Dossier 1/2025: Religion and Cinema: From Representation to Expression

Among the various methodological approaches to religion and cinema, the one that combines the study of religion with film studies to critically analyze the representation of religion in cinema is one of the most common. This representation-focused approach allows for the exploration of religions in their material and lived dimensions, highlighting similarities and differences between religious traditions—sometimes within the same religion—while also portraying inter-religious tension and coexistence. This perspective, based on filmic representation, opens up different possibilities for interpreting cultural perceptions of religions in societies.

In this call for papers, we invite researchers to also consider the realm of expression in their studies, beyond the representation of religion in cinema. Expression is the space where different artistic languages are woven together, forming the basis of sensory experience and the process of meaning-making in cinema, which includes elements of image, sound, and editing that cannot be reduced to paradigms of representation or communication. Within this scope, this special issue seeks interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary studies in the field of religious studies and film aesthetics that articulate readings of specific works, drawing from references rooted in worldviews, wisdoms, gestures, and practices that weave together various religious traditions.

The commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 2025—a central event in the history of Christianity with a broad impact on the field of visual cultures—provides an opportune context for opening this special issue in REVER.