YouTube video: "How Oprah Was Inspired by Avatar". |
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Analysis and Reviews.
This article by the scholar Bron Taylor provides an excellent overview of the spiritual themes in the film as well as the numerous controversies it has spawned:
https://brightlightsfilm.com/battleground-pandora-the-war-over-james-camerons-avatar/#.Xb9_w-gzbcs
For a more academic summary and analytical discussion, see this link to the Introductory chapter to the book Avatar and Nature Spirituality edited by Bron Taylor: http://www.brontaylor.com/environmental_books/Avatar_and_Nature_Spirituality/pdf/Taylor--Avatar_introduction.pdf
Bron Taylor's website contains a wealth of additional information and materials:http://www.brontaylor.com/environmental_books/Avatar_and_Nature_Spirituality/avatar.html
Bron Taylor has characterized Avatar as an expression of a modern spiritual movement which he calls "Dark Green Religion", and which others call "ecospirituality" or "nature spirituality". This movement has deep historical roots in Western romanticism, esotericism and the New Age movement. For a rich trove of materials on this movement, see his website on Dark Green Religion: http://www.brontaylor.com/environmental_books/dgr/preface.html
https://brightlightsfilm.com/battleground-pandora-the-war-over-james-camerons-avatar/#.Xb9_w-gzbcs
For a more academic summary and analytical discussion, see this link to the Introductory chapter to the book Avatar and Nature Spirituality edited by Bron Taylor: http://www.brontaylor.com/environmental_books/Avatar_and_Nature_Spirituality/pdf/Taylor--Avatar_introduction.pdf
Bron Taylor's website contains a wealth of additional information and materials:http://www.brontaylor.com/environmental_books/Avatar_and_Nature_Spirituality/avatar.html
Bron Taylor has characterized Avatar as an expression of a modern spiritual movement which he calls "Dark Green Religion", and which others call "ecospirituality" or "nature spirituality". This movement has deep historical roots in Western romanticism, esotericism and the New Age movement. For a rich trove of materials on this movement, see his website on Dark Green Religion: http://www.brontaylor.com/environmental_books/dgr/preface.html
YouTube video: "The Real Avatar". |
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A psychological analysis of the spiritual journey in Avatar: http://salvadorharguindey.blogspot.hk/2010/03/psychology-and-religion-in-film-avatar.html
An excellent undergraduate student essay on indigenous spirituality and Avatar: http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&context=kino See this blog for a critique of Avatar from the perspective of transcendental spirituality: http://mindunclouded.blogspot.hk/2010/05/inverted-spirituality-of-avatar.html An ecological critique of Avatar: https://www.academia.edu/1880164/A_Sense_of_No-Place._Avatar_and_the_pitfalls_of_ecocentric_identification Digital gnosticism and imperialism in Avatar: http://unraveld.blogspot.hk/2009/12/digital-gnosticism-and-imperialism-in.html |
Spiritual analyses of Avatar. |
Christian perspectives: Is Avatar the work of the Devil? |
A more sympathetic Christian discussion of spiritual themes in Avatar:
http://royshaff.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/the-spirituality-of-james-cameron%E2%80%99s-movie-avatar/ A "Christian anti-civilization anarchist vegan anti-racist" perspective: http://rebfred.blogspot.hk/2010/01/jewish-reflection-on-spiritual-message.html A Christian critique of pantheism in Avatar: http://www.pluggedin.com/familyroom/articles/2010/avatarsspiritualroots.aspx Ross Douthat takes up similar critical arguments in a New York Times editorial: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/opinion/21douthat1.html?_r=0 The meaning of Avatar: everything is God (a response to Ross Douthat) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-michaelson/the-meaning-of-avatar-eve_b_400912.html Dualism in Avatar and Christianity http://jonathandodson.org/2010/03/dualism-in-avatar-and-in-christianity/ |
Buddhist perspectives:
http://therevelationist.hubpages.com/hub/Avatar-Philosophical-Insight http://selfevidentreality.com/2013/05/01/the-avatar-movie-and-anatta-of-buddhism/ A Jewish perspective: http://rebfred.blogspot.hk/2010/01/jewish-reflection-on-spiritual-message.html A Muslim perspective: http://www.spiritualexcellence.com/blog/avatar-the-tragedy-of-paradise-lost/ A Baha'i perspective: http://www.bahaithought.com/2009/12/avatar-some-intitial-bahai-thoughts.html |
Other religious perspectives |