RELS 402 - Religion and Film

Description:
An examination of religious themes in film, including the portrayal of specific religious traditions and sacred narratives. Films will be selected from a wide range of possibilities, including foreign productions.

Credits: (5)

Learner Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Identify the themes of mythology, theology and ideology in contemporary films from around the world.
Apply text literary criticism and theory to analyses of sacred and secular narratives in contemporary film.
Critically watch films and evaluate how their form and content work together to produce/construct meaning.
Develop analytical, reading and writing skills.
Assess, discuss, and write critically about film from a religious studies perspective.
Broaden the students’ understanding of the term “Religious” and to integrate that understanding into its significant role in film plot, narrative, and imagery.
Compare and contrast “western” and “eastern” portrayals of religious themes in film.
Identify and articulate diverse perspectives on religion in film, including those from global, class, gender and ethnic/minority viewpoints.

Learner Outcomes Approval Date:
12/1/2005