Religion and Film in the 21st Century: Perspectives and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

Since its very beginnings, cinematic art has been closely linked in various ways to the religious, the sacred, and the spiritual. From the dawn of cinema, filmmakers have drawn inspiration for their stories from sacred texts, particularly the Bible. The first film about Jesus was made as early as 1897—La Passion du Christ by Albert Kirchner. Religious faith and the sacred, however, also appear in film in more implicit ways. Many directors—perhaps without being fully aware of it—enter the realm of the sacred when exploring metaphysical themes such as redemption, the meaning of life and death, suffering, grace, selfless love, transcendence, or moral struggle. They often employ cinematic techniques that bring us closer to the transcendent through visual language, via pulchritudinis, and the aesthetics of beauty.

The transcendental style of filmmaking has been especially emphasized by authors such as Paul Schrader and André Bazin. Schrader highlighted the formal elements that evoke transcendence in film, while Bazin spoke of the “sacramental” capacity of cinema when the camera, like a meditative eye, reveals moments of grace and the presence of the sacred in the everyday.

Some of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema—Carl Theodor Dreyer, Robert Bresson, Ingmar Bergman, Yasujirō Ozu, Alfred Hitchcock, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Roberto Rossellini, Federico Fellini, Satyajit Ray, Andrei Tarkovsky, Martin Scorsese, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Terrence Malick, Wim Wenders, and Abbas Kiarostami—have used, or continue to use, religious iconography, narrative structures, and aesthetic strategies that resonate deeply with theological and spiritual meaning. In their own way, each of these directors has explored human existence through the lens of transcendence, silence, moral struggle, and divine grace.

The interdisciplinary field of religion and film began to develop significantly from the 1980s onward, with growing awareness that religious and spiritual experiences are not confined to explicitly religious spaces but can also be found in the realm of popular culture, which can serve as a locus theologicus. Numerous scholars have emerged in this field, producing important books, essays, and academic studies—addressing both explicit religiosity in film as well as more subtle, hidden layers that require deeper interpretation and analysis. Among them are Andrew Greeley, Bryan Stone, Clive Marsh, John Lyden, Robert K. Johnston, Gordon Lynch, Peter Malone, Lloyd Baugh, Christopher Deacy, Dario E. Viganò, and many others.

Building on their insights, the aim of this Special Issue is to explore how film and religion/theology/spirituality coexist in the first quarter of the 21st century. In what ways can film serve as a platform for dialogue between faith and culture? What are the dominant themes in contemporary global cinema when it comes to religion, spirituality, and theology? Which contemporary directors continue the transcendental tradition, and how?

We are particularly interested in original research articles that examine the evolving relationship between cinematic art and religion from interdisciplinary, intercultural, and transnational perspectives. Contributions are welcome that engage with a broad range of cinematic forms—from feature films and documentaries to experimental and independent productions.

This Special Issue aims to accomplish the following:

• Encourage critical reflection on representations of religious, spiritual, and theological themes in 21st-century cinema.
• Highlight the importance of aesthetic, narrative, and symbolic strategies in evoking the sacred through film.
• Explore film as a medium of religious experience and moral imagination.
• Promote dialogue across disciplines such as religious studies, film studies, philosophy, media studies, theology, and cultural studies.

Suggested topics include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Film as a medium of religious and spiritual experience;
• Film and evangelization: narrative strategies and reception;
• Contemporary directors working in the transcendental style;
• The semiology of religious symbols and rituals in film;
• Gender representation and religious traditions in cinema;
• Representations of religious figures and communities in film;
• Theological aesthetics and cinematic beauty (via pulchritudinis);
• Mysticism, silence, and contemplative cinema;
• Religion and popular culture in global cinema;
• The role of cinema in interreligious dialogue;
• Religion and peacemaking in film;
• Christ-like figures in cinema;
• Religion/theology/spirituality in television series.

We hope that this Special Issue will stimulate renewed scholarly interest in the religious and theological dimensions of film in the 21st century, creating space for critical reflection, theological engagement, and aesthetic analysis. By drawing attention to the spiritual dimensions of cinematic narratives and forms, we aim to broaden the conversation about how film continues to shape—and be shaped by—religious imagination in a secular, pluralistic world.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200‒300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, Professor Dr. Irena Sever Globan (irena.sever@unicath.hr) or to the Assistant Editor of Religions, Dr. Ana Vujković Šakanović (vujkovic.sakanovic@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purpose of ensuring their proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Irena Sever Globan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• religion and film
• transcendental style
• theology and cinema
• sacred and screen
• religious aesthetics
• spiritual expe-rience
• media and religion
• representation of religion
• film and meaning
• visual theology