{"product_id":"profane-parables-matthew-s-rindge-9781602589940","title":"Profane Parables: Film and the American Dream","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe sacred ethos of the American Dream has become a central pillar of American civil religion. The belief that meaning is fashioned from some mixture of family, friends, a stable career, and financial security permeates American culture. \u003ci\u003eProfane Parables\u003c\/i\u003e examines three films that assault this venerated American myth. \u003ci\u003eFight Club\u003c\/i\u003e (1999), \u003ci\u003eAmerican Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e (1999), and \u003ci\u003eAbout Schmidt\u003c\/i\u003e (2002) indict the American Dream as a meaningless enterprise that is existentially, ethically, and aesthetically bankrupt. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn their blistering critique of the hallowed wisdom of the American Dream, these films function like Jesus' parables. As narratives of disorientation, Jesus' parables upend conventional and cherished worldviews. Author Matthew Rindge illustrates the religious function of these films as parables of subversion that provoke rather than comfort and disturb rather than stabilize. Ultimately, Rindge considers how these parabolic films operate as sacred texts in their own right.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Matthew S. Rindge\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1602589941\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781602589940\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Baylor University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/15\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 191\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.64lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.44d","brand":"Matthew S. Rindge","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44068766941439,"sku":"9781602589940","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_8076fd54-53ca-4514-b617-d8e85816d4bd.jpg?v=1685420881","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/profane-parables-matthew-s-rindge-9781602589940","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}