Jesus in Popular Culture (2019 Boccaccini), course

Jesus in Popular Culture (MIDEAST 295) is a course offered by Gabriele Boccaccini at the University of Michigan in the Winter 2019.

Course description

Have you even seen a Jesus movie? Do you know that dozens and dozens of them were made since the end of the 19th century, not only in the United States and Europe but also in countries like Iran or South Africa? Drawing on the Gospel narratives with great freedom and creativity, scriptwriters, filmmakers and actors have created the most diverse portraits of Jesus (Pious Jesus, Jewish Jesus, Muslim Jesus, Black Jesus, African Jesus, Angry Jesus, Troubled Jesus, Loving Jesus, Dysfunctional Jesus, Singing Jesus, Married Jesus, Queer Jesus...). They are the Jesuses that dominate our popular culture, much more than the Jesuses of scholars and theologians. By examining dozens of films, the seminar will unveil the mechanisms of making a Jesus movie, the literary sources, the influence of visual arts, the selective (re)use of "scripture" and the subtle insertion of additional material. The analysis will expose the complex relation between "orthodoxy" and entertainment, history and religion, theology and politics.

Text-book

W. Barnes Tatum, Jesus at the Movies, 3rd edition

Students

Carreon,Leonardo Omar
Clancy,Ian
Daccache,Elian Antoine
Ignash, Brian
Mansour,Sarah Naseer
Pharo,William Rogers
Roacho,Juan Pablo
Shaba,Myron Joseph
Stipho,Christal Thair
Woodard-Day,Payten Skyler

Movies

Guidelines for the exam (March 27)

Nativity of Jesus

Read: Nativity of Jesus

In which gospels do we have stories on the infancy of Jesus?
According to which gospels was Jesus born in Bethlehem?
Which is the birthplace of Jesus according to the gospels of Mark and John?
Which elements are in common between Luke and Matthew?
Which are the elements in the Gospel of Matthew which are not in the Gospel of Luke?
Which are the elements in the Gospel of Luke which are not in the Gospel of Matthew?
Historically, which is the dates of the "star", the death of Herod and the census of Quirinius, respectively?
What is the opinion of the majority of scholars today about the birthplace of Jesus?

Ministry of Jesus

- Read: Baptism of Jesus

In which gospels does John the Baptist ask Jesus why he wants to be baptized?
Which gospels openly presents John the Baptist as the witness of Jesus?

- Read: Call of the First Disciples

Who were the first disciples of Jesus according to the Gospel of Mark?
Where did Jesus first meet them according to Mark?
What is different in Luke?
Where did Jesus first meet his first disciples according to John? And who were they?

- Read: Man with an Unclean Spirit

Who are the evil spirits?
Does Jesus have authority over the evil spirits?
Is this the time of the destruction of the evils spirits, or what?

- Read: Recruiting the Tax Collector

Did Jesus come to call all or the many?

- Read: Question about Fasting

Why are the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees fasting?
Why are the disciples of Jesus NOT fasting?

- Read: Choosing of the Twelve

Are the Twelve mentioned in all four gospels?
Are the names of the Twelve listed in all four gospels?
Are the names of the Twelve the same in all four gospels?

- Read: Jesus' True Relatives and Hometown Rejection

In which gospel(s) does the family of Jesus think that he is "out of his mind"?
Which gospels recorded the names of the brothers of Jesus?
Did Jesus have sisters?

- Read: Peter's Confession (Mark 8:27-30; Matthew 16:13-20; Luke 9:18-21)

Who do people say that Jesus was?
What is the answer by Peter?

- Read: Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2-13; Matthew 17:1-13; Luke 9:28-36)

Who are the disciples who accompanied Jesus?
In his mystical vision, with whom is Jesus in conversation?

- Read: Rich Young Man (Mark 10:17-31; Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 18:18-30)

Is it easy for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God?
What is a rich person expected to do?

- Read: Meeting with Nicodemus (John 2:13-25)

Who is Nicodemus, a Jew or a Greek?

- Read: Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:4-26)

Why are the disciple scandalized?

- Read: Jesus and the Adulteress (John 7:53-8:11)

What does the crowd leave?
What does Jesus tell the woman?

Parables of Jesus

Read: Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14; Luke 15:4-6; Thomas 107; Gospel of Truth 31-32; cf. John 10:1-18)

What does the shepherd do?
Who symbolized the shepherd?

Read: Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35)

What is the responsibility of the one who is forgiven?
What happens at the end to the unforgiving servant?

Read: Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)

Why are the workers complaining?
What is the answer of the owner of the vineyard?

Read: Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37)

Is the good samaritan the one who helps, or the one who is helped?
Who are the two people who dio not help?

Read: Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

How many sons are in the parables?
Why is the righteous son nit happy?

Read: Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

What happens to the rich man when he dies?
Who is Lazarus?

Miracles of Jesus

Read: Paralytic at Capernaum

What is the central task of Jesus the Messiah Son of Man?

Read: Canaanite Woman (Mark 7:24-30; Matthew 15:21-28)

Who are the "dogs" and who are the "children" in this story?

Read: Centurion's Servant (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10; cf. John 4:46-54)

How the story is told in different gospels?

Read: Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44)

Who was Lazarus?

Passion of Jesus

Read: Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

What is the meaning of the action performed by Jesus?

Read: Cleansing of the Temple

What is the meaning of the action performed by Jesus?

Read: Anointing of Jesus

What is the meaning of the anointment of Jesus?

Read: Betrayal of Judas

Who is the betrayer?

Read: Last Supper

What do Jesus ask is disciples to do in his memory?

Read: Agony in the Garden

Is Jesus distressed or in perfect control of the situation?

Read: Arrest of Jesus

Did the discipled try to fight back?

Read: Trial of Jesus before the High Priest

What is the ultimate decision of the priest about Jesus?

Read: Peter's Denial

How many times did Peter deny Jesus?

Read: Trial of Jesus before Pilate

Did Pilate want to free Jesus?

Read: Trial of Jesus before Herod Antipas

Who was Herod Antipas?

Read: Barabbas

What was the full name of Barabbas?

Read: Flagellation of Jesus

According to the Gospels, was Jesus flogged before or after the interrogation?

Read: Way to Golgotha

How many people were crucified with Jesus?

Read: Crucifixion of Jesus

Who was condemned to crucifixion according to Roman law?

Read: Burial of Jesus

Who buried Jesus?
Where was he put?

Review of the exam (April 1)

Grades:

50+ right answers = A- (50-52) – A (53-56) – A+ (57-60) 40+ right answers = B- (30-32) – B (33-36) – B+ (37-39) 30+ right answers = C- (30-32) – C (33-36) – C+ (37-39) 20+ right answers = D- (20-22) – D (23-26) – D+ (27-29)

Individual Projects

Individual oral presentations based on at least 4 movies

Guidelines

(a) How is your character presented in EACH of the four Gospels? Why do we have different portraits?

(b) How is your character presented in EACH of the four Gospels? Why do we have different portraits? Which are the sources used by each movie? Which original material is added?

April 8

Carreon,Leonardo Omar Caiaphas
Clancy,Ian -- Pilate

April 10

Daccache,Elian Antoine -- Joseph of Nazareth
Ignash, Brian -- Barabbas

April 15

Mansour,Sarah Naseer Salome
Pharo, William Rogers -- Mary Magdalene

April 17

Roacho,Juan Pablo -- John the Baptist
Shaba,Myron Joseph -- Mary of Nazareth

April 22

Stipho,Christal Thair -- Peter
Woodard-Day,Payten Skyler -- Judas Iscariot