Zachary Sheldon '15, PhD, is a current faculty member at Baylor University in the Department of Film & Digital Media. During his time at Geneva, he became preoccupied with questions surrounding technology, media, film, and culture, and their relation to faith. Sheldon credits much of this interest to two book studies on Jacques Ellul's Propaganda, studied under the direction of communication professors Jeff Schindel and Joel Ward, PhD, and his time in the Foundations of Christian Thought class with Terry Thomas, PhD. This interest led Sheldon to Baylor, where he completed his master’s, and then on to Texas A&M University where he earned a doctorate in communication studies, culture, and identity. Sheldon's dissertation focused on evangelical social media influencers. His dissertation will will be published as a book later this year titled Christian Influence: The Subcultural Narratives of Evangelical Celebrities on Instagram.”
As a faculty member at Baylor, Sheldon is spending his summer developing a new course for his department, Religion & Film, in coordination with a new minor on Christianity and the arts. Sheldon states, "While talking about this is not necessarily a new topic — plenty of people have written about this — with this course, I am trying to follow in their footsteps and do something a little different."
Sheldon describes a sharp divide between the world of technology, film, and media and the world of religion in some theological circles. His course will address many of the questions and tensions between these two worlds and show the redemptive, positive uses of film.
Students will be invited to look at the history of the film industry, largely steeped in religion and biblical narratives, and the contemporary scene of both overtly faith-based films and secular films with religious values and beliefs instilled in them. Sheldon hopes to show the integration between these fields and challenge students to wrestle with the surrounding cultural questions.
While at Geneva, students are challenged to think constructively and creatively about their academic journey, learning to integrate faith and learning at every step.
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