Same Story But Different Cover: The Substitution Principle in Religion and Understanding It Through Watching Films Gokhan Ugur, Beykent University

Religion occupies an important part in our lives. We typically learn about it from our families and later we may accept it or refuse what we learnt. However, we tend to substitute one for another. This essay is conducted to enlighten that idea formulating it as The Substitution Principle in Religion. In order to prove the premise, respectively, etymological meanings of religion, Religion as a concept are mentioned in the first and second section and after explaining The Substitution Principle in Religion and giving related examples von Trier's Breaking The Waves is analyzed. The film's protagonist, Christ-like figure Bess played by Emily Watson, changes the object of her devotion, but the term of devotion does not change at all and that finding corresponds to the idea asserted in the essay.