Your God is Alive and Well and Appearing in Popular Culture PDF Download

Author: John Wiley Nelson
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498219268
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
Is it possible that American Christians hold to two distinct sets of beliefs and values without knowing the difference? One is a Christian set, which is openly affirmed every Sunday; the other is an American set, which is more hidden within the forms of our popular entertainment culture. Through mediums like Westerns, country music, and detective novels, John Nelson explains how we internalize our American values without even knowing it. This book is largely intended for preachers who, of all people, should realize how American Christians internalize both sets of values without understanding the contradictions. The purpose of this book is to help preachers and congregations alike recognize the differences in order to account for them in preaching as well as in the church's life in community.

Author: Paul Nathanson
Publisher: SUNY Press
ISBN: 9780791407097
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 456

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Book Description
Over the Rainbow shows how Dorothy's passage from Kansas to Oz and back again recapitulates paradigmatic stories of both America and Christianity. Defining human identity on three symbolic levels (individual, collective, and cosmic), Nathanson shows that The Wizard of Oz has come to be a "secular myth."

Author: Bruce David Forbes
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520246898
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description
PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION: “A solid introduction to the dialogue between the disciplines of cultural studies and religion…. A substantive foundation for subsequent exploration.”—Religious Studies Review “A splendid collection of lively essays by fourteen scholars dealing with religion and popular culture on the contemporary American scene.”—Choice

Author: Bruce David Forbes
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520291468
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 458

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Book Description
"Since 2000, Religion and Popular Culture in America has been one [of the] standard books used in teaching this area of study. Modestly updated in 2005, it continues to be taught in colleges, universities and theological schools across the continent. The basic four-part structure of Religion and Popular Culture in America remains sound and is a feature that appeals to many who have taught the volume. Section One, Religion in Popular Culture, examines the way traditional religious symbols, narratives, and forms of religious practice appear in popular culture. Section Two, Popular Culture in Religion, considers how religion takes on and is reshaped by styles and values of popular culture. Section Three, Popular Culture as Religion, explores the ways that aspects of popular culture and their reception might be considered to be forms of religion. Section Four, Religion and Popular Culture in Dialogue, introduces religiously based critiques of popular culture and ways that popular culture articulates common critiques of religion. The third edition maintains the structure and basic length of the current edition and retains Forbes' introductory framework and update versions of key essay. But they replace many of the more dated subjects with new material drawing on more contemporary examples. A concluding essay by Mahan organizes key insights from the essays and relates them to the theories of popular culture illuminated in the introduction"--Provided by publisher.

Author: Eleanor Hersey Nickel
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1725281228
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Christian popular culture has tremendous influence on many American churchgoers. When we have a choice between studying the Bible and reading novels, downloading movies, or watching television, we become less familiar with Numbers than with Narnia. This book examines popular Christian narratives with rigorous scholarly methods and assumes that they are just as complex, fascinating, and worthy of investigation as the latest secular Netflix series or dystopian novel. While most scholars focus on the religious aspects of Christian texts, this study takes a new approach by analyzing their social responsibility in portraying the complex dynamics of race, class, and gender in a profoundly unequal America. Close readings of six case studies--The Chronicles of Narnia, Francine Rivers's Redeeming Love, Jan Karon's Mitford novels, Left Behind, the films of the Sherwood Baptist Church, and Duck Dynasty--uncover both harmful stereotypes and Christians serving as leaders in social justice.

Author: Kelton Cobb
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470777702
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 366

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Book Description
The Blackwell Guide to Theology of Popular Culture outlines various general theories of popular culture, identifies theologians and theological concepts that are conducive to analyzing popular culture, and explores religious themes that are asserting themselves through popular movies, novels, music, television shows and advertising. A timely examination and contribution to the rapidly expanding field of theology and popular culture Locates the theological analysis of culture alongside political, sociological, economic, aesthetic and psychological analyses Surveys the work of religious and theological scholars who have turned their attention to popular culture Considers classic Christian thinkers who have wrestled with culture, such as St. Paul, Tertullian, Augustine, Schleiermacher, Tillich, and Ricoeur Proposes a method for analysing culture to discern its religious content Identifies religious themes in popular culture Uses illustrations, ranging from the fiction of Nick Hornby to Six Feet Under An appendix provides lists of films, novels, television series, consumer products, architectural works, cultural events, and corporate icons that lend themselves to theological analysis.

Author: Robert H. Woods Jr.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 912

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Book Description
This three-volume collection demonstrates the depth and breadth of evangelical Christians' consumption, critique, and creation of popular culture, and how evangelical Christians are both influenced by—and influence—mainstream popular culture, covering comic books to movies to social media. Evangelical Christians and Popular Culture: Pop Goes the Gospel addresses the full spectrum of evangelical media and popular culture offerings, even delving into lesser-known forms of evangelical popular culture such as comic books, video games, and theme parks. The chapters in this 3-volume work are written by over 50 authors who specialize in fields as diverse as history, theology, music, psychology, journalism, film and television studies, advertising, and public relations. Volume 1 examines film, radio and television, and the Internet; Volume 2 covers literature, music, popular art, and merchandise; and Volume 3 discusses public figures, popular press, places, and events. The work is intended for a scholarly audience but presents material in a student-friendly, accessible manner. Evangelical insiders will receive a fresh look at the wide variety of evangelical popular culture offerings, many of which will be unknown, while non-evangelical readers will benefit from a comprehensive introduction to the subject matter.

Author: Frank Newport
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1595620621
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Gallup Editor-in-Chief Frank Newport examines religion in America today, reviews just how powerfully intertwined religion is with every aspect of American society, and explores what appears to be religion's vibrant future in the U.S. -- all based on more than a million interviews conducted by Gallup since 2008. Popular books such as The God Delusion have dismissed religion as a delusional artifact of evolution and ancient superstitions. But should millions of Americans' statements of belief and their behavior be dismissed that quickly? The pattern of religious influence in American society suggests mass consequence rather than mass delusion. In God Is Alive and Well, Frank Newport, Gallup's Editor-in-Chief, provides a new evidence-based analysis of Americans' religious beliefs and practices -- and bold predictions about religion's future in the U.S. Most Americans are at least marginally religious, significantly more so than in most developed nations around the world. The majority of Americans believe in God and say that religion is important in their daily lives. And Americans routinely participate in religious rituals. Levels of religious consciousness are not distributed equally. Systematic patterns of differences in religion occur with surprising regularity. An American's religiosity is very much bound up with social position and geographic space. There is an important interplay between religion and life status factors -- age, gender, marital status, having children -- and with achieved status distinctions -- class, education, income. Those who are most religious are demonstrably different across a wide spectrum of outcomes from those who are not. These include lifestyle choices, social participation, ideology, partisanship, and views on political and social issues. Religion can be the driver for highly disruptive social behaviors, up to and including the taking of human life. Unlike citizens of any other country in the world, Americans group themselves into hundreds of distinct micro religious groups and denominations. These groups are constantly evolving, splitting like amoeba to form new groups. The most common pattern today is the development of the "no name" religious group, consisting of Americans who worship only under the banner of their own nondenominational predilections. These religious groupings are sociologically related to social status, geography, politics, and social and political attitudes. The emotional, non-negotiable bases of religion and the nature of its appeal to the most ultimate of rationales mean that highly religious Americans are one of the most potentially influential groups in society. Religious beliefs provide a foundation for much of today's American politics. America is and will remain a religious nation, and it is entirely possible that in many ways, religion will be more, rather than less, important in the years ahead. The foundation for God Is Alive and Well is the perspective of science -- analyzing what people think, do, and believe about religion. Frank Newport's distinction as a well-known social scientist and authority on American life, his media experience, and his unique personal history as the son of a Southern Baptist theologian will increase this book's sales potential. God Is Alive and Well is based in large part on more than a million interviews Gallup has conducted in recent years -- interviews that asked Americans about their religion, their religious beliefs, and their religious behavior. The resulting data provide an unparalleled and unprecedented database of information about Americans and their religions. Written for lay readers using a conversational tone, God Is Alive and Well presents new information with an entertaining style.

Author: Philip Goff
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9781444324099
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 752

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Book Description
This authoritative and cutting edge companion brings togethera team of leading scholars to document the rich diversity andunique viewpoints that have formed the religious history of theUnited States. A groundbreaking new volume which represents the firstsustained effort to fully explain the development of Americanreligious history and its creation within evolving political andsocial frameworks Spans a wide range of traditions and movements, from theBaptists and Methodists, to Buddhists and Mormons Explores topics ranging from religion and the media,immigration, and piety, though to politics and social reform Considers how American religion has influenced and beeninterpreted in literature and popular culture Provides insights into the historiography of religion, butpresents the subject as a story in motion rather than a snapshot ofwhere the field is at a given moment

Author: Robert H. Jr. Woods
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1441212396
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The Bible includes prophetic speech and at times the church and its representatives are called to speak prophetically. But in our media-saturated age when many claim to speak for God, how can we evaluate the avalanche of supposedly prophetic speech? What does it mean to truly be prophetic? And when Christians should speak prophetically, how can they do so in a biblical and effective way? Using vivid examples, this book offers clear guidelines for creating, critiquing, and consuming popular media, as well as practical suggestions for faithful communication. It also helps readers think critically about communication technology. The book includes a foreword by Quentin Schultze and a preface by Clifford Christians.