Jesus of Hollywood

by Adele Reinhartz

Overview

Since the advent of the cinema, Jesus has frequently appeared in our movie houses and on our television screens. Indeed, it may well be that more people worldwide know about Jesus and his life story from the movies than from any other medium. Indeed, Jesus' story has been adapted dozens of times throughout the history of commercial cinema, from the 1912 silent From the Manger to the Cross to Mel Gibson's 2004 The Passion of the Christ. No doubt there are more to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195383386
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	04/01/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 2.30(d)

About the Author

Adele Reinhartz is the Associate Vice-President for Research at the University of Ottawa, where she is also Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies. She is the author of numerous articles and several books, including Befriending the Beloved Disciple: A Jewish Reading of the Gospel of John (2001) and Scripture on the Silver Screen (2003). Adele Reinhartz was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 2005.

Table of Contents

The Genre: Jesus Movies as Biopics
Introduction: From Holy Scripture to Silver Screen     3
History and Anti-History     21
The Subject
Jesus of Nazareth     43
The Story: Jesus' Family
Mary     67
Joseph     87
God     97
The Story: Jesus' Friends
Mary Magdalene     125
Judas     151
The Story: Jesus' Foes
Satan     181
The Pharisees     197
Caiaphas     213
Pilate     227
Afterword: Jesus of Hollywood     251
Notes     257
Bibliography     279
Filmography     291
Index of Ancient Sources     293
Modern Author Index     297
Subject Index     301
Film Index     307

Editorial Reviews

"Rich with insights drawn from years of research and teaching in biblical and film studies, Reinhartz's book is a gift to scholars and students alike. It's a must-read in the growing field of religion and film." —Timothy K. Beal, co-editor of Mel Gibson's Bible: Religion, Popular Culture, and The Passion of the Christ

"Reinhartz's discussion of the Jesuses of Hollywood focuses on the filmic treatment of the main scriptural characters who played roles in the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. She shows that the 'reel' Jesus invariably conflicts with, or is unsupported by, scriptural and historical evidence. This highly readable book documents her conviction that rather than offering accurate and engaging representations of the 'real Jesus,' Jesus biopics act as mirrors that reflect the concerns of the times in which they were produced and circulated in first-run theaters." —Margaret R. Miles, author of Seeing and Believing: Religion and Values in the Movies

"This illuminating book will be of interest to those who, like myself, avoid the movies but read the Gospels. It will be even more important for those who enjoy the movies but are curious about the extent to which they are based on ancient Christian literature. Enjoyment of watching will be increased by awareness of the ways in which the Jesus movies relate to the time in which they were made. The lesson that works of historical fiction, such as biopics, are written and enacted with current issues in mind cannot be repeated too often." — E. P. Sanders, author of Jesus and Judaism and The Historical Figure of Jesus

"This book will be of interest to scholars of the Bible and film and would be particularly useful as a text for courses in cinematic representations of Jesus." —Toronto Journal of Theology

"An insightful resource for scholars focused upon questions of adaptation. ...[Reinhartz's] prose is well-documented but fluid throughout. Jesus of Hollywood represents one of the most approachable and informative volumes in teh expanding field of 'religion and film.'" —Christianity and Literature

From the Publisher