Rel 238A: Religion and Film
Elon University Summer I
May 31-June 29, 2012
Pamela D. Winfield, Ph.D.
Online office hours: M-Th 9-10 pm
Contact: pwinfield@elon.edu
Course Description:
This course looks at the importance of religious thought in world cinema. It considers a wide
variety of films – from independent and foreign films to mainstream Hollywood blockbusters that are either overtly religious or that have religious themes at their core. Background readings
on film theory and select world religions will help students critically assess the form and content
of each film through class discussion and assignments.
Course Rationale:
We usually go to the movies to be entertained. We don’t necessarily want to think or reflect on
what we’ve just seen and heard; instead we feel that it’s often better just to relax and not have to
think seriously about anything at all for a couple of hours. In addition, we usually tend to select
the same kinds of movies over and over again since we know what makes us feel good. Hence
we occasionally find ourselves in a rut and never venture outside the Hollywood genres of
Comedy, Drama, or Action-Adventure.
This course, by contrast, takes world cinema seriously as a literary, visual and performing
artform. Like all good art, film reminds us of our humanity. It is a powerful medium that has
the potential to communicate, educate and inspire. It can motivate us to reach higher / wider /
deeper / farther and ideally even compel us to action. It can also reveal the darker side of human
nature; classic narratives of good vs. evil and the effective use of parody and satire can reveal the
character flaws that we all recognize in ourselves and others. By looking at film we will look at
some of humanity’s most profound philosophies, learn about some of its most courageous
religious figures and share in the drama of their transformative events and emotions.
Furthermore, like all good art, film too can be analyzed and appreciated more fully if the
time is taken to really reflect on it. Writing is one of the best ways to take the necessary time to
figure out what you think and how you feel about things. (Just as sketching forces you to really
look closely, writing forces you to really think deeply). This course uses formal and informal
writing assignments to help you cultivate your critical thinking skills in a way that is both
challenging and enjoyable at the same time.
Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, the student will be able
1. To think, discuss, and write critically about film from a religious studies perspective.
2. To formulate a broad definition of the term "religious" and show its significant role in
film plot, narrative, and imagery.
3. To demonstrate insight into other perspectives through a careful examination of his/her
own thinking.
4. To communicate ideas clearly, concisely, persuasively and/or humorously while
simultaneously honing critical thinking skills and sharpening aesthetic sensibilities.
Required Texts:
Primary Sources: You must obtain access to the following twelve films either through Netflix,
downloaded from iTunes, Vudu, Blockbuster (not all available) or library reserve. We will be
watching these films in this order beginning the first day of class, so I STRONGLY recommend
that you queue them up in Netflix, download them from iTunes or otherwise obtain them well in
advance of the viewing date (see course schedule). This is especially true if you will be traveling
this summer. If you are traveling / studying in China or other countries where your internet
access to Moodle may be unreliable, I would recommend that you consider taking this course at
another time. You will not be able to pass if you can’t log on to Moodle or view the films.)
 Baraka
DAY 1
 The Matrix
 I Heart Huckabees
WEEK TWO
 Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring
 Gandhi
 Kundun
WEEK THREE
 Malcolm X
 Inherit the Wind
 The Apostle
WEEK FOUR
 Saved!
 Batman Begins
WEEK FIVE
 V for Vendetta
N.B. There are several ways you can obtain all these films.
1) Netflix 3-at-a-time DVD plan costs $19.99 / month. This is the cheapest way to get your
films - but be aware of the timing issue. You must queue up all your films, view and return
the films in a timely manner to receive the next batch (it usually takes 2-3 days for them to
arrive in the mail). If you’re traveling, Netflix can ship to different domestic US addresses,
just update your address before you return the last batch of DVDs. FYI Instantwatcher.com
updates when Netflix adds streaming content.
2) iTunes, Amazon Instant Videos and Vudu usually cost $2.99 per rental = c. $30-$35 for
the course. Check out Amazon’s promotions – sometimes they offer free month trials. These
streaming sources may be a good option if you’re traveling a lot in the US. All streaming
video rights are only good in the US. Dowloading from iTunes and transferring to a mobile
viewing device is a better option for those going abroad; but note that not all films are
available on iTunes. Access information for each film on the syllabus (below) is as of
4/6/11; streaming video rights can get added but also can expire – so this is a less reliable
format for your required viewing. It is your responsibility to obtain access to the films. If
you cannot view them and post to Moodle (see above), you cannot pass the course.
3) check out these films from your local library, rent from your local Blockbuster, or simply
purchase them (if you were to purchase all these films it would cost you about $100 –
commensurate with other course textbooks.
Bottom line: You are responsible for obtaining all materials – check this out in
advance!!
If at any time you have issues with Moodle, call 336-278-5200. We have 24 hour support for
students enrolled in online classes.
Secondary Sources: All supplementary readings posted on Moodle.
Other Recommended texts:
Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing about Film, 2nd. ed. New York: HarperCollins,
1994
Lyden, John C. Film as Religion: Myths, Morals and Rituals. New York: New York University
Press, 2003.
Johnson, Robert. Reel Spirituality, 2000.
May, John R., ed. New Image of Religious Film, 1998.
Miles, Margaret R. Seeing and Believing: Religion and Values in the Movies, 1996.
Joel W. Martin & Conrad E. Ostwalt, Jr. , eds., Screening the Sacred: Religion, Myth, and
Ideology in Popular American Film, 1995.
May, John R., ed. Image and Likeness: Religious Visions in American Film Classics, 1992.
Martin, Thomas Images and the Imageless: A Study in Religious Consciousness and Film, 1991.
May & Bird Religion in Film, 1982.
Ferlita & May Film Odyssey: The Art of Film as Search for Meaning, 1976.
Butler, Ivan Religion in the Cinema, 1969.
Inclement Weather Policy
Not applicable.
Disability Policy
Elon University’s policy is not to discriminate against qualified students with documented
disabilities in its educational programs. If you are a student with a documented disability who
will require accommodations in this course, please register with Disabilities Services in the Duke
Building, Room 108 (278-6500) for assistance in developing a plan to address your academic
needs.
Honor Code
HONESTY: Be truthful in your academic work and in your relationships.
INTEGRITY: Be trustworthy, fair and ethical.
RESPONSIBILITY: Be accountable for your actions and your learning.
RESPECT: Be civil. Value the dignity of each person. Honor the physical and intellectual
property of others.
N.B. Plagiarism is like steroids – you are automatically disqualified if you use performanceenhancing measures. Remember that a blanket bibliography on the last page does not cover all
the information in your paper or presentation! You must have in-text citations saying where you
got each piece of the puzzle from, and these citations in parentheses must follow immediately
after any words, ideas or images that are not your own. I prefer that you use the Chicago Manual
of Style format. Any questions? See http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/.
Grading Policy
A=Great
B=Good
C = OK
D= Marginal
F= Unacceptable (below 65)
The basis for grading your final papers is a combination of writing skills that you can practice in
your journal posts and on the midterm. These writing skills are transferable to other courses and
career applications so start refining them now!
Your writing will be graded on both form and content. Consider the following criteria:
FORM
Basics: Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. No overgeneralizations, vague
referents, run-on sentences, or unnecessary repetitions (condense your thoughts).
Summary: was your summary of the topic clear and concise? Did you stick to the main
points? Did you integrate less important information into your analysis / critique
later on? Were you focused or did you digress unnecessarily?
Organization: did you have a thesis statement in the first few sentences? Did you follow
the “one idea, one paragraph” rule? Did you make effective use of section breaks?
Flow: Did you put in “sausage link” transition sentences in to move from one paragraph
to the next? Did your ideas flow logically?
Sophistication: did you choose sophisticated vocabulary, concise expressions, witty
turns of phrase, humor or other rhetorical devices to convey your ideas? Were you
clear, concise, and articulate?
CONTENT
Accuracy: did you get the facts straight? Was the content well researched?
Support: did you provide a lot of specific quotes, concrete examples or other evidence
to back up your argument, position or critique? Did you only include just a few?
Breadth: did you consider the personal or societal ramifications of the topic? Could you
see the broader implications or identify the importance or relevance of it? (the “so what”
factor).
Depth: could you “read between the lines” and discern the author’s hidden approach or
agenda? Were you able to figure out underlying motivations or concerns that they
had (i.e. “why is this book being written when and where it is?” who is the
intended audience?”)
Balance: Did you balance out opposing viewpoints of the issue? Was your presentation
of the material one-sided? Were you attentive to the bias of your sources and
juxtapose them accordingly and effectively?
Sensitivity: were you sensitive to the complexities or nuances of the topic?
Complexity: did you provide alternate views on the subject, or compare it with others?
Did you recognize difference as well as similarity?
Grade:
Basics
Summary
Organization
Flow
Sophistication
Accuracy
Support
Breadth
Depth
Balance
Complexity
Excellent
Good
Acceptable
Needs Work
N.B: If you are at all concerned about the quality of your writing, please contact me directly. I
am here to help improve your critical reasoning skills and help refine your ideas and expression.
Grammar / spell check and the writing coaches at the Writing Center in Belk Library (room 108)
should help you with other concerns.
http://www.elon.edu/e-web/academics/special_programs/writing/default.xhtml
COURSE EVALUATION
 60% CLASS PARTICIPATION ON COURSE JOURNAL – 12 movies x 5 pts each
= 60 pts. Grading criteria: 5=Great/Excellent, 4=Very Good, 3=Good, 2=Acceptable,
1=Marginal, 0=Unacceptable or Missing paper. All journal posts for the week’s movies
are due by Monday 9 am – late posts will not be accepted / will not receive any credit.
When posting, you MUST code each blog entry in the following manner:
NAME, FILM TITLE, DATE e.g. Winfield, Batman Begins, 6/6/12.
Here are several strategies for organizing your time, depending on your other
commitments this summer:
a) I strongly suggest that you keep on top of things by viewing a film one day, reading
and writing the next (e.g. view Monday, read & write Tues; view Wed, read & write
Thurs; view Fri, read & write Sat or Sun).
b) You may, however, decide to clump up your viewing, reading and writing activities
on the weekends (good for those of you doing internships / summer jobs)
c) or early on in the week (if you know you have to leave for a business / pleasure trip
later on in the week). Regardless – all journals for the week are due by Mon 9 am or
before (not after).
d) For those of you studying or traveling abroad long term for the month of June: I
would strongly suggest downloading all available films to an iPhone or other portable
viewing device so you can watch the films on long train / plane rides; watch or copy
other films before or after your trip. Your journals are still due by 9 am every
Monday – so you need to get to an internet café well beforehand (leave yourselves
plenty of time to wait for available computers, and have your thoughts well-crafted
beforehand). Again – no late posts will be accepted – so keep an eye on the time
differences!
e) Do not try to view all the films in a 24 hour movie marathon (!) – you need more time
than this to let your ideas percolate. Also – be aware that two biopics are extremely
long –be sure to leave 3 hrs each for Gandhi and Malcolm X and budget your time
accordingly.
The journal posts should combine thoughtful engagement with the primary source material (the
films), the secondary material (readings related to the film’s content) and your own personal
reflection about the themes addressed. I will give you viewing guides / questions to think about
before every film – so your journal posts will (hopefully!) have more analytical / critical acumen
than just “it was good” or “I didn’t like it.”

1
20% MIDTERM ESSAY A 5-paragraph essay1 response (c. 3-4 pages 12 pt, double
spaced) to a writing prompt that I will post during the third week of class. Note: you
have until Monday morning 9 am to write your midterm essay. Submit to Journals.
Five Paragraph Essay Format: Introduction has lead-ins and thesis statement, three subassertions and a concluding
sentence. Each subassertion becomes the topic of the three Body paragraphs, which contain concrete examples,

20% FINAL ESSAY – TWO OPTIONS (due Friday 7/1 @ 9 pm. Submit to Journals):
o A 5-paragraph essay response (c. 3-4 pages, 12 point, double spaced) to a writing
prompt that I will post during the last week of class. This final essay is noncumulative. This option is good for those of you who will be traveling or who may
have limited access to research materials over the summer.
o A research paper (also 3-4 pages, 12 point, double spaced) on a pre-approved topic
related to Religion and Film that interests you. This option is good for those of you
who have the time and inclination to stretch beyond the content of the course
materials and do something different. Contact me by Friday 6/24 with your ideas – so
you have the weekend to draft it for Friday 7/1 submission.
We will also have occasional Chatroom or Skyped discussions about the material; dates and
times TBD.
COURSE SCHEDULE – *asterisked* films may be difficult to access – view / purchase
these well in advance!
WEEK I (Thurs 5/31 - Fri 6/1 - Journal due Monday 6/4 by 9 am)
THE FORM & FUNCTION OF FILM
FORM: Cinematic techniques and visual language
MOVIE
READING
ACCESS
*Baraka
Glossary of Terms
Netflix has DVD & BluRay formats; rental
from Writing About Film.
is not avail. on iTunes, Amazon or Vudu).
FUNCTION. How movies function as Religion
Religion & Film Reader reading
COMMUNITY BUILDING AND TEST TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE CAN LOGIN: take a
picture of yourself, write a bio and post it to Chat.
WEEK II (Mon 6/4 - Fri 6/8 – Journal due Monday 6/11 by 9 am)
THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THE PERFECTED SELF
MOVIE
READING
ACCESS
The Matrix
Rachel Wagner article
Netflix DVD, iTunes, Amazon & Vudu
stream
I Heart Huckabees Monism reading
Netflix DVD; iTunes, Amazon & Vudu
stream
*Spring Summer Fall Winter…Spring
NetflixDVD, not avail iTunes, Amazon or
Buddhism reading
Vudu stream
quotes, scene descriptions or other evidence to back up your argument. Conclude with a final paragraph wrapping it
all up. If you provide 3 examples (quotes, scene descriptions, soundtrack descriptions etc.) you get 3 points. If you
only provide 2 examples, you get 2 points. If you only provide 1, then you get 1 point. In other words, the more
examples you can provide to back up your argument, the better grade you will receive. This means that you should
take good notes while watching the film and ideally watch it again (I will put most films on reserve after we watch
them).
WEEK III (Mon 6/11- Fri 6/15 - Midterm essay due Monday 6/18 by 9am)
RELIGION AND POLITICS IN SPIRITUAL BIOGRAPHY
MOVIE
READING
ACCESS
Gandhi (3 hrs)
satyagraha reading
NetflixDVD; Amazon Stream $9.99, rental
not avail. iTunes or Vudu
*Kundun
Dalai Lama reading
NetflixDVD; not avail. iTunes, Amazon or
Vudu
Malcolm X (3 hrs)
“By any means necessary” Netflix stream + DVD; iTunes, Amazon
reading
stream; not avail. Vudu
Post midterm essay prompt on Friday – essay due Monday 6/18 by 9 am.
WEEK IV (Mon 6/18-Fri 6/22 – Journal due Monday 6/25 by 9 am)
REPRESENTATIONS OF EVANGELISM
MOVIE
READING
ACCESS
Inherit the Wind
Scopes Trial reading
Netflix has DVD; iTunes, Amazon and
Spencer Tracey &
Vudu stream
Gene Kelly version
(NOT the TV version
w/ Kirk Douglas &
Jason Robards!)
The Apostle
Holiness manifesto
Netflix DVD; iTunes, Amazon & Vudu
Film&Religion chp. 11
stream
Saved!
Religion & satire reading
NetflixDVD; iTunes, Amazon & Vudu
stream
WEEK V (Mon 6/25-Thurs 6/28 (last day of class)– Final essay due Friday 6/29 by 9 pm)
GOOD VS. EVIL AND THE ETHICS OF TERROR
MOVIE
READING
ACCESS
*Batman Begins
Winfield piece
Netflix DVD; rental not avail iTunes,
Amazon or Vudu (though can purchase)
V for Vendetta
“
Netflix DVD; iTunes, Amazon & Vudu
stream
Post final exam essay prompt this week – due Friday 6/29 by 9 pm. No late papers accepted.