Description
Book SynopsisLisle W. Dalton is Professor of Religious Studies at Hartwick College, USA. He is former co-chair of the Religion and Popular Culture Group of the American Academy of Religion.
Eric Michael Mazur is Gloria & David Furman Professor of Judaic Studies at Virginia Wesleyan University, USA.
Richard J. Callahan, Jr. is Lecturer in Religious Studies at Gonzaga University, USA. He is former co-chair of the Religion and Popular Culture Group of the American Academy of Religion.
Trade ReviewThis engaging volume demonstrates the growing sophistication of the study of religion and popular culture. It introduces a range of theorists, provides samples of their work, and puts them in a conversation about religion, the popular, and their role in society. This book provides applications to specific examples of popular culture that range from films to festivals and invites the reader to extend the discussion and explore their own examples. * Jeffrey H. Mahan, Ralph E. and Norma E. Peck Professor of Religion and Communication, Iliff School of Theology, USA *
This rich compilation sets the exploration of religion and popular culture in historical context and stimulates a lively contemporary discussion. Through a judicious selection of classic writings and a thematic approach to current concerns, the work provides a timely prompt for study of resources and practices that people use to make meaning and structure life. The book will stimulate a new generation of students and scholars to reflect on how religion and popular culture interweave today. * Clive Marsh, Principal, The Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham, UK *
My professorial heartbeat literally quickened as I read this volume. This is THE religion and popular culture text I have been waiting for. How thrilling to have now at our fingertips what is sure to become an indispensable benchmark in the field by which others will be measured. The ‘pyramid’ structuring of the book’s content, accompanied by the “connections and typologies” section, is highly innovative and sure to be emulated in successive works. This is a meticulously and richly layered exploration of religion and popular culture. It is not only theoretically substantive and insightful, but its approach is as fresh as it is accessible. I could not help but “binge read” this volume. The book’s explication of the definitional problem of “religion,” accompanied by the common-sense reminder that “religion” is indeed a
popular term routinely used in the “real” world, was one of the best treatments I have read on the subject. Most intriguing is the book’s third section, in which the authors explore religion through “durable forms,” case studies, and a series of five open-ended questions. From saints and superheroes to vampires and zombies, students will be enthralled every step of the way in this book that is as engaging as it is erudite. * Sarah McFarland Taylor, Professor of Religion, Media, and Culture, Northwestern University *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction
Unit I. The Study of Religion and Popular Culture Introduction to Unit I 1. Charles Long, “
Popular Religion” (2005) and David Chidester, “
Planet Hollywood” (2005) Connections: Typologies
Unit II. Foundational Texts in the Study of Religion & Popular Culture Introduction to Unit II 2. Sigmund Freud: “
On Dreams” (1904) and “T
he Psychopathology of Everyday Life” (1911) Connections: Freud, Psychoanalysis, and the Fairy Tale Connections: Freud, Cultural Critique, Self-Help, and Religionized Therapy 3. Emile Durkheim: “
Origins of These Beliefs” (1915) Connections: Durkheim, Memorial Day, and Civil Religion Connections: Durkheim and Totemism at the Stadium 4. Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno: “
The Culture Industry” (1944) Connections: Horkheimer, Adorno, Religion, Consumer Culture, and Advertising Connections: Horkheimer, Adorno, and Selling Religion 5. Paul Tillich: “
Aspects of a Religious Analysis of Culture” (1959) Connections: Tillich, Theology, and Culture Connections: Tillich and “The Gospel According to…” 6. Roland Barthes: “
Myth Today” (1957) Connections: Barthes, Poaching, and Fandom Connections: Barthes and Religion as Critique 7. Victor Turner: “
Betwixt and Between” (1967) Connections: Turner and Liminal Raving Connections: Turner, Religion, Sports, and Digital Gaming 8. Mircea Eliade:
“The Myths of the Modern World” (1967) Connections: Eliade and the Monomyth Connections: Eliade, Myth, and the “Buddy” Genre 9. Peter Berger:
“Religion and World Construction” (1967) Connections: Berger and McDonald’s as Sacrament of Modernity Connections: Berger and Monsters of Chaos 10. Clifford Geertz:
“Religion as a Cultural System” (1973) Connections: Geertz at the Movies Connections: Geertz and the American Flag as a Sacred Symbol 11. Edward Said:
“Introduction” from
Orientalism (1978) Connections: Said, Race, & Religion Connections: Said’s Orientalism, Religion, and Pop Culture 12. Stuart Hall:
“Notes on Deconstructing ‘the Popular’” (1981) Connections: Hall, Race, Identity, and Popular Music Connections: Hall, Dominance, and Resistance through Popular Culture 13. Elaine Showalter:
“Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness” (1981) Connections: Showalter and the Long Arc of Joan Connections: Showalter and the Varieties of Gender Experience 14. Catherine Bell:
“Characteristics of Ritual-Like Activities” (1997) Connections: Bell, Religion, and Nationalism Connections: Bell and Parades
Unit III. Durable Forms in the Study of Religion & Popular Culture Introduction to Unit III 15. Who We Are: Saints, Heroes, and Monsters 16. Where We Are: Sacred Space 17. What We Know: Myths and Sacred Texts 18. Where We Go: Pilgrimages 19. What We Do: Public Ritual, Carnivals, and Parades Bibliography Index
