theology through film syllabus

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ModuleV83266

TheologythroughFilm

Thursdays1:00pm­3:00pm,TrentB40

Lecturer:Mr.AnthonyPaulSmith(anthonypaul.smith@gmail.com)

ModuleConvenor:Mr.EBall

Aims

Themodulewillintroducestudentstothedialoguebetweentheologyandfilm.Thiswillmeanconsideringboththecompatibilityof filmwith theology, thechallengeof filmtotheology, and vice versa. In the process, students will need to consider their ownworkingdefinitionsof “religion” and “theology” and revise themor apply them in thefaceoffilm’schallenge.

LearningOutcomes

a. Knowledgeandunderstanding:Knowledgeof theworkofselectedtheoristsandpractitioners inthe fieldof theology/religionandfilm;understandingof thestatedor implied theories of religion operating in theorists’ work; knowledge andunderstandingofreligiousmotifsandthemesevidentinandthroughWesternfilm.

b. Intellectualskills:Abilitytoreadfilms,filmanalysesandtheoreticaltextscritically;ability to locate discussion of film and of the practice of film‐watching withindiscussionofcontemporarysocialpractices.

c. Professionalpracticalskills:Activeparticipationinseminar‐andgroupexercise‐basedmodule,throughindividualpreparationandgroupdiscussionskills;abilitytoresearchatopicthroughinvestigationofpaperandelectronicresources.

d. Transferable(key)skills:Abilitytowriteacriticalreviewofaworkofpopularart;abilitytoresearchandconstructacriticalessayonarelevantandclearly‐focussedtopic.

Summaryofcontent

Thismodulewillprovideanintroductiontotherecentdiscussionofthereligiousandtheologicalsignificanceoffilm.ThoughtheorientationwilllargelybethatofcontemporaryWesternculture,studentsareencouragedtoengagewithotherculturesusingthecriticaltoolsdevelopedthroughthemodule.Themoduleaimstobeexperientialandsoitwillconsiderfilmsalongsidereadingsofprimarysourcesfromtheologyandreligiousstudies.Inthiswaythemodulewillnotonlyconsidertheological

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andreligiousthemesinfilm,butwillallowthefilmsthemselvestochallengeorcomplementwrittentheology.Thus,notallfilmswillbeexplicitlyreligiousortheologicalincontent,buttheimplicitreligiousandtheologicalcontentwillbegivenattentionthroughthepracticeoffilm‐watchingandfilmcriticism.Considerableattentionisgiventofragmentarynatureoffilm’srelationshipwiththeology,thoughthisisexploredalongsidespecificquestionsintheology.Throughtheanalysisoffilmandthepracticeoffilm‐watchingalongsidereadingsoftheologyparticipantswillberequiredtocreatetheirownpositionsandassessmentsonthechallengeoffilmtotheologyandthepracticeofdoingtheologythroughfilm.

TeachingPattern

2‐hoursessions,comprisinglecture‐input,groupexercises(mainlyfilmwatching)anddiscussion.

Thursdays1:00pm–3:00pm

Individualtutorialhelpisavailablebyappointment.Contactmeatanthonypaul.smith@gmail.comtosetupadateandtime.

Programme:

Notethatallreadingsareprovidedinthecoursereaderandorganizedinorderofwhentheyaretoberead.Readingslistedaretobereadforthatclassperiod.IfthereadingislistedforFeburary12th,itistobereadpriortotheFeburary12thsessionofclass.It’sexpectedthatyouwillwatchoneoftherecommendedfilmsperweekaslisted.

Date Content

January29th IntroductiontoTheologythroughFilm

Inclassscreening:JesusofMontreal(firsthalf)

February5th SurveyingtheLiteratureandSettingtheScene

Inclassscreening:JesusofMontreal(secondhalf)

Recommendedreading:Browne,9‐19;Marsh,21‐34;Graham,35‐43;Jasper,235‐244;MarshandOrtiz,245‐255

February12th ChristandCulture:TheParadigms

Recommendedreading:Neibuhr,1‐11,45‐55,76‐82,101‐ 115,120‐141,190‐206

Recommendedfilms:Sunshine,Dogma,Saved,Contact

February19th CinemaandReligiousExperience

Recommendedreading:Lyden,36‐55;Loughlin,35‐63;Atkin,et.al.,312‐330;

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Recommendedfilms:TheExorcist,ThePassionoftheChrist,Magnolia,AmericanBeauty

February26th FilmandChristologyI:CanfilmdoChristologyoronlycastChrist­figures?

Recommendedreading:Chalcedon,1‐3;Bulgakov,51‐88;Moltmann,227‐235

Recommendfilms:TheGreatestStoryEverTold,TheLifeofBrian,TheLastTemptationofChrist,300,Matrix,TheBigLebowski,CoolHandLuke

March5th FilmandtheDeathofGod

Recommendedreading:Nietzsche,167,181‐182,279‐280;Goodchild,17‐42;Moltmann200‐207

Inclassscreening:NoCountryforOldMen(firsthalf)

Recommendedfilms:WakingtheDead,Schindler’sList,TheSeventhContinent,TheTimeoftheWolf,FightClub,2001:ASpaceOdyssey,AClockworkOrange

March12th FilmandFaith,Hope,andDoubt

Inclassscreening:NoCountryforOldMen(secondhalf)

Recommendedreading:Kierkegaard,5‐53;Marsh,83‐104

Recommendedfilms:TheSeventhSeal,Signs,BreakingtheWaves,AI:ArtificialIntelligence,Blue

March19th ChristologyII:Whatisnotassumedisnotsaved

Recommendedreading:GregoryofNazianzus,1‐4;Oduyoye,151‐170;Linzey,67‐72;Baugh,185‐204

Recommendedfilms:AuHasardBalthasar,SoylentGreen,BladeRunner,Babette’sFeast

SpringHoliday:NoClassMarch26th–April16th

April23rd FilmandPoliticalTheology

Inclassscreening:Pan’sLabyrinth(firsthalf)

Recommendedreading:Cone,138‐163,183‐194;Bell,189‐195

Recommendedfilms:TheMission(highlyrecommend),Hidden(Frenchtitle:Caché),Romero,TheGospelAccordingtoSaintMatthew,ChildrenofMen

April30th Conclusion:AJumpShotDialogue–Doesfilmchallengetheology?

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Inclassscreening:Pan’sLabyrinth(secondhalf)

Textsreferredtointeachingprogrammeabove:

Atkin,Tom,et.al.,‘TableTalk:ReflectionsonThePassionoftheChrist(MelGibson,2004)’inCinémaDivinité:Religion,TheologyandtheBibleinFilm,eds.WilliamTelford,et.al.(Canterbury:SCMPress,2005):312‐330.

Baugh,Lloyd,ImagingtheDivine:JesusandChrist­FiguresinFilm(KansasCity:SheedandWard,1997).

Bell,Jr.,DanielM.,LiberationTheologyAftertheEndofHistory:TheRefusaltoCeaseSuffering(London:Routledge,2001).

Browne,David,‘Film,Movies,Meaning’inExplorationsinTheologyandFilm:MoviesandMeaning(Oxford:Blackwell,1997):9‐19.

Bulgakov,Sergius,TheLambofGod,trans.BorisJakim(GrandRapids,MI:Eerdmans,2008).

Cone,James,GodoftheOppressed(SanFrancisco:HarpersCollins,1975).

Goodchild,Philip,CapitalismandReligion:ThePriceofPiety(London:Routledge,2002).

Graham,DavidJohn,‘TheUsesofFilminTheology’inExplorationsinTheologyandFilm:MoviesandMeaning(Oxford:Blackwell,1997):35‐43.

Jasper,David,‘OnSystematizingtheUnsystematic:AResponse’inExplorationsinTheologyandFilm:MoviesandMeaning(Oxford:Blackwell,1997):235‐244.

Kirkegaard,Søren,FearandTrembling,trans.EdnaH.andHowardV.Hong(Princeton:PrincetonUP,1983).

Linzey,Andrew,AnimalTheology(London:SCMPress,1994).

Loughlin,Gerard,AlienSex:TheBodyandDesireinCinemaandTheology(Oxford:Blackwell,2003).

Lyden,JohnC.,FilmasReligion:Myths,Morals,Rituals(NewYork:NewYorkUP,2003).

Marsh,CliveandGayeOrtiz,‘TheologyBeyondtheModernandthePostmodern:AFutureAgendaforTheologyandFilm’inExplorationsinTheologyandFilm:MoviesandMeaning(Oxford:Blackwell,1997):245‐255.

Marsh,Clive,‘FilmandTheologiesofCulture’inExplorationsinTheologyandFilm:MoviesandMeaning(Oxford:Blackwell,1997):21‐34.

Marsh,Clive,CinemaandSentiment:Film’sChallengetoTheology(MiltonKeynes:PaternosterPress,2004).

Moltmann,Jürgen,TheCrucifiedGod:TheCrossofChristastheFoundationandCriticismofChristianTheology,trans.R.A.WilsonandJohnBowden(Minneapolis:FortressPress,1993).

Neibuhr,H.Richard,ChristandCulture(SanFrancisco:HarperCollins,2001).

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Nietzsche,Friedrich,TheGayScience,trans.WalterKaufmann(NewYork:VintageBooks,1974).

Oduyoye,MercyAmba,‘JesusChrist’inTheCambridgeCompaniontoFeministTheology,ed.SusanFrankParsons(Cambridge:CambridgeUP,2002):151‐170.

AssessmentRequirements

1. One1500‐wordfilmreview(40%):Writeacritical,theologicalreviewofanyoneoftherecommendedfilmsabove.Inyourreviewyouareexpectedtoshowhowthefilmworkstheologically.Thereforedevelopareadingofthefilm,eitherthroughitsnarrativemeaningoritsperformance,thatengageswithatleastonetheologicalorreligioustheme(Christology,Soteriology,deathofGod,politicaltheology,etc.).Consultotherphilosophicalandtheologicalreadingsoffilmsformodelsofacriticalreview.

2. One2500‐wordessay(60%)

Iwillbeprovidingadetailedbibliographybythethirdclasssessionthatwillhelpyoutoorganizeyourresearch.Alsobeawarethatyouarewelcomeandencouragedtocontactmewhenyoufeellostorifyouwouldlikeextraresourcesforaspecificproblem.Asthisisathird­yearmoduleIencourageyoutodisplaycreativityalongsidesolidresearch.Yourmarkwilllargelydependonyouruseofyourowncriticalskillsdevelopedinthecourseofthemodule,ratherthanyourabilitytosummarizetheworkofothers.Thetitleshavebeengiventoprovideyouwithanorientation,butthereisnopre­determinedanswerandassessmentwillbemadebasedonthecreativitypresented,thestrengthofyourargument,andthequalityofyourresearch.

a. “TheologyandFilmasacase‐studyintheChristandCulturedebate.”

ForthisessayyouareaskedtoconsidertheChristandCulturedebateasitappliestospecificfilmsofyourchoosing.YouareinvitedtotakewhateverapproachyouwishandthesecouldincludeChristiantheologyasthefulfilmentoffilmoraninvestigationofdeathofGodtheology/philosophyinrelationtoaseriesofspecificfilms(again,ofyourchoosing).Fortheessayitwouldbebestnottolimityourselftojustonefilm,butalsobewareofslippingintoincoherencebytryingtodiscusstoomany.Iwouldsuggestyoulimityourselftotwoorthreefilms.Pleaseseekadviceifyouareunsureofafilmandwouldlikesuggestions.

b. “Filmwatchingastheological/religiouspractice.”Forthisessayyouareaskedtoconsiderthepracticeoffilm‐watchingintermsofeitheritstheologicalorreligioussignificance.Thereareatleasttwoapproachestothistopicandyoushouldchooseone(though,pleasenote,thetwoapproachesarenotcompletelydistinctfromoneanother).Thefirstispredominatelytheologicalandshouldconsiderthewaysinwhichtheologicalreflectionhappensorischangedthroughthewatchingoffilm.Thesecondispredominatelyareligiousstudiesorientationandshouldconsiderthesociologicalandanthropologicalconnectionsbetweenreligiouspracticesandfilm‐watchingaswellasthewayfilmsareusedbyreligionandviceversa.Fromthetheologicalperspective,forexample,youmaywishtoconsiderthewayweconsiderthepersonofChristintheologicalwritingdiffersoriscomplementedbyJesus‐figureand/orChrist‐storyfilms.Fromthereligiousstudiesorientationyoumaywanttoconsideraparticularreligiouspractice,likeattendingChurchservicesorthecreationofmoralcodes,inrelationtothepracticeoffilm

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watching.Youareinvitedtoconsiderotherapproachestothisquestionbutrequiredtocontactmeregardingthemfirst.

c. “Theologicaldoctrineandthechallengeoffilm.”Forthisessayyouareaskedtodevelopyourowntheology(onaparticulardoctrine,dogma,orissue)throughaspecificfilmorsetoffilms.Thismeansconsideringaparticulartheologicaldoctrineofyourchoosing,thewaytheexperienceofwatchingparticularfilms(alsoofyourchoosing)requiresustothinkaboutthatdoctrine,anddevelopingareligiousortheologicalaccountofthatdoctrinealongsidefilm.Examplesofthispracticeareprovidedinthebibliographyandifyouchoosethistitleyouareencouragedtospeakwithmeaboutboththedoctrineyou’vechosenandthefilmsyouwanttoconsider.

Regardingduedatesstudentshavefoursetdatesbywhichessaysmaybesubmitted(pleasenotethatthefilmreviewandtheessaymustbeturnedinondifferentdays):Thursday26February,Thursday19March,Thursday30April,andThursday7May.Essaysmaybesubmitted,usingthedate‐stampingmachineandcollectionboxintheDepartmentreceptionarea,atanytimeupto4.45p.m.oneachofthesedays.(Theycan,ofcourse,besubmittedinadvance,foranyofthesedates.)DetailsaboutessaysubmissionmaybefoundinInformationforStudents2008/09,section8.1.3.Noessaywillbeacceptedwithoutafullycompletedcoversheet,includingthesignatureontheplagiarismdeclaration.