Film and Media Studies Commons^™

Teaching Hierophany Through Film And Film Through Hierophany, Marc Yamada

Journal of Religion & Film

Courses that deal with cinematic representations of the sacred often focus on the experiences of characters in the film, relegating the viewer to the position of a passive witness to the reorienting effects of cinematic hierophanies. These types of courses do not take full advantage of the power of the cinematic medium to transform the way viewers understand the ontological and temporal structures they use to anchor themselves in the “profane” world. Based on my undergraduate course Cinema and the Sacred, this article outlines ways to allow students to experience the full transformative effects of cinema. As is the case …