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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Thelma, John C. Lyden
Thelma, John C. Lyden
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Thelma (2024), directed by Josh Margolin.
Rape Jokes, Sexual Violence, And Empire In Revelation And This Is The End, Meredith J.C. Warren
Rape Jokes, Sexual Violence, And Empire In Revelation And This Is The End, Meredith J.C. Warren
Journal of Religion & Film
The Book of Revelation is one of the most borrowed-from texts of the New Testament when it comes to popular culture. Although there are dozens of other ancient apocalyptic writings, it is John’s apocalyptic visions that directly inform contemporary ideas of apocalypse. The apocalyptic comedy This Is The End (Dir. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, 2013) not only invokes imagery from Revelation but also adapts portions of the text in its portrayal of the end times. However, it also reproduces and expands upon the use of sexual violence as a means of punishment found in Revelation. This paper will examine …
Brian And Charles, John C. Lyden
Brian And Charles, John C. Lyden
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Brian and Charles (2021), directed by Jim Archer.
Biblical Coens: Can We Laugh Now?, Richard G. Walsh
Biblical Coens: Can We Laugh Now?, Richard G. Walsh
Journal of Religion & Film
A review of Coen criticism, specifically attending to Elijah Siegler’s recent, significant collection of essays, indicates that Coen brothers’ films frame characters in harsh, amoral worlds. This aesthetic “framing” is similar not only to Camus’ analysis of the absurd, but also to the “feel” of some biblical narratives. Where Camus urges one to move beyond the absurd to absurd creation and biblical narratives press on to faith—at least, in most religious readings of them—the Coens laugh. A selective overview of the use of bibles in Coen brothers’ films demonstrates that the Coens’ biblical hermeneutic is risible. Their films frame bibles …
Butterflies, John C. Lyden
Butterflies, John C. Lyden
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Butterflies (2018), directed by Tolga Karacelik.
Not Alone: "Ironic Faith," The Comic Worldview, And Process Theology In Monty Python's Life Of Brian, Kathleen J. Cassity
Not Alone: "Ironic Faith," The Comic Worldview, And Process Theology In Monty Python's Life Of Brian, Kathleen J. Cassity
Journal of Religion & Film
Steven Benko points out that far from being anti-religious, Monty Python’s Life of Brian posits a type of belief he calls “ironic faith,” though he believes that the version evoked by this film falls short of calling for social transformation. If, however, we consider the resonance between process theology's "becoming-over-being" and the open-ended “humorous outlook” as articulated by philosopher of comedy John Morreall, we can interpret Life of Brian as suggesting the possibility of social transformation through its concluding evocation of a shared humanity that surmounts isolation, hierarchy, and socially constructed barriers by promoting what sociologist Robert Putnam calls "bridging …
The Bitter Buddha, William L. Blizek
The Bitter Buddha, William L. Blizek
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of The Bitter Buddha (2013) directed by Steven Feinartz.
Ironic Faith In Monty Python’S Life Of Brian, Steven A. Benko
Ironic Faith In Monty Python’S Life Of Brian, Steven A. Benko
Journal of Religion & Film
Monty Python’s Life of Brian tells the story of Brian, a contemporary of Jesus whose life becomes chaotic when he is mistaken for a messiah. Standard comedic devices are used to mock and ridicule those who use their authority or office to claim that they are more than human. In this case, laughter humbles those individuals and brings them back to the human community. Second, an ironic faith perspective allows the Pythons to assert that it is up to each individual to define the meaning of his/her own life. While some interpretations of ironic faith suggest the possibility of an …