Argues that popular films perform a religious function in our culture
The first edition of Film as Religion was one of the first texts to develop a framework for the analysis of the religious function of films for audiences. Like more formal religious institutions, films can provide us with ways to view the world and the values to confront it. Lyden argues that the cultural influence of films is analogous to that of religions, so that films can be understood as representing a "religious" worldview in their own right.
Thoroughly updating his examples, Lyden examines a range of film genres and individual films, from The Godfather to The Hunger Games to Frozen, to show how film can function religiously.

About the Author
John C. Lyden is the Liberal Arts Core Director and Professor of Liberal Arts at Grand View University. He is the author of Film as Religion, Second Edition: Myths, Morals, and Rituals (NYU Press 2019), and the editor of the Journal of Religion & Film as well as the Routledge Companion to Religion and Film, among other books.

Reviews
"The first edition of John Lyden's Film as Religion forced us to change the very terms of the conversation about religion and film. This second edition reminds us that this is an ongoing conversation, and that there is still much to consider. Once again, Lyden proves that he is one of the most important voices in the academic study of religion and film." * Eric Mazur, Editor, Encyclopedia of Religion and Film *
"Most noteworthy is Lyden's emphasis on war films, particularly in light of the cultural mind-set of the war on terror. His critical insights on how film functions as religion continue to provoke and inspire." * Choice *



Book Information
ISBN 9781479811991
Author John C. Lyden
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint New York University Press
Publisher New York University Press
Weight(grams) 454g