Sacred Profanity

In the beginning, Hollywood turned to the Bible for inspiration, with Cecil B. DeMille's silent blockbusters enthralling audiences in the 1920s. Each era since has seen its signature spiritual-themed films-the reassuring Going My Way, the widescreen Ten Commandments and Ben Hur, the diabolical Rosemary's Baby, the satiric Life of Brian, the romantic Ghost and the intense Passion of the Christ.

This book offers a history of films with Biblical, spiritual, and supernatural themes.

This book offers a history of films with Biblical, spiritual, and supernatural themes.

This volume follows the evolution of one of the Hollywood’s longest running thematic concerns. From the silent era to the present, Sacred Profanity: Spirituality at the Movies examines the rich diversity of films with spiritual themes—films that reflect our own fascination with the divine and supernatural, while evoking the specific times in which they were created.

From Birth of a Nation to Angels and Demons, Sacred Profanity discusses over 180 films with an insightful, movie lover’s approach. Coverage encompasses Biblical stories like King of Kings; films about spiritual characters, such as The Nun’s Story; foreign masterpieces like The Seventh Seal; movies that incorporate spiritual symbolism, such as Taxi Driver and Cool Hand Luke; horrifying visions of the Satanic like The Exorcist, and controversial works like The Last Temptation of Christ. The book also looks at the history of Hollywood’s attempt to maintain moral order through censorship, as well as the growing influence of filmmakers’ own spiritual beliefs on the movies we see.

• Comprises discussions of 184 films with religious, spiritual, or supernatural themes
• Includes quotes from over 100 actors, producers, directors, and critics
• Presents 22 seminal images from Biblical epics, films featuring priests and nuns and also films dealing with symbolic sacramental themes
• Offers an extensive bibliography of print and online sources for further reading
• Provides a comprehensive filmography of all movies discussed in the book