cover image Reading the Gospels in the Dark: Portrayals of Jesus in Film

Reading the Gospels in the Dark: Portrayals of Jesus in Film

Richard G. Walsh, Robert Walsh. Trinity Press International, $29.95 (209pp) ISBN 978-1-56338-387-8

How do the ""Jesus films"" compare to the canonical gospels? In Reading the Gospel in the Dark: Portrayals of Jesus in Film, religion professor Richard Walsh explores movies such as Jesus of Montreal, Shane, Godspell and The Greatest Story Ever Told. He argues that Jesus films are cultural and ideological products, and he arranges them into five basic eras, showing how they reflect the tensions and hopes of different periods of the 20th century. The book's tone and language can be academic at times, but Walsh's insights into religion and popular culture are often fascinating.