Film as Religion Myths, Morals, and Rituals

"A very important book. Lyden urges respect for how films actually function for people who watch them. He lays out an insightful and compelling case for considering film-watching a religious activity. In so doing, he offers a major challenge to all those who discuss culture, religion and theology today." - Clive Marsh,co-editor of Explorations in Theology and Film "John Lyden has entered into the arena of Religion and Film books with an extremely adept contender. His review of the literature on existing approaches to religion and film should be required reading by film enthusiasts and theologians alike. What his conclusions offer in terms of a new approach are solid, convincing and most promising for the future of the field." - Tony S. L. Michael,co-chair, Religion, Film and Visual Culture, AAR "Lyden offers perceptive criticisms of some of the most influential ways of talking about myth." (Crisis Magazine) ". . . offers several new perspectives on this increasingly popular and gradually more critical area. It also is wellsuited for the religious studies classroom. Lydens writing is clear, and he nicely describes some of the more difficult theories of religion in ways that are accessible to undergraduates. In fact, the next time I teach my course "Myth and Ritual on Film" I will assign Film as Religion because of its analogizing methods of showing how film does indeed function as religion in contemporary U.S. culture." (Journal of the American Academy of Religion) "Lydens book is well-written, insightful, and especially engaging for anyone who loves movies." (Religious Studies Review)