Seite - 157 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Band 02/02

| 157www.jrfm.eu 2016, 2/2, 155–160 brings the reader into close conversation with a long list of well-known the- orists and philosophers, among them Derrida, Peirce and Deleuze, and helps both clarify their ideas and illustrate how they can be used in the exploration of religion and film when attention is paid to the film medium. This part of the book also works as an introduction to film theory in general, highlighting many debates of the past and of the present. In many ways this is the strongest part of the book and a part that is bound to help many religion and film scholars find and develop connections with film theory worth exploring in their field. For anyone seriously contemplating questions of theory and method in the study of religion and film, Salvation from Cinema is sure to inspire reflection. However, this is not to say that this is an unproblematic study that does not raise any questions. Downing clearly illustrates her knowledge of how film works and of film theory, and also introduces this knowledge to readers in a way that should help clarify issues for those unfamiliar with film theory and highlight new perspectives for those with a keener knowledge, but her understanding of religion seems somewhat more wanting. The book is full of theological re- flections and references to the Bible, and some aspects that can be related to different religious traditions are brought up, but her religious perspective feels very specific and very much focused on the aspect of the existence of and re- lationship with something “beyond” expressed in religion or, more specifically, on what Downing refers to as transcendence. Downing touches on certain non- Christian theological traditions and questions, such as the Buddhist tradition with Bodhisattvas, but often only briefly, bringing the focus back to the film medium in the next sentence. Since her aim is to teach viewers more about how to understand what one sees in film, her choice is comprehensible, but it sometimes leaves the reader with more questions than answers. Looking at Downing’s earlier publications, there is no doubt that she has more knowledge of religion than is expressed in the book, but here her interest in highlighting film language sometimes takes over, at the expense of a thorough theological reflection. An example of a subject of which I would personally have liked a deeper analysis is nudity on screen, to which Downing dedicates an entire chapter, but a chapter without any serious grounding in religious/theological traditions. The chapter starts by highlighting the problems devout people have had with sexu- alized bodies on screen and then discusses the artistic potential of nudity in film. However, it neglects to reflect on the complex role of the body and sexual- ity in religion and possible connections between material religion and the film experience. In Downing’s defense, one might argue that she touches on these issues later in the book, specifically in her discussion of a couple of Jesus films, among them The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson, US 2004), but the chapter,