This volume follows the evolution of one of the HollywoodAs longest running thematic concerns. From the silent era to the present, "Sacred Profanity: Spirituality at the Movies" examines the rich diversity of films with spiritual themes-films that reflect our own fascination with the divine and supernatural, while evoking the specific times in which they were created.

From "Birth of a Nation" to "Angels and Demons," "Sacred Profanity" discusses over 180 films with an insightful, movie loverAs approach. Coverage encompasses Biblical stories like "King of Kings"; films about spiritual characters, such as "The NunAs Story"; foreign masterpieces like "The Seventh Seal"; movies that incorporate spiritual symbolism, such as "Taxi Driver" and "Cool Hand Luke"; horrifying visions of the Satanic like "The Exorcist," and controversial works like "The Last Temptation of Christ." The book also looks at the history of HollywoodAs attempt to maintain moral order through censorship, as well as the growing influence of filmmakersA own spiritual beliefs on the movies we see.