Faith on Film: Theology at the Movies

Richard Poss
FRIDAYS 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Jan. 30, Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27, March 6, 13, 27, April 3, 10, 2015
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Faith on Film: Theology at the Movies

Spring 2015
In Session
FRIDAYS
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Jan. 30, Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27, March 6, 13, 27, April 3, 10, 2015

Location: 

Main Campus

Tuition: 

$195

Can a movie probe more deeply into theology than other works? Can it show the strengths and weaknesses of religious thought more directly, more dramatically? This seminar probes theology and film, examining movies with strong Christian themes. We will use film criticism and literary and art theories to look at and interpret movies that address the spiritual dimensions of life. The class will study classic directors like Buñuel, Pasolini, and Zeffirelli, tease out new meaning from familiar texts such as A Man for All Seasons and The Matrix, and make brief forays into many less familiar works and genres: Gladiator to Battlestar Galactica, an episode of Yes, Prime Minister, and one from the standup comedy of “executive transvestite” Eddie Izzard. Thoughtful analysis of a movie opens discussion up to multiple meanings, and we will think through films that question, explore, and compare ideas.

 

Required Reading: 

Bolt, Robert. A Man for all Seasons: A Play in Two Acts. Vintage paperback, 1990. ISBN-10: 0679728228.

 

Osborne, John. John Osborne: Plays 3. Contemporary Classics, 1998. ISBN-10: 0571178472.

 

 

 

 

Recommended Reading: 

Tillich, Paul. Dynamics of Faith. HarperOne, Perennial Classics, 2009. ISBN-10:0060937130.

 

Chesterton, G. K. Orthodoxy. Ortho Publishing, 2014. ISBN-10: 1493508075.

 

Meet Your Professor

Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy

Richard L Poss is an associate professor in the Astronomy Department at the University of Arizona, interested in the history of astronomy and relations between astronomy and culture. He teaches a variety of courses dealing with the intersection of astronomy with literature and the arts, and is a frequent contributor to the Humanities Seminars.

  • Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award

Location

Poetry Center
Dorothy Rubel Room
1508 E Helen
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States
Located on the SE corner of Helen Street and Vine Avenue, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell Ave.

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