Film as Cultural Artifact

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by Mathew P. John

Type: Essays
Subject: Sociology
Keywords: religion, world cinema
Publishing date: 2017
Publisher: Fortress Press
Language: English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 148 pages
6 x 8 ¾ inches (15 x 22 cm)

ISBN

978-1-5064-2169-8

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Book Presentation:
Film is popularly described as a mirror of culture. It plays a pivotal role in facilitating intercultural dialogue in our global village. World cinema helps us understand and appreciate each other's cultural identity, and promotes harmony across different cultures in our pluralistic society. It introduces us to the life of "the other" in an entertaining yet engaging fashion, creating cultural bridges that foster a sense of unity in the midst of our diversity.

This book argues that "cultural anthropology" and "theology" offer two distinct, yet intrinsically connected theoretical frameworks to formulate a more "holistic" reading of religion from world cinema. It proposes an integrated methodology for religious criticism of film in which we look at religion as a subsystem of culture and observe how religious experiences depicted on the screen are mediated through the personal bias of the auteur and the context in which the film is produced. It thus creates a renewed appreciation for the religious diversity in our world by providing a new way of observing and interpreting ethnographic information from world cinema.

About the Author:
Mathew P. John was originally an electrical engineer with a Baccalaureate degree in Technology (B Tech) from Mahatma Gandhi University, but transitioned from "technology to theology," with a Master degree in Theological Studies (MTS) from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. His dissertation won the prestigious Alan Tippet Award for interdisciplinary engagement. As an Instructor-in-Training at Fuller Theological Seminary, he co-taught many courses in Film, Culture and Theology, and presented papers at academic conferences hosted by American Anthropological Association, Center for Religion at UCLA etc. He is also an alumnus of the Professional Producer's Program at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

Press Reviews:
"Welcome to the future. The explosion of filmmaking around the globe has changed who we are, and Mathew P. John shows us why. He shows how film creates harmony, cultural bridges, and intercultural understanding. Thank you for leading us in this!"--Ralph Winter, Producer of X-Men and Planet of the Apes

"While many have written about western cinema and theology, in this book Mathew P. John breaks new ground by putting world cinema under the triple microscope of anthropology, theology, and film studies. Anyone who cares about religion and film will want to read this pioneering work. "--John P. Bowen, Professor of Theology, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto

"Mathew P. John moves the world cinema conversation forward by leaps and bounds. He deftly weaves anthropology, ethnography, theology, and film criticism to unpack Deepa Mehta's underseen Elements trilogy. What an essential contribution to our understanding of the cultural currents flowing through her Fire, Earth, and Water."--Craig Detweiler, Professor of Communication, Pepperdine University

"World cinema beyond Hollywood is often rich, fascinating, and deeply human. Mathew P. John opens new horizons for cultural understanding through film by exploring the theology of place that informs Indo-Canadian director Deepa Mehta's Element's trilogy, Earth, Fire, and Water."--Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP, Founding Director, Pauline Center for Media Studies, Los Angeles

"One of the greatest gifts of film is its ability to help audiences see and hear the world through the eyes and ears of the other. Yet the discipline of religion and film as a whole has struggled to identify the critical tools necessary to assess the cross-cultural and interreligious potential that movies possess. Mathew P. John helps the entire field take an important step forward in laying out an interdisciplinary methodology for understanding film not simply as a cultural artifact but as a profoundly religious/theological one as well. I highly recommend this book." --Kutter Callaway, Author of Scoring Transcendence and Watching TV Religiously

See the publisher website: Fortress Press

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