Viewing Film as Theology - An Analysis of Terrence Malick's "A Hidden Life" with Dr. Joel Mayward

Can film function as a form of theology beyond the limits of conventional word-based approaches? Theologian and film critic Dr. Joel Mayward suggests that certain films are capable of theologizing precisely via the audio-visual medium-this is film as theology, what Mayward calls “theocinematics.” This lecture will demonstrate this theocinematic approach through an in-depth analysis of Terrence Malick’s 2019 film, A Hidden Life, which is based upon the real-life story of Austrian peasant farmer Franz Jägerstätter and his refusal to swear allegiance to Hitler in World War II due to his Roman Catholic faith. By attending to the aesthetic dimensions of A Hidden Life, Mayward ultimately proposes that, beyond viewing cinema theologically, we may also view theology cinematically.

[@BobWangwenyi23]

That is so cool!!! Thanks for putting this video up!

[@MrJdg9801]

This is a thought provoking and compelling lecture. I just wish he was not reading his notes the whole time. It was distracting. I know it is a lot of information and supporting authority, but a mix of reading notes and engaging the virtual audience without reading notes would have given space for the the lecture to be more dynamic and accessible. A little less precision and a little more story telling would have added another nuanced dimension to his wonderfully thoughtful work.