A Choice Outstanding Academic Book of 1996
Enriched by a cultural studies approach, a deep understanding of religion and history, and a love for the movies, Seeing and Believing explores what popular films of the 1980s and 1990s say about religion and the values by which we live.
“Takes the religious study of film to new and rather glorious heights.” —Publishers Weekly
“Margaret Miles has an almost uncanny ability to see, to observe so carefully that she helped me see what I had missed in the films on which she so thoughtfully comments. This is an important book for anyone concerned with American values and the social powers that sponsor and disseminate them.” —Harvey Cox, author of Fire from Heaven
“As we become an increasingly pluralistic, anxious, visually oriented, and entertained culture, and as video technology becomes the dominant influence in the formation of the public imagination, Seeing and Believing is a timely, important, splendid book-a ‘must read’ for anyone who wants to think and talk about movies and what they tell us about who we are.” —Sharon Daloz Parks, coauthor of Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World
“[Miles’s] graceful writing style, intelligent analysis, committed religious-political perspective and affection for the movies will appeal to anyone interested in cultural, religious or film studies.” —Marilynne S. Mason, Christian Century
“A splendidly readable, intelligent, and compelling volume.” —T. Lindvall, Choice