Confession in the Movies: The Transmission of Sacramental Tradition Through Film

Authors

Eileen M. Condon

Abstract

Not unlike confessional role-playing among seminarians or pre-sacramental practice sessions between parents and children, cinematic confession scenes re-present Penance as a traditional performance, making a teachable cultural moment out of a rite which, when performed in solemnity, cannot be observed or examined directly by a third party. For this reason, movies can be a useful tool for introducing Catholic penitential belief and practice to students in the secular education classrooms, as the author discovered in working with Catholic and non-Catholic students at the University of Toledo. Confession scenes from six films can be related to themes in medieval exempla, church teachings, and folklore related to the Sacrament of Penance.

DOI

10.15365/joce.0401042013

First Page

42

Last Page

56

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Condon, E. M. (2000). Confession in the Movies: The Transmission of Sacramental Tradition Through Film. Journal of Catholic Education. https://doi.org/10.15365/joce.0401042013