Film as Religion : : Myths, Morals, and Rituals / / John C. Lyden.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter New York University Press Backlist eBook-Package 2000-2013
• VerfasserIn: Lyden, John C.,
• Place / Publishing House: New York, NY : : New York University Press, , [2003]; ©2003
• Year of Publication: 2003
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource

Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2003 Film as Religion argues that popular films perform a religious function in our culture. Like more formal religious institutions, films can provide us with ways to view the world and values to confront it. Lyden contends that approaches which interpret films only ideologically or theologically miss the mark in understanding their appeal to viewers. He develops an alternative method which shows how films can be understood as representing a “religious” worldview in their own right.Lyden surveys the state of the study of religion and film, offering an overview of previous methods before presenting his own. Rather than seeking to uncover hidden meanings in film detectable only to scholars, Lyden emphasizes how film functions for its audiencesQ21;the beliefs and values it conveys, and its ritual power to provide emotional catharsis. He includes a number of brief cases studies in which he applies this method to the study of film genres-including westerns and action movies, children's films, and romantic comedies-and individual films from The Godfather to E.T., showing how films can function religiously.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Introduction -- Part I. A Method for Viewing Film as Religion -- 1. Existing Approaches to Religion and Film -- 2. The Definition of Religion -- 3. Myths about Myth -- 4. Rituals and Morals -- 5. The Religion-Film Dialogue as Interreligious Dialogue -- Part II. Genre and Film Analyses -- Introduction -- 6. Westerns and Action Movies -- 7. Gangster Films -- 8. Melodrama, Tearjerkers, and “Women’s Films” -- 9. Romantic Comedies -- 10. Children’s Films and Fantasy -- 11. Science Fiction -- 12. Thrillers and Horror Movies -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Name and Subject Index -- Film Index -- About the Author