Reading the Gospels in the dark : portrayals of Jesus in film

From The Greatest Story Ever Told to Jesus of Montreal to Shane, the figure of Jesus has made repeated—and varied—appearances in American cinema. In Reading the Gospels in the Dark, Richard Walsh brings “Jesus-films,” the canonical gospels, and American culture into conversation. The discourse begins in the theater with the lights down low and the Jesus-films on the big screen. Walsh’s commentary starts with the films themselves and the American Jesus(es) portrayed therein. Ironically, while we do not expect Jesus-films to “get Jesus or the gospels right,” they do cast light on interesting literary and mythical features of the gospels—and on American culture. For example, Arcand’s Jesus of Montreal offers fresh understanding of the apocalyptic discourse in the Mark 13, and Shane and Pale Rider demonstrate that Americans desperately want a conquering hero to deal with their frustrations. This is a book that explores how people watch Jesus-films and what they take with them after the screen goes dark. Richard Walsh is Professor of Religion and Associate Academic Dean at Methodist College in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and is the author of Mapping Myths of Biblical Interpretation and co-author, with George Aichele, of Screening Scripture (Trinity Press International). From The Greatest Story Ever Told to Jesus of Montreal to Shane, the figure of Jesus has made repeated -- and varied -- appearances in American cinema. In Reading the Gospels in the Dark, Richard Walsh brings "Jesus-films," the canonical gospels, and American culture into conversation with one another. The discussion begins in the theater with the lights down low and the Jesus-films on the big screen. Walsh's commentary starts with the films themselves and the American Jesus(es) portrayed therein. Ironically, while we do not expect Jesus-films to "get Jesus or the gospels right," they do cast light on interesting literary and mythical features of the gospels -- and on American culture. For example, Arcand's Jesus of Montreal offers a fresh understanding of the apocalyptic discourse in Mark 13, and Shane and Pale Rider demonstrate that Americans desperately want a conquering hero to deal with their frustrations. Walsh's book explores how people watch Jesus-films and what they take with them after the screen goes dark. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 9 Preface: Living amidst Stories......Page 11 1. Telling Sacred Stories in Cathedral Cinemas......Page 15 Notes......Page 29 2. Films without Heroes......Page 35 Notes......Page 53 3. On Earth as in Heaven: Jesus of Montreal and Mark......Page 59 Notes......Page 76 4. Location, Location, Location: Godspell and the Teachings of Jesus......Page 83 Notes......Page 104 5. A Hermeneutics of Suspicion: II Vangelo secondo Matteo and Matthew......Page 109 Notes......Page 128 6. The Alien and Alienating Past: King of Kings and Luke......Page 135 Notes......Page 154 7. Romancing the Past: The Greatest Story Ever Told and John......Page 161 Notes......Page 179 8. Coming to America......Page 187 Notes......Page 197 Appendix: Portraying the Sacred in Film......Page 201 Movies Cited......Page 205 Selected Bibliography......Page 209 Index of Names and Movies......Page 217 Telling Sacred Stories In Cathedral Cinemas -- Films Without Heroes -- On Earth As In Heaven : Jesus Of Montreal And Mark -- Location, Location, Location : Godspell And The Teachings Of Jesus -- A Hermeneutics Of Suspicion : Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo And Matthew -- The Alien And Alienating Past : King Of Kings And Luke -- Romancing The Past : The Greatest Story Ever Told And John -- Coming To America. Richard Walsh. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 195-201) And Index. Films with Jesus or Jesus-like characters have been part of movies since the earliest days, and Walsh explores just what kind of impact they have had on their audiences Offers a unique perspective on the relationship between religion and film, particularly between the Gospels and film.