Hollywood's Next Big Thing: Religion

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
By Gloria Goodale

This publicity image shows Diogo Morcaldo
as Jesus (r.) in a scene from 'The Bible.' (Joe Alblas/History/AP)

HOLLYWOOD---As summer winds down, the hottest trend on Hollywood’s fall schedule appears to be religion. Faith-based entertainment is in the midst of a comeback, what with NBC announcing its sequel to “The Bible,” the highly rated cable mini-series; multiple upcoming movies about Moses; a new film about Noah (starring Russell Crowe); and a Ridley Scott production of Exodus. While faith and mass entertainment are not mutually exclusive, they coexist in a delicate balance that risks cheapening religion in order to give it mass appeal, says Bryan Stone, academic dean at Boston School of Theology. “Consumer culture may render a religious tradition more accessible, but our relationship to that tradition remains one of ‘shoppers’ and ‘consumers’ who engage that tradition as a disposable commodity,” he says. [link]