Provides a comprehensive study of the relationship of Jesus movies to the Gospels. This work focuses on the cinematic representation of Jesus, touching on such topics as Jesus' historical and cultural context, his biography, and his messianic identity.

"Rich with insights drawn from years of research and teaching in biblical and film studies, Reinhartz's book is a gift to scholars and students alike. It's a must-read in the growing field of religion and film." --Timothy K. Beal, co-editor of Mel Gibson's Bible: Religion, Popular Culture, and The Passion of the Christ "Reinhartz's discussion of the Jesuses of Hollywood focuses on the filmic treatment of the main scriptural characters who played roles in the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. She shows that the 'reel' Jesus invariably conflicts with, or is unsupported by, scriptural and historical evidence. This highly readable book documents her conviction that rather than offering accurate and engaging representations of the 'real Jesus,' Jesus biopics act as mirrors that reflect the concerns of the times in which they were produced and circulated in first-run theaters." --Margaret R. Miles, author of Seeing and Believing: Religion and Values in the Movies "This illuminating book will be of interest to those who, like myself, avoid the movies but read the Gospels. It will be even more important for those who enjoy the movies but are curious about the extent to which they are based on ancient Christian literature. Enjoyment of watching will be increased by awareness of the ways in which the Jesus movies relate to the time in which they were made. The lesson that works of historical fiction, such as biopics, are written and enacted with current issues in mind cannot be repeated too often." -- E. P. Sanders, author of Jesus and Judaism and The Historical Figure of Jesus "This book will be of interest to scholars of the Bible and film and would be particularly useful as a text for courses in cinematic representations of Jesus." --Toronto Journal of Theology "An insightful resource for scholars focused upon questions of adaptation. ...[Reinhartz's] prose is well-documented but fluid throughout. Jesus of Hollywood represents one of the most approachable and informative volumes in teh expanding field of 'religion and film.'" --Christianity and Literature

Adele Reinhartz is the Associate Vice-President for Research at the University of Ottawa, where she is also Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies. She is the author of numerous articles and several books, including Befriending the Beloved Disciple: A Jewish Reading of the Gospel of John (2001) and Scripture on the Silver Screen (2003). Adele Reinhartz was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 2005.