God in the Movies: A Socialogical Investigation - Hardcover

Bergesen, Albert J.; Greeley, Andrew M.

3.33

6 ratings by Goodreads

9780765800206: God in the Movies: A Socialogical Investigation

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0765800209 ISBN 13: 9780765800206

Publisher: Transaction Publishers, 2000

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The religious imagination is alive and well in the movies. Contrary to those who criticize Hollywood, popular movies often have metaphorically represented God on the screen. From Clint Eastwood as an avenging angel in "Pale Rider" and Nicolas Cage as a love-sick angel in "City of Angels", to Jessica Lange as an angel of death in "All That Jazz", and from George Burns as God in "Oh God!" to Audrey Hepburn in "Always" to pure white light in "Fearless" and "Flatliners", God is very much present in the movies. Images of angels and God used by movie makers are explored here. This volume is an exercise in urban anthropology. Religious imagination is the subject and the movie house is its location. The authors aim to show that the religious imagination is irrepressible, and shows up in our best-known example of popular cultures, movies. Contrary to conservative opinion that suggests that Hollywood is anti-religious, Greeley and Bergeson find just the opposite. Ordinary movies, not explicitly about religion and not made by particularly religious individuals often demonstrate some basic religious theme, point or message.

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Review:

-After a divinely inspired preface by critic Roger Ebert, Bergesen (sociology, Univ. of Arizona) and Greeley (social sciences, Univ. of Chicago) exegete popular Hollywood films (e.g., Ghost) and several international works to demonstrate that movies are about something ultimate and important. The authors combine their talents to tease out theological themes and symbols, and each separately examines specific films that image -God,- analyzing what -She- might look like through these celluloid narrative forms... [T]his likeable and affirming therapeutic work recognizes the rich values of story, the problem of evil, divine intervention and disclosure, and grace... Recommended for general readers.- --T. Lindvall, Choice "After a divinely inspired preface by critic Roger Ebert, Bergesen (sociology, Univ. of Arizona) and Greeley (social sciences, Univ. of Chicago) exegete popular Hollywood films (e.g., Ghost) and several international works to demonstrate that movies are about something ultimate and important. The authors combine their talents to tease out theological themes and symbols, and each separately examines specific films that image "God," analyzing what "She" might look like through these celluloid narrative forms... [T]his likeable and affirming therapeutic work recognizes the rich values of story, the problem of evil, divine intervention and disclosure, and grace... Recommended for general readers." --T. Lindvall, Choice "After a divinely inspired preface by critic Roger Ebert, Bergesen (sociology, Univ. of Arizona) and Greeley (social sciences, Univ. of Chicago) exegete popular Hollywood films (e.g., Ghost) and several international works to demonstrate that movies are about something ultimate and important. The authors combine their talents to tease out theological themes and symbols, and each separately examines specific films that image "God," analyzing what "She" might look like through these celluloid narrative forms... [T]his likeable and affirming therapeutic work recognizes the rich values of story, the problem of evil, divine intervention and disclosure, and grace... Recommended for general readers." --T. Lindvall, Choice

About the Author:

Andrew M. Greeley (1928-2013) was a Catholic priest, best-selling novelist, and sociologist. He was professor of social science at the University of Chicago and member of its National Opinion Research Center (NORC). His books include Faithful Attraction, The Denominational Society, Unsecular Man, Death and Beyond, and The Church and the Suburbs. Albert J. Bergesen is professor of sociology at the University of Arizona. He has written extensively on the sociology of art and culture. He is editor of Studies of the Modern World-System; Cultural Analysis, with Robert Wuthnow, Edith Kurzweil, and J. Hunter; and America's Changing Role in the World-System, with T. Boswell.

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