Religion and film are unique subjects of study because they are constantly reimagining themselves relative to their subject matter. Not unlike the subject of religion itself, religion and/in film remind us that humans need to tell stories to one another in order to understand the significance of life and the lives of those around us. This means using the myriad tools at our disposal to record such stories for the audiences of today, and more importantly tomorrow. One of the more imaginative collections on the market, Protestants on Screen: Religion, Politics, and Aesthetics in European and American Movies explores the ways in which Protestantism near and far has shaped movie content and production since the early part of the twentieth century. The collection’s editors reflect the diverse content contained within by representing both American and European universities and research interests. As such, the book is divided into five thematic parts: History and Theory of Protestantism in Religion and Film Studies, The Protestant Reformations on Screen, Protestant Influences in European Art Films, Protestant Experience in American Movies, and lastly, Protestant Themes in Film Genres.

Not unlike the 2007 collection Catholics in the Movies edited by scholar of religion Colleen McDannell, Protestants on Screen explores how uniquely Protestant themes, ideas, and narratives influence the production of movies from screenplay to silver screen. Historians and scholars of religion analyze commercial blockbusters such as Narnia, Selma, Star Wars, and Hacksaw Ridge as well as more familiar films including A Thief in the Night, Left Behind, and The Apostle. Unlike most collections about similar subjects, however, Protestants on the Screen includes a fifty-page introductory section on the study of religion in film as well as a historical overview of Protestantism and Film that precedes the book’s chapters. The editors conclude this introduction with an admirable list of “Protestant Themes Across Films” that brings together the chapters’ thematic insights into the intimate relationship between Protestantism and film. While the editors insist that “there is no such category as a Protestant film,” they may want to reconsider in light of the exemplary collection they have assembled.