Religion and Film
- Professor(s): Dr. Kutter Callaway
- When: 2012
- Where: California State University, Fullerton / CPRL 411
- Source
The dynamic interdisciplinary study of “Religion and Film” is a relatively new academic field within the academic discipline of Religious Studies. This upper division course uses a variety of theoretical approaches: genre theories to cultural studies to postmodern biblical hermeneutics. The latter half of the course focuses on themes and explores them through a variety of films. Strong discussion and writing skills are required in this course as well as fundamental grounding in either Comparative Religion (CPRL 105 or 110) or Introduction to RTVF (RTVF 100).
Film is a powerful genre through which moderns, post-moderns, and late moderns explore the meaning of life, relationships, and moral quandaries as well as wrestle with issues such as violence, sin, death, hope, the nature of evil, identity, community, redemption, reconciliation, the pursuit of joy, salvation, and grace. We will examine some of these themes as we view and critique a diverse array of films from Water to Magnolia.
While many films or clips from films will be screened in class together, this is also a course that encourages and requires you to apply your new critical knowledge to screens out in the real world! Therefore, in addition to