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MOVIES
Superheroes
and spirituality: the religion of the comics
IN
THE NORTHEAST
• The
Rev. Richard A. Blake is a Catholic priest and co-director of film studies at
Boston College, a film historian and author of Afterimage: The Indelible
Catholic Imagination of Six American Filmmakers. Much of his writing has
centered on religious themes and imagery in mainstream filmmaking. Contact 617-552-4295,
blakeri@bc.edu.
• Stephen
R. Prothero is associate professor of religion and philosophy at Boston University
and author of American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon,
which looks at popular images of Jesus in film, television and print. Contact
617-353-4426, prothero@bu.edu.
IN
THE EAST
• The Rev. James McDermott is a Catholic priest and an associate editor
of America, a national Jesuit weekly. McDermott writes frequently about
spiritual themes in popular culture and takes a keen interest in the comic book
culture. Contact 212-515-0132, mcdsj@americamagazine.org.
• Matthew
P. McAllister is an assistant professor in the department of film/video and
media studies at Penn State University in University Park, Pa. He co-edited
(with Edward H. Sewell Jr. and Ian Gordon) the book Comics & Ideology,
a collection of 11 essays. Contact 814-863-3322, mattmc@psu.edu.
IN
THE SOUTHEAST
•
Jeremy
Lott is an author and a contributing editor to Books & Culture.
He wrote a July 10, 2006, article in Books & Culture about the movie
Superman
Returns. He lives in Fairfax, Va. Contact youhypocrite@jeremylott.net.
• Edward
H. Sewell Jr. is an associate professor in the department of communication studies
at Virginia Tech. He co-edited (with Matthew P. McAllister and Ian Gordon) the
volume Comics & Ideology, a collection of 11 essays. Contact 540-231-9827,
esewell@vt.edu.
IN
THE SOUTH
• Stephen
Skelton is based in Nashville, Tenn., and is the founder of The
Entertainment Ministry, which is dedicated to “finding God’s purpose in
popular entertainment.” He is the author of The Gospel According to the World’s
Greatest Superhero and other books. Read Superman’s
Second Coming, an article adapted from the book. It’s posted at Beliefnet.com.
Contact 615-263-4143 ext. 234, steve@entmin.com.
• John
R. May is a professor of philosophy and religious studies at Louisiana State
University in Baton Rouge and editor of the books New Image of Religious
Film and Image & Likeness: Religious Visions in American Film Classics.
Contact 225-578-3129, jmay2@lsu.edu.
IN
THE MIDWEST
• Leonard J. Greenspoon is a professor of Jewish civilization and classical
and Near Eastern studies at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. He wrote a 1993
article in Bible Review titled “The New Testament in the Comics.” Contact
402-280-2304, ljgrn@creighton.edu.
• Fedwa
Malti-Douglas is a professor of gender studies at Indiana University in Bloomington.
She specializes in the study of Arab and Islamic culture and co-authored the
book Arab Comic Strips: Politics of an Emerging Mass Culture. Contact
812-855-0101, fmaltido@indiana.edu or gender@indiana.edu.
IN
THE SOUTHWEST
• Reg Grant is a professor of pastoral ministry at the Dallas Theological
Seminary in Texas. He serves on the advisory board of NEST Entertainment, a
Christian video and film company, and can speak about the connection between
comic book heroes and religion. Contact through Giles Hudson, director of media
relations, A. Larry Ross Communications, 972-267-1111 ext. 223, ghudson@alarryross.com.
• Chris
Seay is pastor of the Houston church Ecclesia, a congregation that is part of
the emerging church movement. Seay frequently writes about faith and pop culture
and is co-author, with Greg Garrett, of The Gospel Reloaded: Exploring Spirituality
and Faith in The Matrix. Contact chris@ecclesiahouston.org.
IN
THE WEST/NORTHWEST
•
B.J. Oropeza is an assistant professor of biblical studies at the Azusa Pacific
University School of Theology in Asuza, Calif., and an expert in religion and
popular culture. Oropeza is the author of The Gospel According to Superheroes:
Religion and Popular Culture. Contact 626-815-6000 ext. 5247, boropeza@apu.edu.
• John
Heeren is a professor of sociology at California State University in San Bernardino.
Hereen has written several articles about the presence of religion in the comics.
Contact 909-537-5556, jheeren@csusb.edu.
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