Biblical
Analysis of a Jesus Film related to the Fourth Gospel
The purpose of this exercise is to consider
to what extent certain films about Jesus have been influenced by the
Fourth Gospel.
Choose
a film about Jesus (feature
film or documentary):
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Many of these are also available
in the Media Dept. of the LMU library (upstairs).
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If you find another film
not already on this list, please let me know, so I can add it to the
list.
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Note that some films claim
to be based on one particular Gospel; other films pick and choose
scenes from all four Gospels; for this exercise, choose a film that
is based at least partly, if not mostly, on the Gospel according to
John.
Watch the
film and compare it to the biblical text (of
John and/or the Synoptic Gospels, as appropriate):
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Which portions of the Fourth
Gospel ARE included in the film?
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Which portions of the Fourth
Gospel are NOT included in the film?
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Which parts of the film
are NOT from John, but from the Synoptics? To help you remember which
Gospel(s) contain which scenes from Jesus' life, use the "Table
of Parallel Passages in the Four Gospels" in our Study Bibles
(HCSB 1841-55), and/or the "Five Gospel Parallels" online
http://www.utoronto.ca/religion/synopsis.
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Overall, how strongly is
this film influenced by the Fourth Gospel in particular? How "Johannine"
is this film?
Write a
short paper (about 1000 words) that presents
the results of your biblical analysis:
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briefly introduce the film
(title, director, country, year, etc.);
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mainly analyze the film
from a Johannine perspective, comparing it closely with the text of
John's Gospel;
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briefly summarize how closely
the film was influenced by John, and how accurately it depicts the
biblical story;
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for the format and printing
of your paper, please follow the same guidelines given for the previous
exercises.
Revising
and Web-Publication (optional):
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After receiving written
comments from the professor and other students, you may revise your
paper for a higher grade (unsatisfactory papers must be revised; papers
that receive a "C" or "B" may also be revised
and resubmitted).
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The best papers will be
eligible for publication on the "Johannine Literature" website
(with your consent, of course).
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