The Way of Nature and the Way of Grace: Philosophical Footholds on Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life"

by Vernon W. Cisney (Editor), Jonathan Beever (Editor)

Overview

Amid all the controversy, criticism, and celebration of Terrence Malick's award-winning film The Tree of Life, what do we really understand of it? The Way of Nature and the Way of Grace thoughtfully engages the philosophical riches of life, culture, time, and the sacred through Malick's film. This innovative collection traverses the relationships among ontological, moral, scientific, and spiritual perspectives on the world, demonstrating how phenomenological work can be done in and through the cinematic medium, and attempting to bridge the gap between narrow "theoretical" works on film and their broader cultural and philosophical significance. Exploring Malick's film as a philosophical engagement, this readable and insightful collection presents an excellent resource for film specialists, philosophers of film, and film lovers alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810132542
Publisher:	Northwestern University Press
Publication date:	06/15/2016
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

JONATHAN BEEVER is an assistant professor of ethics and digital culture in the department of philosophy and the Texts and Technology Program at the University of Central Florida.

VERNON W. CISNEY is a visiting assistant professor of philosophy at Gettysburg College.

Table of Contents

Introduction: In the Midst of the Garden—Jonathan Beever and Vernon W. Cisney
Part I—The Way
1. On Visual Poetry: Experiencing and Writing about The Tree of Life—Ian-Malcolm Rijsdijk
2. Seeing the Light in The Tree of Life - William Rothman
3. The Technologies of Observation: Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life and the Philosophy of Science Fiction—Marc Furstenau
4. Belief in this World: Aesthetic Mythology in Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life—Robert Sinnerbrink
Part II—Of Grace
5. Religious Exteriority in Malick’s The Tree of Life—Eric Boynton
6. The Tree of Life and Death—John Bleasdale
7. “What Was it You Showed Me?” Perplexity and Forgiveness: The Tree of Life as Augustinian Confession—Paul Camacho
8. Varieties of Finitude in The Tree of Life—Mandel Cabrera
Part III—Of Nature
9. The Triumph of Love in The Tree of Life—Erin Kealey
10. Suffering and Redemption: A Nietzschean Analysis of The Tree of Life—Leslie MacAvoy
11. All the World is Shining, and Love is Smiling Through All Things: The Collapse of the Two Ways in The Tree of Life—Vernon W. Cisney
12. The World of Representation via The Tree of Life—Jonathan Beever
Appendix—Terrence Malick’s Translator’s Introduction to The Essence of Reasons—Terrence Malick
Contributor Biographies

Editorial Reviews

A number of philosophers of film have written about The Tree of Life since its release, yet this collection manages to break new ground. Accessible to philosophers and non-philosophers alike, it provides several fresh takes on the meaning of the film.”
—Dan Shaw, author of Film and Philosophy and Morality and the Movies

From the Publisher