The Greatest Story Ever Retold: Envisioning Jesus Narratives from Gospels to Film

"An excellent way of thinking about how the stories of Jesus have been transformed in early writings, Jesus films, and our own imaginations" We often visualize the Jesus story in particular ways as we read the Gospels, inevitably playing the part of a director as we imagine the story playing out in a Jesus film of our own. This book explores the ways the Jesus story has been told and retold from the earliest Gospel writings to contemporary film adaptations. It highlights what these narratives can teach us about the hermeneutical process we employ, knowingly or unknowingly, as we read the Gospels. "An engaging interplay between the Gospels and the Jesus movies, addressing matters of genre, characterization, and themes all while keeping the reader/viewer at the center of the hermeneutical enterprise. A wonderful addition to the library of books on Jesus in the Gospels and on the screen." -- Adele Reinhartz , University of Ottawa; author of Jesus of Hollywood "This volume is deeply engaged with the depiction of Jesus and the Gospels in film but is also wonderfully engaging for anyone who has read a Gospel or watched a film about one." -- David J. Shepherd , Trinity College Dublin; author of The Bible on Silent Film: Spectacle, Story and Scripture in the Early Cinema "A valuable contribution to the study of Bible and visual culture. This volume is sure to help readers engage biblical literature and Jesus films more thoughtfully and with a clearer understanding of their own roles as interpreters." -- Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch , Eastern University "An excellent way of thinking about how the stories of Jesus have been transformed in early writings, Jesus films, and our own imaginations." -- Matthew Page , author of 100 Bible Films "Dunne and Brown invite readers to share both their fascination with Jesus films and their humble recognition of interpretation's inevitability, which empowers readers to reflect on their own evaluative standards for Jesus films--and their own preexisting internal Jesus 'films.' Such humble curiosity is particularly recommended for anyone creating Jesus films/stories." -- Richard Walsh , Methodist University (emeritus)