God and Man in Dogville: Memes, Marketing, and the Evolution of Religion in the West
GOD AND MAN IN DOGVILLE: MEMES, MARKETING, AND THE EVOLUTION OF RELIGION IN THE WEST A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of The School of Continuing Studies and of The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Liberal Studies By Joel Bergsman, Ph.D. Georgetown University Washington DC 1 November 2013 GOD AND MAN IN DOGVILLE: MEMES, MARKETING, AND THE EVOLUTION OF RELIGION IN THE WEST Joel Bergsman, Ph.D. Mentor: Arnold J. Bradford, Ph.D. ABSTRACT The movie Dogville (2003) provides viewers with a rare and provocative twist on differences between on the one hand the rigorous, Old Testament Jehovah, characterized by rules, and by rewards or punishments in this life, and on the other hand the loving, forgiving Christ and God of the New Testament and later Christianity who are characterized by forgiveness, and by rewards or punishments in an eternal afterlife. The movie, especially its ending, challenges the forgiving nature of the New Testament God and Christ, and makes a case that the Old Testament, rigorous Jehovah is more appropriate, at least for humans who respect themselves as responsible grown-ups. Earlier than these two views of God and man, and still alive and kicking, is a third view, the “Heroic.” God is irrelevant here, either as a source of rules or as a source of forgiveness and redemption. Rather, man generates his own meaning by accepting his fate and struggling to do the best he can; this life is all there is and the struggle, i.e.
[Show full text]