Eat, pray, love: en chick-flick eller religionsundervisningens mecka? : En analys av existentiella utmaningar och religionsdidaktisk potential i filmen Eat, pray, love.

The aim of this study was to examine how existential themes are portrayed in the film Eat, pray, love (2010) and if religion works as a tool for the main character to navigate existential challenges. Additionally, the purpose of the analysis was to peruse if the film has any didactic potential in religious education. The research questions for the study were investigated by using a qualitative method called thematic content analysis. The questions were as follows: What existential challenges are portrayed in the film through the main character's journey? How does religion function as a tool for the main character to achieve a high sense of coherence and thus the ability to navigate existential challenges? Can the film function as a pedagogical tool in a religious didactic context? The first question used Irvin Yalom's definition of four existential challenges and the second question was based on Aaron Antonovsky's theory of sense of coherence. The result of the analysis shows that all four of Yalom's existential challenges were portrayed in one way or another in the film. With the help of Antonovsky's definition of sense of coherence one could also see that the main character used religion as a way of coping in situations where stress and challenges occurred. Consequently, the study has found that the film can be useful in religious educational situations. Furthermore, it can be stated that the study has given a new perspective on how commercial films can be analyzed from an existential and religious point of view.