Overview

"The discourse begins in the theatre with the lights down low and the Jesus-films on the big screen. Walsh's commentary starts with the films themselves and the American Jesus(es) portrayed therein. Ironically, while we do not expect Jesus-films to ""get Jesus or the gospels right,"" they do cast light on interesting literary and mythical features of the gospels - and on American culture. For example, Arcand's ""Jesus of Montreal"" offers fresh understanding of the apocalyptic discourse in Mark 13, and ""Shane"" and ""Pale Rider"" demonstrate that Americans desperately want a conquering hero who is not a capitalist or an imperialist to deal with their frustrations."

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9781563383878

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Reviews

In his stimulating analysis of the development of so-called 'Jesusmovies, ' Richard Walsh manages to blend the fresh insights ofcontemporary New Testament investigation with dynamic social-literarytheory in a way that will serve students of the Bible and media for manyyears to come! --Clayton N. Jefford, Professor of Scripture at SaintMeinrad School of Theology, St. Meinrad, Indiana--Clayton N. Jefford

This book has proved an excellent starting point, in that the reader is presented with (what feels like) every Jesus film imaginable, and is guided through specially selected ones read alongside the gospels and Q in detail. And here a warning must be issued: Walsh's passion for these films is contagious and I find my collection of Jesus films expanded by 300%. But this is not all. The reading of the films into and out of the American culture is also immensely interesting and lays bare aspects of American self-understanding through a few precise incisions. - The Bible and Critical Theory, Vol. 1 No. 3, 2005

Richard Walsh s monograph is a most welcome addition to the quickly expanding interdisciplinary field of Bibles and films. It offers two introductory chapters to bring the reader up to date in the arena, many helpful observations and thoughts about Jesus and Christ films, as well as a razor-sharp sketch of the Americanization of Jesuses in movies . The book is indeed well structured and well written. It offers many helpful explanations of details, especially about biblical materials and results of biblical scholarship . Walsh s always-worthwhile discussion is very sophisticated, incorporating many insights not only from biblical and film studies, but also from aesthetics, cultural and literary studies, and, last but not least, philosophy . Walsh s book, therefore, seems to be foremost a scholarly work, and a highly recommended one at that because of its masterful and highly stimulating discussions of the manifold interconnections between Gospels and Jesus films. Jan. W. van Henten, Soc

Richard Walsh s new book on Jesus films is a welcome addition to the fairly rarified field of studies on Bible and film. In an upper-level course on the terms of content, but also in exposing literary and cinematic features that often go unnoticed in introductory texts. Well-written and perceptive. This is quite simply a must-read for those who work either New Testament or religion and film. Journal of Religion & Film, September 2004 This discussion brings together Jesus films, the canonical Gospels, and American culture as partners in conversation. Walsh reveals insights that all three offer concerning literary and mythical features found in each as they intersect in the cinematic auditorium Interpretation, 1/05 His [Walsh's] recognition of critical bias is refreshingly liberating as he casts his own hermeneutics of suspicion on imperialist interpretations of these films Writing with a clear, engaging style, Walsh provides the necessary lights to enable others to see and create their own meanings on the shrouds of religious cinema. Recommended. -T. Lindvall, Regent University, Choice Writing with a clear, engaging style, Walsh provides the necessary lights to enable others to see and crate their own meanings on the shrouds of religious cinema. Recommended. -Choice Richard Walsh s monograph is a most welcome addition to the quickly expanding interdisciplinary field of Bibles and films. It offers two introductory chapters to bring the reader up to date in the arena, many helpful observations and thoughts about Jesus and Christ films, as well as a razor-sharp sketch of the Americanization of Jesuses in movies . The book is indeed well structured and well written. It offers many helpful explanations of details, especially about biblical materials and results of biblical scholarship . Walsh s always-worthwhile discussion is very sophisticated, incorporating many insights not only from biblical and film studies, but also from aesthetics, cultural and literary studies, and, last but not least, philosophy . Walsh s book, therefore, seems to be foremost a scholarly work, and a highly recommended one at that because of its masterful and highly stimulating discussions of the manifold interconnections between Gospels and Jesus films. Jan. W. van Henten, Society of Biblical Literature, September 2004 Walsh skilfully uses the celluloid Jesuses to comment on the gospel Jesuses, and the gospel Jesuses to comment on the celluloid Jesuses. This would be a wonderful textbook for a course on Jesus and film. Stephen D. Moore, Professor of New Testmanent, The Theological School, Drew University--Sanford Lakoff In his stimulating analysis of the development of so-called 'Jesus movies, ' Richard Walsh manages to blend the fresh insights of contemporary New Testament investigation with dynamic social-literary theory in a way that will serve students of the Bible and media for many years to come! Clayton N. Jefford, Professor of Scripture at Saint Meinrad School of Theology, St. Meinrad, Indiana This book has proved an excellent starting point, in that the reader is presented with (what feels like) every Jesus film imaginable, and is guided through specially selected ones read alongside the gospels and Q in detail. And here a warning must be issued: Walsh's passion for these films is contagious and I find my collection of Jesus films expanded by 300%. But this is not all. The reading of the films into and out of the American culture is also immensely interesting and lays bare aspects of American self-understanding through a few precise incisions. - The Bible and Critical Theory, Vol. 1 No. 3, 2005

Author Information

Richard Walsh is Professor of Religion at Methodist College in Fayettevile, North Carolina, and is the author of Reading the Gospels in the Dark and co-editor with Aichele of Screening Scripture.

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