Jesus in the Movies (BN3770T)

Content

This unit explores the portrayal of Jesus in modern film. By viewing representative films and film-clips in conjunction with selected readings, the course analyzes and assesses the cinematic depiction of Jesus in these films in light of the findings of modern biblical scholarship and the historical record found in the New Testament Gospels and other literature. This unit will also foster a critical awareness of how Jesus films influence viewers’ perceptions about Jesus and the early Jesus movement.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

Introductory level New Testament study or equivalent.

Pedagogy

Viewing film, discussion, reading, analysis, lectures and tutorials.

Indicative Bibliography

• Adams, Edward. Parallel Lives of Jesus: A Guide to the Four Gospels. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2011.
• Aland, Kurt, ed. Synopsis of the Four Gospels, Revised Standard Version. New York: American Bible Society, 2010.
• Ehrman, Bart. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christians Writings, 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015.
• Powell, M. A. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998.
• Reinhartz, Adele. Jesus of Hollywood. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
• Staley, Jeffrey L. and Richard Walsh. Jesus, the Gospels, and Cinematic Imagination: A Handbook to Jesus on DVD. Atlanta: Westminster John Knox, 2007.
• Stern, Richard C., Clayton Jefford and Guerric De Bona. Savior on the Silver Screen. New York and Mahwah: Paulist, 1999.
• Tatum, W. Barnes. Jesus at the Movies: A Guide to the First Hundred Years. 3rd ed. Santa Rosa: Polebridge, 2012.

Assessment