Dr. Joel Mayward facilitated a dialogue on 'Jesus Goes To The Movies: The Value of Using Movies as a Discipleship Tool'.
Dr. Joel Mayward serves as the Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries, Theology and the Arts in the School of Theology at George Fox University. In 2021, Joel earned a PhD in Divinity from the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts in the School of Divinity at the University of St Andrews (Scotland). His areas of academic and teaching expertise include Christian ministry leadership, theological aesthetics, contextual theology, theology and philosophy in film, liberation theologies, continental philosophical theology, and the spiritual formation of youth and young adults.
Joel has written three church ministry books as well as published articles in refereed academic journals such as Pro Ecclesia, Horizons, Theology, ARTS, Journal of Youth and Theology, Journal of Religion and Film, and Journal for Religion, Film and Media. Most recently, he has authored of The Dardenne Brothers' Cinematic Parables: Integrating Theology, Philosophy, and Film (Routledge, 2022). After working, for several years, as a professional freelance film critic, Joel now runs a film criticism website, cinemayward.com.
