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14 Dec 2022 The LAst Temptation of Christ Featuring Matt Page TRANSCRIPT On a cold Parisian night in October 1988, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the St. Michel cinema, seriously injuring thirteen people; it was just one of a number of violent protests against Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ . What was it about this film that caused so much anger? What was behind the uproar it inspired worldwide? In this episode we revisit and rethink the controversy, and ask: Was the outrage warranted, or is the film actually a deeply pious and personal exploration of faith? In his attempt to understand the dual nature of Christ, we see Scorsese presenting a Jesus that is more “Chosen One” than “Saviour Figure”, giving us the most human Jesus in cinematic history. ​ Glossary: Hypostatic Union - ​ A theological term that expresses the Christian belief that in Christ, two natures exist together, each retaining their own full and comp lete properties. These two natures, God and Man, are not commingled or united. The Hypostatic Union was formalized at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. ​ Episode Credits: Many thanks to Matt Page for his time and expertise. ​ Matt is a bible and film expert, having published and lectured on the topic for over twenty years. His Bible Films Blog is the largest source of information about bible films on the internet. Make sure to check out his recent book, 100 Bible Films , published with the British Film Institute. You can find Matt on Twitter @MattPage . ​ Citations: The novel, first and foremost: Nikos Kazantzakis, The Last Temptation of Christ (Simon & Schuster, 1952). Matt Page on The Last Temptation of Christ . Martin Scorsese; Christie & Robbins, eds. Scorsese on Scorsese (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003). Thomas Lindlof, Hollywood Under Siege: Martin Scorsese, the Religious Right, and the Culture Wars (University of Kentucky Press, 2008). Darren J. N. Middleton, ed. Scandelizing Jesus? Kazantzakis's The Last Temptation of Christ Fifty Years On (Continuum, 2005). Mark Goodacre, "The Synoptic Jesus and the Celluloid Christ: Solving the Synoptic Problem Through Film ." Journal for the Study of the New Testament , Vol. 23 No. 80 (2001), 31-43. Adele Reinhertz, Jesus of Hollywood (Oxford University Press, 2007). Jeffrey L. Staley and Richard Walsh, Jesus, the Gospels, and Cinematic Imagination (Bloomsbury Academic, 2021). Richard Brody, "France's Art Vigilantes ", The New Yorker (2011). Steven Greenhouse, "Police Suspect Arson In Fire at Paris Theater ", The New York Times (25 Oct 1988). Transcript Coming Soon

3 Nov 2023 The Crucible (1996) Continued Just the Hosts TRANSCRIPT It's February 1692 and a mysterious illness has befallen two young girls in Salem, Massachusetts. Eleven-year-old Abigail Williams and nine-year-old Elizabeth Parris have been having violent fits, and bouts of catatonia. A doctor declares the cause: Witchcraft! Three women of low social standing are accused. But it is not long before the accusations start to spread. Paranoia overtakes the community. Witches are seen everywhere. Over 150 people are accused, and 25 dead before this infamous witch-hunt finally comes to an end. How could this all have gotten so out of hand? Was it all superstitious nonsense run wild, or does this episode carry important lessons for us today? Join us in this second and final part of our 2023 Halloween Special as we explore the historical backdrop to Arthur Miller's The Crucible (1996) . If you haven't yet listened to our first episode on The Crucible & McCarthyism, we suggest you do so first. ​ Glossary: Witch Hunt - ​ The searching out and persecution of people accused of witchcraft. Used colloquially to refer to a similar search for and persecution of people thought to hold subversive or unpopular views. ​ “In times of uncertainty and upheaval witchcraft accusations would increase, and so there were often more witchcraft accusations during times of war and famine. General fears of witchcraft within society could also feed into specific accusations that originated within local community so that somebody disliked by their neighbours might be more vulnerable to being accused.” https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/early-modern-witch-trials/ ​ Spectral Evidence - ​ "Spectral evidence refers to a witness testimony that the accused person's spirit or spectral shape appeared to him/her witness in a dream at the time the accused person's physical body was at another location. It was accepted in the courts during the Salem Witch Trials. The evidence was accepted on the basis that the devil and his minions were powerful enough to send their spirits, or specters, to pure, religious people in order to lead them astray." via USLegal.com ​ Halloween - ​ A festival associated with chocolate, pumpkins, and costumes (or, fancy dress). But also with darkness, the dead, and general spookiness. There are many various names for similar festivals observed in different cultures around the world, with roots in Celtic practices, Catholic traditions, and perhaps a little devilry. ​ Learn more about the origins of Halloween and it's connection to Christianity: https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/halloween_1.shtml ; https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions/ ​ Episode Credits: ​ We don't have a guest join ing us for this episode, but y ou can find the hosts on Bluesky @DrKatieTurner and @JosephScales ​ ​ Citations: Arthur Miller, "Why I Wrote The Crucible " , The New Yorker (21 Oct 1996), pp. 158-164. Arthur Miller, "Are You Now Or Were You Ever? " The Guardian/The Observer (Saturday, June 17, 2000). Gerald Weales, ed. Arthur Miller: The Crucible: Text and Criticism . New York: Viking, 1971. For an overview on the Salem witch trials: You can read a brief history by Jess Blumberg for Smithsonian Magazine; You can find a brief overview with links to learn more at The Library of Congress or The Salem Witch Museum ; The University of Virginia has collated a documentary archive of the trials freely available online; finally, JStor daily has a short article on, "What Caused the Salem Witch Trials? " with further reading suggestions. You can read William Good's letter requesting compensation for the death of his wife, Sarah, and their infant child, HERE . On Tituba: Start with Chadwick Hansen's excellent article for The New England Quarterly, "The Metamorphosis of Tituba "; read Robert Calif's interview with Tituba in More Wonders of the Invisible World ; check out also, Stacy Schiff's article, "Unraveling the Many Mysteries of Tituba " and Bernard Rosenthal's article "Tituba's Story ". On the history of witch-hunts more broadly see: English Heritage's handy rundown of Eight Myths and Misconceptions about witchcraft ; The University of Aberdeen's online exhibition on Witchcraft in Scotland ; The Library of Congress's research guide on Witch Trials & Witchcraft (specifically related to it's impact on women in France); The National Archives's (UK) research guide on Early Modern Witch Trials ; and You're Dead to Me 's episode on The Witch Craze , with Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb. On the legal aspects of witch-hunts and witch trials: Read the full text of The 1604 Act Against Witchcraft ; Check out the UK parliamentary archives' helpful article, "Which Witch(craft Act) is Which? "; explore The University of Chicago's legal resources on the Salem Witch Trials ; watch Berkley Law's video exhibition on Witch Trials in Early Modern Europe and New England ; read the formative witch hunting guide, Malleus Maleficarum (1486) - the second-best selling book of all time! You can learn more about Spectral Evidence at the Salem Witch Museum, and read New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Chuck Douglas' dissenting opinion in New Hampshire v. Frank W. Dustin (1982), in which he addresses spectral evidence, HERE . On Jews, Antisemitism, and Witches: Watch a Voice's Against Injustice lecture on "Witch Trials and Antisemitism: A Surprisingly Tangled History "; read Yvonne Owens' article, "The Saturnine History of Jews and Witches "; read Naomi Lubrich's article, "The Wandering Hat: Iterations of the Medieval Jewish Pointed Cap " about the links between the Judenhutt (a pointed hat Jewish men in German-speaking regions were required to wear) and the pointed witch's hat. On Magic: In our episode we quote from Shaley Patel, in her article, "Is Magic Immoral? " - this is a great introduction into the topic of magic and religion. You can also check out Joe's own scholarship on the topic in his article, co-authored with Ellena Lyell, "Uncovering the Dead, Dethroning the King: Divine Embodiment in 1 Samuel 28:14 ". Transcript Coming Soon

2 Nov 2022 Season 1 Trailer Featuring the Hosts TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Gods & Moviemakers, a new show all about how religion and the bible (as well as myths, folklore and belief) shape the stories we tell on screen. Our inaugural season is all about "The Chosen One". Why were they chosen? Do they want to be chosen? And why are we so attracted to these sorts of stories? Listen and find out! Transcript [Katie] Hi, I'm Katie Turner, PhD in the New Testament and its reception. [Joe] And I'm Joe Scales, PhD in archaeology and Second Temple Judaism. Gods & Moviemakers is a new podcast hosted by us, all about how religion and the bible (as well as myths, folklore, and belief) shape the stories we tell on screen. [Katie] Does this mean we think all movies have been directly influenced by religion or the bible? [Joe] Of course not. We’ll be talking about movies intertextually. Intertextuality recognizes the way all texts, including film, engage in a conversation with that which came before: intentionally or not! ​ [Katie] It also notes the way that we, as the audience, may read things into the movies we watch based on our own knowledge, identity, and culture. The film audience doesn’t passively watch a movie, but rather, actively engages in creating its meaning. [Joe] So we may see commentary on Exodus or a retelling of the Odyssey even in films where this was not the deliberate intention of the director or screenwriter. [Katie] In each of our episodes we’ll be joined by an expert guest to break down what we can learn about religion, the Bible, myth, belief, history and culture from the movies we watch. [Joe] And also how all that stuff can help us see new themes and ideas in our favourite films! [Joe] Our inaugural season is all about ‘the Chosen One’. To help us understand who the chosen one is, why they were chosen, and why we’re so attracted to these sorts of stories, we’ll be joined by amazing experts, such as... [Each name is spoken by the person named] Michelle Fletcher, King-Ho Leung, Marian Kelsey, Matt Page, Katherine Gwyther [Joe] to talk about... The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring, Dune, The Matrix, The Terminator, The Passion of Joan of Arc, The Last Temptation of Christ [Joe] and more! [Katie] Y ou can listen to Gods & Moviemakers on Acast or wherever you get your podcasts, and you can follow us @GodMovPod on Twitter and Instagram. [Joe] For more information, visit our website godsandmoviemaker.com where you can subscribe and even donate if you're so inclined. [Katie] Thanks for listening!

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Episodes 20 Dec 2023 Elf (2003) Featuring Dr Chris Deacy See Episode 30 Mar 2023 The Green Knight (2021) Just the Hosts See Episode 25 Jan 2023 The Matrix (1999) Featuring Dr King-Ho Leung See Episode 14 Dec 2022 The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) Featuring Matt Page See Episode 3 Nov 2023 The Crucible (1996) Continued Just the Hosts See Episode 22 Feb 2023 Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Featuring Dr Piyawit Moonkham See Episode 11 Jan 2023 Joan of Arc (1928 & 1948) Featuring Dr Laura O'Brien See Episode 7 Dec 2022 The Lord of the Rings (2001) Featuring Dr Marian Kelsey See Episode 31 Oct 2023 The Crucible (1996) Just the Hosts See Episode 1 Feb 2023 Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) Featuring Dr Andrew Mark Henry See Episode 21 Dec 2022 Dune (2021) Featuring Kat Gwyther See Episode 30 Nov 2022 The Terminator (1984) Featuring Dr Michelle Fletcher See Episode

21 Dec 2022 Dune (2021) Featuring Katherine Gwyther TRANSCRIPT When you imagine the distant future, what do you see? Some, like Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek , envision a future utopia, where humankind has finally worked through their differences, solved hunger and poverty, and have united in a mission of peace and discovery. For many others, like HG Wells, author of The Time Machine , the future is a post-apocalyptic dystopian nightmare of our own creation. In his 1965 novel Dune ​, Frank Herbet envisioned a future that has advanced as much as it digressed, rebuilding the feudalism of our past in far off galaxies . Dune clearly doesn't present a utopian future. But are utopias really all they're cracked up to be? ​ In this episode, we look at Deni Villeneuve's 2021 adaptation for the big screen (the first, in what will be a series of films). We explore the nature of utopia, and dissect the biblical parallels in a fictitious future world filled with ritual, belief, and religious imagery. What sort of figure is our protagonist, Paul Atreides? Is he a "chosen one" akin to Moses? Or is he more of a classic Jesus-type saviour figure? Finally, we pull the future all the way back to the biblical past to ask: Can you read the Bible as science-fiction? ​ Glossary: This is a glossary of terms used in Dune , and their relationship to Hebrew and Arabic words. ​ Kwisatz Haderach - ​ Meaning, literally, " the shortening of the way", this is a term used by the Bene Gesserit (a powerful, ritualistic order) to refer to a messianic-type figure with the ability to bridge space and time. The word is derived from the Hebrew, Kfitzat haDérech , which refers to miraculous travel between distant places. The Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, better known as Rashi (1040-1105), used Kfitzat haDérech , to mean that the road miraculously shrank, or shortened, to facilitate faster travel. This is how the term is also used in the Talmud. ​ Mahdî - ​ "The one who will lead us to paradise." This is the term used by the Fremen (a desert people from the planet, Arakis ) to refer to their expected saviour figure. In Islam, the mahdī, meaning "divinely guided one", is a messianic figure whose presence is expected to bring forth a new age of justice and true faith. ​ Lisân al-Ghayb - The Fremen term for an off-world prophet, or messiah. Also, "the voice from the outer world". In Arabic, “he who gives voice to the unseen world”, or, “the language of the invisible world”, or, “the voice of the future”. Only one historical figure was ever given this title: the 14th-century Persian poet, Hafez. ​ Uṣūl - A Fremen word, and a name given to Paul Atreides, meaning, "the strength of the base of the pillar". In Arabic, uṣūl means “root” or "foundation". In Islam, the uṣūl al-fiqh are the roots of law (also known as the "foundational principles"), the principles and methodologies through which practical legal rules are derived. ​ Muad-dib - ​ A desert mouse and Paul’s chosen name. Related to the Arabic, mu’addib , for “Teacher”. ​ To learn more about the Islamic terms addressed here, we recommend The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World . ​ ​ Episode Credits: Many thanks to Katherine (Kat) Gwyther for her time and expertise. ​ Kat is a PhD researcher in Hebrew Bible at the University of Leeds, working on utopia and Exodus. She’s interested in how utopian literature and science fiction (and the related criticism) can enrich our understanding of biblical texts and their reception. You can find Kat on Twitter @KatGwyther . ​ Citations: Peter Herman, "The Blackness of Liet-Kynes: Reading Frank Herbert’s Dune Through James Cone ," Religions 9/9 (2018). Fredric Jameson, Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia and Other Science Fictions (London: Verso, 2005). Darko Suvin, Metamorphoses of Science Fiction: On the Poetics and History of a Literary Genre (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1979). Roland Boer, "Religion and Utopia in Fredric Jameson " Utopian Studies 19/2 (2008): 285–312. Roland Boer, Novel Histories: The Fiction of Biblical Criticism (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997). Ursula K. Le Guin, The Lathe of Heaven (many editions and publications available). Michael Weingrad, "Jews of Dune " Jewish Review of Books (25 Mar 2019). Transcript Coming Soon

20 Dec 2023 Elf (2003) Featuring Chris Deacy TRANSCRIPT In 2003, relative newcomers, Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel, were cast in a film written, produced, and directed by a bunch of inexperienced guys, to star alongside national treasures , Ed Asner and Bob Newhart, and screen icon, James Caan. The film was Elf : a goofy story about a man, raised in the North Pole among Santa's elves, who sets off to New York City to find his long-lost Scrooge-esque father. Inspired by the stop-animation classic, Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), infused with references to other Christmas staples such as A Christmas Carol and Miracle on 34th Street (1934), and scored with beloved Christmas music spanning from the traditional (The Nutcracker ) to mid-century croons (Baby It's Cold Outside ), Elf quickly became classic in it's own right. For many people, this film that is a loving homage to so much Christmas media that came before is now the proto-typical Christmas movie. ​ What can Elf tell us about the role movies play in Christmas celebration, and the common lessons they convey? And how should we understand them: As strictly secular content? Or something a little more religious? Join us for this special holiday episode as we chat with Dr Chris Deacy about Christmas movies and home-spun religion. ​ Episode Credits: Many thanks to Dr Chris Deacy for his time and expertise. Chris is the Director of Studies for the School of Culture and Languages and the Course Lead for Philosophy, Religion and Ethics at the University of Kent. Chris's PhD back in the late 1990s, in the University of Wales, was in the area of redemption and film, and he has written several books over the years in the area of theology and film, with a particular focus on the cinema of Martin Scorsese. Chris hosts a weekly podcast called Nostalgia Interviews With Chris Deacy , and a weekly film programme on KMTV in Kent, where guests discuss their four favourite films. Chris has also presented a six part BFI-funded documentary TV series, called Generation Why , about religion, spirituality and ethics which explores young people’s views around faith and culture in the UK today. Chris’ latest book is, “Christmas as Religion: Rethinking Santa, the Secular, and the Sacred ”. You can find Chris @DeacyChris ​ ​ Citations: First and foremost, give Chris Deacy's book, Christmas as Religion , a read (especially Chapter 5, on Christmas films). You may also be interested in some of Chris' other publications on the topic: Deacy, Chris. “The ‘religion’ of Christmas.” Journal of Scandinavian Cinema 3.3 (2013): 195-207. Deacy, Chris. “Religion on the Radio: Using Christmas Religious Broadcasting to Reframe the Sacre-secular Interface.” Implicit Religion 21.1 (2018): 1-43. Check out The Movies That Made Us (Netflix), Season 3 Episode 8, for a behind the scenes look at the making of Elf . Transcript Coming Soon

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