Recommended Films in Psychology of Religion

© 2003-2004 Michael Nielsen

A Man for All Seasons

Sir Thomas More's loyalty to his religion brings him in opposition to King Henry's desire for a divorce. More is framed, tried for treason, and behaded. A classic film, winner of 6 Academy Awards, and deserving each of them. VHS or DVD

Andrei Rublev

Perhaps the most beautiful film I have ever seen. The story of life and religion in 15th century Russia. It begins slowly, but grows to be a masterful examination of life amid adversity, of faith and perseverance. Winner of the International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. If you have a choice, watch the VHS version; the DVD version fails to capture the subtlety in the photography. VHS or DVD

Babette's Feast

Isak Dineson's story of a Parisien chef in a remote Danish village is a beautiful story of a gift of self-less service given to a religious community by an outsider.VHS or DVD

Chocolat

A fascinating story of religious strictures and prohibitions in a conservative, small-town French society, this film asks us to reconsider how we use religion to form judgments of others.VHS or DVD

The Decalogue

Ten films made for Polish television, each dedicated to one of the commandments. A thoughtful portrayal of how a faithful Christian sees the commandments to be relevant to modern life. Several of the films take a surprising turn. This series is often out of stock, but from time to time you can locate a set on the amazon marketplace or through auction sites such as ebay. These are the links to the complete set, but you should also be aware that you can obtain the VHS tapes separately (5 tapes, with 2 films on each).VHS or DVD

Defending Your Life

This comedy describes New Age beliefs very well and is an uproarious examination of courage, fear and love.VHS or DVD

The Devil's Advocate

An interesting exploration of hell and evil. It raises questions regarding individual agency/choice, temptation, and good vs. evil. Al Pacino is excellent in his role.VHS or DVD

Electric Grandmother

In this adaptation of Ray Bradbury's clasic story, you can consider what makes life, relationships, and individual growth important. What constitutes life? Your view may be changed after a thoughtful look at this film. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be available from Amazon.com, the Internet Movie Database, or any other source that I can locate.

Fiddler on the Roof

Tevye's faith and struggles with God convey much wisdom in this film. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, and famous for its music, I like it even more for the dialogue.VHS or DVD

Gandhi

Gandhi's amazing, exemplary life is shown magnificantly in this picture that won 9 Academy Awards. An inspiring movie, it leaves me also feeling sad that his dream of a single India, united despite its religious differences, did not become a reality. Still, the world is a much better place as a result of his work and influence.VHS or DVD

God's Army

If you have ever wondered what it was like to be a Mormon missionary or to otherwise be motivated to proselytize your religion, watch God's Army. It conveys the challenges and rewards of proselytizing.VHS or DVD

The Green Mile

A powerful story of redemption and atonement. Far and away, this is one of the best films on this list.VHS or DVD

Inherit the Wind

The pivotal "Scopes Monkey Trial" portrayed to great effect by Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, and Gene Kelly. Very powerful acting, with one scene in the courtroom lasting 15 minutes on one "take" in order to convey the intensity of the drama.VHS or DVD

Leap of Faith

Comedian Steve Martin as a religious healer? Of course this has twists and turns, but this movie has a more uplifting story than you might expect.VHS

Life is Beautiful

Sweet and sad, Roberto Benigni plays a father in a concentration camp whose unique spirit reminds me of Vicktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning.

The Little Prince

Antoine de Saint-Exupery's beautiful story about values and life. A simple film on the surface, with moving themes underneath, children and adults can find much food for thought in this musical.VHS

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Pursuit of things holy was never sillier than in this classic Python film. VHS or DVD

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

A hilarious depiction of things that people pursue in order to gain a sense of meaning. If you are easily offended, stay away from this film because you may well find the Python finger pointing at you! VHS or DVD

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Homer's epid Odyssey set in the depression-era South. This isn't strictly about religious issues, but it includes John Goodman as a "Cyclops" who sells Bibles, and it shows how people wrap themselves in religion in order to gain credibility with an audience. VHS or DVD

Waco: The Rules of Engagement

An honest look at David Koresh, his Waco relgious group, and the government's efforts to prevent Koresh and his followers from worshipping God the way they saw fit. After you see the evidence, you may never again trust government officials.VHS

Battle for the Minds

Battle for the Minds is a compelling film that recounts the efforts of fundamentalists to take control of the Southern Baptist Convention during the 1980s and 90s. Producer/Director Steven Lipscomb succeeds not only in chronicling the fundamentalist shift in the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., but he also effectively describes the belief system advocated by Paige Patterson and Paul Pressler, who orchestrated the takeover. This film is eminently well-suited for use in courses, and will stimulate lively discussion among students of religion. It illustrates a wide range of issues, from the "political" maneuvering that occurs in organizations to the way that individuals are affected by organizational change. This is particularly true of religious organizations, which claim to guide people through eternities. As the Southern Baptist Convention became increasingly fundamentalist, it began to exclude people with a broader interpretation of Christianity. The film depicts both the disappointment of Southern Baptists who now are left outside of their church, and the joy of fundamentalists who feel that the SBC now more closely reflects God's will. Regardless of your personal religious views, this is a fascinating examination of the way religion is played out in organizations. I highly recommend this film to you, and I'm not alone-- it has received numerous awards and high praise from Baptists, filmmakers, media, and film festival audiences. My students also have found the film to be very stimulating. It always provokes comments and discussion, and prompts students to think about religion in a new way. Battle for the Minds can be obtained either through the Battle for the Minds website, or through New Day Films.