Theology and Film Challenging the Sacred/Secular Divide

This textbook is the ideal introduction to exploring how film can enrich our study of theology, opening up debates surrounding contemporary culture and theological inquiry. It uses film to challenge the sacred/secular divide, spanning a broad range of themes from religion and the sacred, human dignity, eschatology, war, and peace, to justice, feminism, and the environment.The accessible structure lays out both the methods and theological perspectives required for understanding theology through film. Examples of films discussed range from Unforgiven, Jarhead, and The Passion of Christ, to An Inconvenient Truth, Something's Gotta Give and Vanilla Sky. The book is also accompanied by website resources available at www.blackwellpublishing.com/theologyandfilm.

Christopher Deacy is Head of Religious Studies and Lecturer in Applied Theology at the University of Kent and has written a number of publications exploring the interface between religion and film, including Screen Christologies: Redemption and the Medium of Film.

Gaye Williams Ortiz teaches Communication Studies at Augusta State University in Georgia. She has served as vice president of SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication, and is co-editor of Explorations in Theology and Film (Blackwell, 1997).