Religion and Popular Culture: Rescripting the Sacred

by Richard W. Santana, Gregory Erickson

Often considered to be in opposition, American popular culture and popular religion are connected, forming and informing new ways of thinking, writing and practicing religion and theology. Film, television, music, sports and video games are integral to understanding the spiritual, the secular and the in-between in the modern world.
In its revised second edition, this book explores how religious issues of canonicity, scriptural authority, morality, belief and unbelief are worked out not in churches, seminaries or university classrooms, but in our popular culture. Topics include lived religion, digital technology, new trends in belief and identification, the film Noah (2014), the television series True Blood, Kanye West's music, the video game Fallout and media events of recent years.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over all, I enjoyed this book's take on popular religion. It doesn't take the easy way out of so many similar texts I've seen and merely dismiss popular religion as the realm of crazies and Republican neo-Nazis. There was also a rockin' examination of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I will complain, though, that there was not nearly enough discussion of the more recent--and immensely more complex--Battlestar Galactica. The world needs more Adamalove.