Overview
Movies and television series serve as a repository of emphases and trends in popular culture and in many cases offer instances of reflection on philosophical and intellectual problems and themes. Many critics have noted the proliferation of Christian and religious imagery and plot elements in popular cinema. The Faith, Film, and Philosophy series offers a context for sustained reflection on the place of faith themes in contemporary popular culture, and therefore serves the goals of the Faith and Reason Institute.
Each year, Faith, Film, Philosophy is comprised by a series of public events on a unified theme running across a week, and including talks, film screenings, and student panels. In conjunction with the public events, Faith, Film, Philosophy also includes a two-day seminar in which scholars of film and popular culture read and discuss one another's work.
| Year | Conference Topic | Public Speakers |
|---|---|---|
|
I. 2007 |
Faith, Film, and Philosophy |
Mr. Ralph Winter, Dr. Thomas Hibbs, Dr. Michael Foley |
|
II. 2008 |
Faith, Film, and Philosophy |
Dr. Douglas Geivett, Dr. Michael Foley, Dr. Carl Plantinga |
| III. 2009 |
The Lives of Others: Human Transformation and Film |
Dr. Daniel McInerny, Dr. Roy Anker |
|
IV. 2010 |
Surrogates, Avatars, and Zombies: Film, Faith, & The Human Prospect |
Dr. Eric Cunningham, Dr. Lyra Pitstick, Dr. Kim Paffenroth |
|
V. 2011 |
Faith, Philosophy, & Mystery in Film |
Dr. Catherine Tkacz, Dr. Daniel McInerny, Dr. Michael Foley |
|
VI. 2012 |
The Tree of Life: The Way of Nature and the Way of Grace |
Dr. Peter Candler, Dr. John McAteer |
|
VII. 2013 |
Of Fairy-stories, Fantasy and Myth |
Dr. Michael Foley, Dr. Katherin Rogers, Dr. Richard McClelland |
|
VIII. 2015 |
From Home Alone to Interstellar: Parent and Child in Popular Film |
Dr. David Calhoun, Dr. Karen Eifler, Rev. Charles Gordon |
|
IX. 2016 |
Saving Private Ryan and Other Love Stories |
Dr. Richard McClelland |
|
X. 2017 |
Of Love & Friendship: The Films of Whit Stillman |
Dr. Michael Foley, Mr. Whit Stillman |
|
XI. 2023 |
Dr. Brian Clayton, Dr. Robert K. Johnston, Dcn. Steven D. Greydanus | |
| XII. 2024 | Spiritual Film Themes in a Secular Age | Dr. Brian Clayton, Dr. Michael P. Foley, Dr. Duane Armitage |
Faith, Film, and Philosophy 2025
Faith, Film, and Philosophy 2025 is already scheduled for the week of October 6 - October 10, 2025. The Faith, Film, Philosophy Seminar will take place Thursday, evening, October 9, to Saturday evening, October 11, 2025, on the campus of Gonzaga University, in Spokane, WA. Check back later for more details.