Bibliography

A collection of resources that have helped form the basis of this site. Thank you to all the authors and publishers. Explore the works that have inspired and informed the perspectives shared on religioninthelionking.com.

Books

A list of books that have been consulted during the making of this site.

 

Academic Books

Pinsky, M. I. (2004). The Gospel according to Disney: faith, trust, and pixie dust (First edition.). Westminster John Knox Press.

This book explains how Disney films carry spiritual and moral messages. It categorizes Disney as a cultural storyteller with its own faith-like influence. It will help me to understand how The Lion King fits into a broader pattern of religous storytelling in Disney films.

 

Eaghll, T., & King, R. (Eds.). (2022) Representing religion in film (First edition.). Bloomsbury Academic. 

This academic book explains the representation of religion that appears in different films. It shows how religion is imagined, constructed, and interpreted in film. Although The Lion King isnt featured in this book, I believe it will help me to understand how a similar analysis might be pursued for The Lion King specifically.

 

Decherney, P. (2005). Hollywood and the culture elite: How the movies became American. Columbia University Press.

In this book, Decherney looks at the evolution of Hollywood’s influence on popular culture, explaining how film came to be a place where popular beliefs and politics are negotiated. This supports my idea that The Lion King is not just a story, but part of a cultural system that shapes how people think about values and spirituality in popular culture. 

Articles

Academic articles that have been referenced.

 

Academic Articles

Ward, A. R. (1996). The Lion King’s mythic narrative: Disney as a moral educator. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 23(4), 171-178.

Ward looks at The Lion King as a modern myth that teaches moral responsibility through its characters and plot structure. She argues that Disney acts as a cultural “moral educator” , shaping childrens understanding of virtue and justice. This article supports my project by showing how the film’s moral lessons are told through symbolic storytelling.

 

Comer, D. R. (2001). Not Just a Mickey Mouse Exercise: Using Disney’s The Lion King to Teach Leadership. Journal of Management Education, 25(4), 430–436.

Comer uses The Lion King (1994) to talk about leadership development, showing how Simba’s growth reflects responsibility, moral choice, and service to others. The film is presented as a teaching tool that helps children to connect emotionally to ethical and leadership principles.

 

Eichler‐Levine, J. (2024). Exploring Disney’s Worlds Through Religious Studies. Religion Compass, 18(11–12).

Eichler-Levine explores how Disney films can be analyzed through the perspective of religious studies, focusing on themes of ritual, myth, and values across the Disney universe. She argues that Disney narratives often act like modern religious stories, shaping beliefs, values, and cultural understandings of good and evil.

 

Kegerreis, S. (2013). Freud and Klein in The Lion King. Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 39(3), 334–345. 

Kegerreis interprets The Lion King (1994) through Freudian and Kleinian psychoanalytic theory, explaining how Simba’s development reflects themes of guilt, loss, and formation of identity. This academic article also explores the films symbolic portrayal of religious concepts of foregiveness and redemption. 

 

Giddings, S. (1999). The circle of life: Nature and representation in Disney’s the lion king. Third Text, 13(49), 83–92.

Giddings talks about how The Lion King presents nature as a moral and spiritual system through its central theme, the “Circle of Life”. The article argues that the film connects visual imagery and symbolism to promote respect for life and balance within creation. He also critiques how Disney translates complex cultural and spirtual ideas into simplified, universal messages for global audiences.

Online Resources

Valuable websites and online articles consulted during research.

 

Other Sources

Disney. (1994). The Lion King [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures 

This is the 1994 animated film that my project will focus on. It tells the story of Simba’s journey and teaches lessons on responsibility, forgiveness, and faith. As the central text of my analysis, it provides the foundation for explaining how it used myth, ritual, and symbolism to teach these moral and spiritual lessons.

Thrasher, A. D. (2019, July 31). The Lion King, re-imagining righteousness, and religious pluralism. Pop Culture and Theology. 

Thrasher explores The Lion King as a film that relfects diverse understandings of righteousness, justice, and spiritual leadership. The article argues that the film reimagines traditional Christian and African religious values in a way that both cultures can understand. 

Kruse, J. (2019, August 15). 21 gospel parallels from Disney’s The Lion King. Something Like Scales.

In this blog post, Kruse interprets The Lion King through a Christian perspective, identifying 21 parallels between the film and biblical themes. While non-academic, this source shows how audiences perceive religious meaning in popular culture.

A.I in Screen Trade. (2025, January 27). The influence of mythology in ‘The Lion King’. 

This blog article argues that The Lion King is deeply rooted in a mythological foundation. It discusses symbolism in the animals and rituals performed by Rafiki as connections to myth. 

Ward, J. (n.d.). Six life lessons we can all learn from The Lion King. Justis Ward. 

In this blog, Ward outlines six moral lessons drawn from The Lion King. Each lesson is linked to specific scenes and character arcs. This blog shows how the film resonates in everyday moral and spiritual thinking. 

Bar-D-Bar Wordsmithing. (2025, April 8) Spiritual lessons from The Lion King.

This reflects on the spiritual and moral messages of The Lion King, focusing on themes of foregiveness and finding one’s purpose. The author interprets Simba’s journey as a metaphor for personal growth, emphasizing the film’s relevance to everyday life.

The KidMin Coach. (2023, May 20). 3 leadership lessons from The Lion King.

This article links scenes in the film to moral principles useful in community or spiritual leadership. This is useful to my project as it highlights how the film’s messages can influence ideas about leadership and proper values in real life. 

Plume Law. (2025, January 27). Personal effectiveness lessons from The Lion King.

This article talks about important lessons from the film including integrity, adaptability, curiosity, and purpose. Using characters like Simba, Rafiki, and Scar, the text shows how moral virtues in the film are applied in legal work. 

Zimmer, H., John, E., & Rice, T. (1994). The Lion King [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [Album]. Walt Disney Records. 

This soundtrack feautures music composed by Hans Zimmer with songs by Elton John and Tim Rice. The lyrics and way this soundtrack makes you feel reinforces the idea that The Lion King is about connection between all things. 

Umme Salma. (2021, November 9). Top 5 Lessons from the movie The Lion King. Medium.

In this blog, Salma discusses the top 5 lessons that are taught in the film. She touches on the important lessons of bravery, adaptability, and the balance of nature.