New Year, New Class!

Philosophy & Theology in Film

Dear subscribers,

Happy New Year! In this new year, I am entering a very new phase of my life. Because of major institutional financial issues at my university, my position as Associate Professor of Humanities and the Humanities major have been eliminated (I am tenured and have taught there over 14 years). As sad and hard as this is, it also opening up an opportunity for me to spend more time writing and teaching in “alternative” ways. One of these “alternative” ways will be here on Substack.

I was geared up to teach one of my favorite courses this semester, but when I was told that my contract would not be renewed, I had to put those big ideas and that exciting syllabus away.

But in a conversation with my mom, an exciting idea came out: Why not STILL teach the class?! And make it accessible to everyone, even those who have not been in a college classroom in years!!

Ladies in gentlemen, introducing my first Substack class:

If you would like to take this course with me here on Substack–delivered weekly to your inbox–you can sign up by becoming a paid subscriber (it’s cheap, very cheap–$5 a month). When you sign up to be a paid subscriber, you will receive:

1. An introductory video for each of 10 films, including a lesson on the main philosophical influences and parallels (including intro lectures on Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Sartre, Descartes, and more).

2. A live Zoom discussion of the film after you have watched it (This is TOTALLY optional, of course).

3. A written post of my analysis of each film, hopefully followed with a lively discussion in the comments.

4. If you cannot join the live Zoom conversations or watch along with me, no problem! Go at your own pace. Everything will be posted and stay there as long as the “Empathetic Imagination” Substack exists.

**This is not a class for credit. But it is my goal that you learn A LOT. I have been having these conversations in the classroom for over 20 years. And now I want to bring them into your inbox and on your computer screen.

As I said, you do need to upgrade to a paid subscription if you wish to join the class. If you want to keep a free subscription, you will still be able to read occasional posts! I appreciate all that take an interest in my work by subscribing, and I very much understand that not everyone is in a position where they can support this endeavor financially.

If you do decide to subscribe, you will not only gain access to this course, you will also be investing in and supporting my steps forward to a new career focusing mostly in writing and independent teaching. I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH!

Here is how you do it:

If you click on the “Upgrade to Paid” button above, you will see three levels:

Monthly Subscription: For just $5 a month, you will have access to all written posts, comments, lecture videos, and live Zoom conversations.

Yearly Subscription: If you pay $50 up front for the whole year, you will have access to all written posts, comments, lecture videos, and live Zoom conversations at a $10 discount.

Founding Member: If you would like to gift me with a little more funding as I branch out into this new creative endeavor, you can choose this subscription for a yearly payment of $150.

Thanks for reading, friends! I will post a syllabus and film list at the beginning of Feb. But for now, here are some photo hints:

Thanks for reading, friends! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments. You can also write me at mccampbellwriter@gmail.com.

Happy reading, watching, listening, and learning in the new year!

Mary