Description
Book Synopsis"Film as Religion" argues that popular films perform a religious function in our culture. Like more formal religious institutions, films can provide us with ways to view the world and values to confront it.
Trade Review"A very important book. Lyden urges respect for how films actually function for people who watch them. He lays out an insightful and compelling case for considering film-watching a religious activity. In so doing, he offers a major challenge to all those who discuss culture, religion and theology today." -- Clive Marsh,co-editor of Explorations in Theology and Film
"John Lyden has entered into the arena of Religion and Film books with an extremely adept contender. His review of the literature on existing approaches to religion and film should be required reading by film enthusiasts and theologians alike. What his conclusions offer in terms of a new approach are solid, convincing and most promising for the future of the field." -- Tony S. L. Michael,co-chair, Religion, Film and Visual Culture, AAR
"Lyden offers perceptive criticisms of some of the most influential ways of talking about myth." * Crisis Magazine *
". . . offers several new perspectives on this increasingly popular and gradually more critical area. It also is wellsuited for the religious studies classroom. Lydens writing is clear, and he nicely describes some of the more difficult theories of religion in ways that are accessible to undergraduates. In fact, the next time I teach my course "Myth and Ritual on Film" I will assign
Film as Religion because of its analogizing methods of showing how film does indeed function as religion in contemporary U.S. culture." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *
"Lydens book is well-written, insightful, and especially engaging for anyone who loves movies." * Religious Studies Review *
Table of ContentsPart i A Method for Viewing Film as Religion:Existing Approaches to Religion and FilmThe Definition of Religion Myths about Myth Rituals and Morals The Religion-Film Dialogue as Interreligious Dialogue Part ii Genre and Film Analyses Westerns and Action Movies:Die Hard (1988) Gangster Films The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather, Part II (1974) Melodrama, Tearjerkers, and "Women's Films":Titanic (1997) Romantic Comedies:When Harry Met Sally (1989) Children's Films and Fantasy E.T., The Extraterrestrial (1982) Science Fiction:The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) The Original Star Wars Films (1977, 1980, 1983) Thrillers and Horror Movies:Alfred Hitchcock Psycho (1960) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Conclusion Notes Bibliography Name and Subject Index Film Index About the Author
