Why I Teach The Hunger Games
In My “Bread Alone” Course
by Ellen Finnigan
War as a moral issue
“Bread Alone: A Contemplative Study of The Hunger Games for Christians” for ages 14 and up
In 2011, when the first Hunger Games film was released, I wrote a review of the reviews that were written about the film, specifically reviews that were written about the film by Catholics and Christians.
It was called “What Catholics Missed in The Hunger Games” and it was a piece of cultural criticism.
I noticed a glaring problem, a blind spot.
Noticing that blind spot led me, over 10 years later, to create my curriculum “Bread Alone: A Contemplative Study of The Hunger Games for Christians.” I try to offer my “Bread Alone” course (which is more like a spiritual retreat) at least once a year, or every other year, as a live online class for teens or adults.
The curriculum is also available for independent study, or for schools, book clubs, youth groups, or co-ops. Contact me if you’d like more information.
NEXT LIVE COURSE/RETREAT
The next one is for teens. Itt starts on July 1, 2026. Click here for more info.
READ ESSAY HERE
If you’d like to read the original article from 2011, click here.
LISTEN BELOW
If you’d like to listen to it (20 minutes), you can do so below.
“I don’t write about adolescence. I write about war. For adolescents.” — Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games