Hollywood Dreams and Biblical Stories

Hollywood Dreams and Biblical Stories

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An accomplished biblical scholar here juxtaposes movies and New Testament themes to uncover the mythic dimensions of each and to explore the primary conflicts in American society.

Brandon Scott's sage and savvy analysis of more than fifty recent popular American movies, from Dirty Harry to Robocop 2, from Pretty Woman to Thelma and Louise, opens a unique slant on American mythology. He delves into the deepest dreams and perennial tensions in American culture: wealth and poverty, race relations, moral aloneness, the superhero and the solo redeemer, violence and war, the mythical West, relations of the sexes, and fears of the future. These portrayals in turn launch him into the chief themes and mythic elements in the New Testament. In the conversation and mutual criticism that his book engenders, Scott clarifies the values that contemporary culture and the Bible might bring to each other.

Endorsements

"This book breaks the paralysis of the Christian mind in theological critique of electronic culture. It instead explores the deep resonances between the sacred narratives of biblical antiquity and the movies of the twentieth century and leads an exhilarating dive into the mysteries of the transmediatization of religious experience."
—Thomas E. Boomershine
United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio
"Brandon Scott has the rare sensitivity to understand that our new ideas about media are incubated not just in libraries but in darkened theaters scented with the aroma of popcorn. His book is a vital connection between the Gutenberg world and the information society that is replacing it."
—Gary T. Rowe, Senior Vice-President
Turner Educational Services, Inc.

Table of Contents

    Preface

  1. A Flickering Light
  2. From Graven Image to Dream Factory
  3. The Hero
  4. The Duke
  5. Morally Alone
  6. The Poor You Have Always with You
  7. Loss Innocence
  8. From the Destruction of the Temple to Mad Max
  9. Male and Female
  10. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

    Scripture and Ancient Sources Index
    Author and Subject Index
    Film Index

Product Info

  • Publisher Fortress Press
  • Format Paperback
  • ISBN 9780800627539
  • Dimensions 5.5 x 8.5
  • Pages 312
  • Publication Date December 1, 1994
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