Film and Religion: An Introduction - Flesher, Paul V. M., and Robert Torry. Abingdon, 2007. 306p. $24.00, paperback. ISBN: 978-0-687-33489-6. abingdonpress.com 791.43’682 Motion pictures— Religious aspects. Religious films—History and criticism.

This volume began as lecture notes assembled by two University of Wyoming professors for their course on religion in film. Limited in scope to American movies released since the end of World War II, each chapter address a specific cultural concern—such as Jesus, the devil, the Cold War, or violence—with an extended discussion of one or two films, detailing religious symbols, characters, and imagery.

Some of the films included are explicitly religious; others are secular but employ religious material to tell their stories. Films include The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Robe, King of Kings, The Passion of the Christ, The Exorcist, Field of Dreams, and more. There are vignettes of other films, such as The Polar Express, Ben-Hur, Rosemary’s Baby, and E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial. Reflecting the output of Hollywood, most of the book’s attention is paid to Christianity, while its final section addresses other faiths.

The authors note the social and political contexts in which the films were released; themes of American exceptionalism and millennialism figure prominently. Central to the discussion of films depicting events from scripture is the process of targumic interpretation, in which elements such as visual details and character motivation are added to fill in the frequent blanks in scriptural accounts.

Serious students of film or religion, as well as casual readers motivated to work through this academic treatment, will be entertained and enlightened. Suggestions for further reading and a filmography are included.

Monica Tenney, Media Review Editor
Maple Grove United Methodist Church
Columbus, Ohio