Abstract

Many people identify themselves as spiritual but not religious. In this paper I try to draw a distinction between the spiritual and the religious in terms of institutions, rituals, doctrines and creeds, and power or authority on the one hand and such concepts as love, forgiveness, transformation, hope, and inspiration on the other hand. Drawing such a distinction is difficult because there seems to be considerable overlap between the religious and the spiritual. I take it that film influences society and that society influences film as well. I also believe that ordinary people experience religion and spirituality through film. In this paper I want to explore how religion and spirituality are expressed through film by examining such films as Milos Forman’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Bruce Beresford’s “Tender Mercies,” Antonia Bird’s “Priest,” Tim Robbins’ “Dead Man Walking,” Robert Duvall’s “The Apostle,” Steven Soderbergh’s “Erin Brockovich,” and Richard Curtis’ “Love Actually.” I conclude that inspiration seems to be the idea that connects the religious with the spiritual.