Includes bibliographical references (p.190-213) and indexes.

Prologue. Uncovering shame and grace in Paul and the cinema
Love and the secrets of shame. The exposure of shameful secrets in The prince of tides
Babette's feast and shaming the poor in Corinth
Shame, love, and the saga of Forrest Gump
Transforming the proud and the shamed. Mr. Holland's opus and letters written on the heart
The deadly deception of the flesh in Groundhog Day
Babe takes the lead in honoring the lowly
The shameful gospel and the problem of redemption. The blood of Christ at the Edge of the city
The gospel free of charge : bondage and The firm
Shame and the other gospel in Unforgiven
A problematic hope for the shamed in The Shawshank redemption
Epilogue. The great code of scripture : from Shawshank Prison to the Carolina tides

Some of the chapters were presented in sermonic form at the Nebraska Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and at United Methodist churches in various places.

"Jewett selects ten major Hollywood movies that focus on the topic of shame - The Prince of Tides, Babette's Feast, Forrest Gump, Mr. Holland's Opus, Groundhog Day, Babe, Edge of the City, The Firm, Unforgiven, and The Shawshank Redemption - and interprets them in the light of what Saint Paul's letters say on the subject. Jewett's compelling analysis not only shows the cinema's unique capacity to unmask one of the deepest dilemmas of the human heart, but also offers the revolutionary view that the triumph of grace over shameful status, circumstances, and experiences lies at the heart of Paul's theology."--Jacket