Scripture on the Silver Screen [Paperback]

Adele Reinhartz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2003

Eloquently written and meticulously researched, Scripture on the Silver Screen offers all students of Scripture--whether in an academic classroom or at home--an inviting new way to further their biblical literacy. It questions the "Hollywoood Hermeneutic" that too often views the Bible as prop, but also recognizes the contributions of movies that successfully integrate the Bible as a plot-making device. Each chapter begins with a discussion on the focal Bible passage, placing it in its literary and historical context, followed by a summary of the film and its main themes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Religion professor Adele Reinhartz offers a thoughtful study on biblical themes in Hollywood movies with Scripture on the Silver Screen. By focusing on just a dozen key films, and by narrowing the book's examination to the ways the Bible is portrayed in those films, Reinhartz's study is clear, concise and absorbing. For some of the films, the biblical connection is explicit in the narrative itself (e.g. the role of the Book of Ruth in Fried Green Tomatoes, a story about women's friendships), while for others, the Bible's role is more subtle and symbolic (e.g. the "Fall" and the exile from Eden depicted in Pleasantville). Reinhartz's tone is typically full of praise for the films discussed here, but she also includes a final chapter on movies that got it wrong-those that, like Nell or Pale Rider, offer misleading or superficial understandings of scripture.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Adele Reinhartz is Associate Vice-President of Research at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where she also holds the position of Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 217 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press; 1 edition (October 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664223591
• ISBN-13: 978-0664223595
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,351,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Adele Reinhartz is Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa in Canada. Her main areas of research are the Gospel of John, early Jewish-Christian relations, feminist criticism, and, most recently, the Bible and Film. She is the author of numerous articles and several books, including "Why Ask My Name?" Anonymity and Identity in Biblical Narrative (Oxford, 1998), Befriending the Beloved Disciple: A Jewish Reading of the Gospel of John (Continuum, 2001), and Scripture on the Silver Screen (Westminster John Knox, 2003). Her most recent book is a study of the Jesus movies, entitled Jesus of Hollywood (Oxford, 2007). She is currently completing a book on Caiaphas the High Priest, in History, Historiography, and Culture, with support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Adele was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada in 2005.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among the Very Best Available, February 27, 2007

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Rea Andrew Redd "http://civilwarlibrarian.blo... (Pittsburgh, PA metropolitan area) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Scripture on the Silver Screen (Paperback)

Very useful for the thoughtful viewer. As an academic librarian and the co-host of a television film talk show, this book is essential. Very informative and nuanced, this book sets an example for understanding the messages in the movies. Also, the book is useful for group and classroom study.