Imag(in)ing Jesus in the Universal or Particular: Cross-Cultural Bible Film Reception of The Lumo Project: The Gospel of Mark (2014) and Son of Man (2006)

Abstract

This thesis constructs and critically explores 'cross-cultural Bible film reception' by examining and analysing the responses of UK and South African audiences to The Lumo Project: The Gospel of Mark (2014) and Son of Man (2006). The four following cultural dynamics are considered in detail: fidelity to the (biblical) text, ethnicity, music, and gender. The concepts of universality and particularity are adopted here as frameworks to determine the ways through which the filmmakers attempt to identify their cinematic visions and locations. 'Universality' is defined as a phenomenon through which the filmmaker seeks to place the narrative within a trans-cultural frame for a global audience; in contrast, 'particularity' envisions a unitary and specific cultural context for the narrative. The universal and particular are shown as complex, contested, and shifting concepts within the process of cross-cultural audience reception which frequently destabilizes the intentions of the filmmakers. This thesis not only opens up the field of Bible and film beyond filmmakers’ intentions to audience receptions, but also develops comparative perspectives between audiences in the global north and southern contexts.