Theology Through Film Syllabus
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Transcript of Theology Through Film Syllabus
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ModuleV83266
TheologythroughFilm
Thursdays1:00pm3:00pm,TrentB40
Lecturer:Mr.AnthonyPaulSmith([email protected])
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.