intercultural dialogue in our global village. World cinema helps us understand and appreciate each others cultural identity, and promotes harmony across different cultures in our pluralistic society. It introduces us to the life of the other in an entertaining yet engaging fashion, creating cultural bridges that foster a sense of unity in the midst of our diversity.

This book argues that cultural anthropology and theology offer two distinct, yet intrinsically connected theoretical frameworks to formulate a more holistic reading of religion from world cinema. It proposes an integrated methodology for religious criticism of film in which we look at religion as a subsystem of culture and observe how religious experiences depicted on the screen are mediated through the personal bias of the auteur and the context in which the film is produced. It thus creates a renewed appreciation for the religious diversity in our world by providing a new way of observing and interpreting ethnographic information from world cinema.

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Film as Cultural Artifact: Religious Criticism of World Cinema

Film as Cultural Artifact: Religious Criticism of World Cinema

Film as Cultural Artifact: Religious Criticism of World Cinema

Film as Cultural Artifact: Religious Criticism of World Cinema

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Overview

Film is popularly described as a mirror of culture. It plays a pivotal role in facilitating intercultural dialogue in our global village. World cinema helps us understand and appreciate each others cultural identity, and promotes harmony across different cultures in our pluralistic society. It introduces us to the life of the other in an entertaining yet engaging fashion, creating cultural bridges that foster a sense of unity in the midst of our diversity.

This book argues that cultural anthropology and theology offer two distinct, yet intrinsically connected theoretical frameworks to formulate a more holistic reading of religion from world cinema. It proposes an integrated methodology for religious criticism of film in which we look at religion as a subsystem of culture and observe how religious experiences depicted on the screen are mediated through the personal bias of the auteur and the context in which the film is produced. It thus creates a renewed appreciation for the religious diversity in our world by providing a new way of observing and interpreting ethnographic information from world cinema.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781506421704
Publisher: Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
Publication date: 06/15/2017
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 170
File size: 7 MB

About the Author

Mathew P. John earned a Master degree in Theological Studies (MTS) from the University of Toronto, and a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary. His dissertation won the prestigious Alan Tippet Award for interdisciplinary engagement. As an Instructor-in-Training at Fuller Theological Seminary, he co-taught many courses in Film, Culture and Theology.

Table of Contents

Foreword Robert K. Johnston ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 1

1 Seeing the Unseen 5

Film as a Religious Experience

2 Theological Criticism of Film 29

A Substantive Lens on Religion

3 Cultural Exegesis of Film 31

A Functional Lens on Religion

4 The World of World Cinema 47

Extended Boundaries of Religious Criticism

5 The Elements Trilogy 61

A Cultural Critique of India

6 Touching the Screen 83

Field Research in India

7 Crisis of Faith 99

A Religious dialogue with the Elements Trilogy

8 Conclusion 117

Appendix 1 Ethnographic Films 121

Appendix 2 Christ Figures in Film 127

Appendix 3 Film Analysis 129

Bibliography 137

Subject Index 145

Film Index 147

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