Jesus: Real to Reel

The story of Jesus is told and retold in every age and culture. From the earliest oral traditions, to the written Gospels, both canonical and apocryphal, from medieval mystery/morality plays, to the contemporary cinematic presentations of Jesus’ life, the world continues to be fascinated with the Jesus story.
This course will undertake an investigation of celluloid stories of Jesus. Four films about Jesus and numerous film clips will be viewed together and discussed in class. Both socio-rhetorical reading of the Gospels arising from current biblical scholarship and readings of the films arising from narrative theology will be emphasized. The various dimensions of each film’s presentation, what it tells us about Jesus, what it tells us about those who made the film, and about those who watch the film will be explored. Participants will consider their own stories of Jesus and various stories from other cultures in light of these cinematic presentations.
Course participants will become familiar with emerging Christologies from contemporary cinema, will learn how contemporary biblical scholarship enhances or diminished these current stories of Jesus, and will appreciate narrative as a unique language of truth. Additionally, course participants will be introduced both to cinematic resources and to approaches helpful in a variety of ministerial settings, from parish adult education groups to formal school settings.