Theology and the Films of Christopher Nolan

Cinematic Transcendence

Theology and the Films of Christopher Nolan cover

Theology and the Films of Christopher Nolan

Cinematic Transcendence

Quantity
Pre-order. Available 16 Oct 2025
$153.00 RRP $170.00 Website price saving $17.00 (10%)

Payment for this pre-order will be taken when the item becomes available

This product is usually dispatched within 2-4 weeks following the publication date

Description

This work of theological film criticism provides an analysis of filmmaker Christopher Nolan's entire filmography, from Following (1998) to Oppenheimer (2023).

Though his films are noticeably lacking in representations of religion or references to God, Nolan's postsecular cinema is nevertheless worthy of our theological consideration, as it contains valuable theological and philosophical insights. Indeed, this is the central claim of Theology and the Films of Christopher Nolan: Christopher Nolan's films can and should be considered works of cinematic philosophical theology-they are doing theology and philosophy through the medium of film as they explore what it means to be human in relation to the transcendent. This book identifies the deep parallels and resonances between Nolan's films and the works of philosopher Paul Ricoeur and theologian St. Augustine. Like Nolan's cinema, Theology and the Films of Christopher Nolan is both intellectually stimulating and highly accessible, satisfying the interests of both scholars and popular audiences alike.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Kutter Callaway
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Theology and Christopher Nolan
1. Following: Fallible Man
2. Memento: Memory, History, Forgetting
3. Insomnia: Finitude and Guilt
4. The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Symbolism of Evil
5. The Prestige: Oneself as Another
6. Inception: The Conflict of Interpretations
7. Interstellar: The Course of Recognition
8. Dunkirk: History and Truth
9. Tenet: Time and Narrative
10. Oppenheimer: Living Up to Death
Conclusion: Nolan's Cinematic Transcendence

Product details

Published 16 Oct 2025
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 256
ISBN 9781978711587
Imprint Fortress Academic
Illustrations 10 bw illus
Dimensions 229 x 152 mm
Series Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Joel Mayward

Joel Mayward is Assistant Professor of Christian M…

Related Titles

Get 30% off in the May sale - for one week only

Environment: Staging