In a culture increasingly focused on visual media, the use of movies in religious studies and theology classrooms has far outpaced both the scholarship on religion and film and the study of pedagogical practices in the field. This volume makes great strides on both fronts. The seventeen contributors to this volume, many of them leaders in this area, provide an overview of the main approaches to religion and film studies, argue for advancements in theoretical approaches, and consider the practical realities of teaching religion and film. Part I presents general categories for thinking about the ... More

In a culture increasingly focused on visual media, the use of movies in religious studies and theology classrooms has far outpaced both the scholarship on religion and film and the study of pedagogical practices in the field. This volume makes great strides on both fronts. The seventeen contributors to this volume, many of them leaders in this area, provide an overview of the main approaches to religion and film studies, argue for advancements in theoretical approaches, and consider the practical realities of teaching religion and film. Part I presents general categories for thinking about the intersection between religion and film, as well as an argument for an emerging line of theoretical inquiry. The chapters in Part II examine the use of film in teaching religious traditions, whether movies are seen from the critical perspective of particular religious traditions or are used to teach the traditions themselves. Part III focuses on the use of film in the religious studies classroom, where religion or theories of religion are more generally addressed. Part IV considers the promise and challenge of using films to teach critical perspectives on fundamental human values, whether films are seen as vehicles for bringing stories into the classroom or as powerful indicators of a culture's core values.