2022 | 1

Browsing 2022 | 1 by Subject "ddc:791"

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  • Article
    Liturgy on the Reel: Ascesis through Film
    Radovic, Milja (2022) , S. 129-157
    This paper investigates representations of ascesis in film. Ascesis (askesis-ἄσκησις) is an ancient Christian praxis, which remains an integral part of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its aim is the restoration of the human being into its wholeness, which in Orthodox theology is referred to as the ‘growing of man from the image to the likeness of God’. Ascesis is bound to the Divine Liturgy: it is a continuation and manifestation of the experience of liturgical life and its aim is the (kenotic) fulfilment of love. Ascesis is a constant metanoia, a pre-condition of reconciliation, a transformative process, artistic creation and the Divine inspiration that leads to salvation. This paper examines the depictions of ascesis in two films: 1. Ostrov (The Island, Pavel Lungin, Russia, 2006) and 2. Man of God (Yelena Popovic, Greece, 2021). The overarching aims of this paper are to show: 1) the ways in which asceticism is conceptualised and expressed in Orthodox Christianity and 2) the ways in which film expresses the inexpressible, moving from the descriptive language to the expression of inner liturgical life by the means of film language. The paper hopes to provide novel perspectives to the field of religion and film in researching asceticism through film. Building upon Andrei Tarkovsky’s thought, this paper finally suggests approaching ascesis in film through the lens of poetic cinema.
  • Review
  • Article
    “There is no order in which God calls us” The Depiction of Christianity and Christians in the Netflix Series SQUID GAME
    Bosman, Frank (2022) , S. 105-128
    The highly successful and also somewhat controversial Netflix series Squid Game takes a very critical stance on the – supposed – intimate relationship between South Korean Christianity and capitalism, especially regarding what is known as the ‘prosperity gospel’. The series features some explicitly Christian characters who do not act according to what they preach, that is, they behave explicitly egoistically instead of altruistically. The series even seems to suggest that ‘true’ Christian compassion and self-sacrifice are to be found outside the boundaries of institutionalized Christianity rather than among nominal Christians. In this article, the author explains in more detail this twofold criticism that the series gives regarding (South Korean) Christianity by carefully examining key scenes and figures from the series, and positioning the series within South Korean (religious) society.