Religion and Popular Culture

Chris Klassen is assistant professor of religion and culture at Wilfrid Laurier University.

• Preface ; Introduction ; Images, Icons, and Identities ; Intersections and Integration ; Chapter Summaries ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Online ; 1. RELIGION AND POPULAR CULTURE ; Defining a Religion ; - The Cognitive Approach ; - The Functional Approach ; - Return to the Cognitive ; - The "Lived Religion" Approach ; - Issues of Gender, Race, and Class ; - Applications and Interpretations ; Defining Popular Culture ; - Popular Culture Theorists ; Religion and Popular Culture ; - Religion in Popular Culture ; - Popular Culture in Religion ; - Popular Culture as Religion ; - Religion and Popular Culture in Dialogue ; Summary ; Review Questions ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Online ; 2. MARXIST APPROACHES ; Marxist Theory and Political Application ; - Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong ; - Antonio Gramsci and Hegemony ; The Frankfurt School and Neo-Marxism ; - Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer and the Culture Industry Thesis ; - Walter Benjamin and Consumer Meaning-making ; Applying Marxist Theory ; - Selling Spirituality: Jeremy Carrette and Richard King ; - Commodified Religion: Jeffery A. Smith and Hollywood ; A Critique of Neo-Marxism: A Cultualist Position ; - Paul Heelas ; Summary ; Review Questions ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Online ; 3. CULTURALISM ; Raymond Williams ; Stuart Hall ; Culturalism and Religion: Encoding and Decoding ; - Clifford Geertz ; - Meredith McGuire ; - Christopher Partridge ; Applying Culturalism: Reading Zombies ; - Vodou Zombies ; - Hollywood Zombies ; Applying Culturalism: Reading Vampires ; - Milly Williamson and the Victorian Vampire ; - The Twilight Series ; - A Negotiated Reading of Vampires ; Applying Culturalism in an Evangelical Christian Structure of Feeling ; - Born Again ; - Associations with Evil: Lynn Schofield Clark ; - The Harry Potter Series ; Summary ; Review Questions ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Online ; 4. PERFORMATIVITY ; Ritual Studies and Performance Theory ; - Victoria Turner ; - Ronald Grimes ; - Catherine Bell ; Ritual and Performance ; Judith Butler and Bodies That Matter ; Applying Performance Theory: From Madonna to Hockey ; - Pop Icons: Madonna ; - Pop Icons: Lady Gaga ; - Sports ; Summary ; Review Questions ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Video ; - Online ; 5. FEMINIST THEORIES ; Feminisms ; - First Wave ; - Second Wave ; - Third Wave ; - Representation ; Applying Feminist Theory: From the Sacred Feminine to Girl Power ; - Mary Magdalene and the Sacred Feminine: The Da Vinci Code ; - Mythology, Girl Power, and Wonder Woman ; Summary ; Review Questions ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Video ; - Online ; 6. RACISM AND ANTI-RACISM ; Race ; - Racial Classification and the Slave Trade ; - Franz Boas, Theodosius Dobzhansky, and M.F. Ashley-Montague ; Paul Gilroy ; - Nationalism, Fascism and Racism ; - Anti-racism and Black Liberation ; bell hooks ; - White Supremacist Capitalist Patriarchy ; - Representation and Identity Construction ; Applying Anti-Racist Cultural Theory: Rap and Hip Hop ; - Background ; - Secular Music: Rap ; - Holy Hip Hop ; Summary ; Review Questions ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Video ; - Audio ; 7. ORIENTALISM ; Edward Said ; - The Orientalist Image and an Essentialist Identity ; Islamophobia ; Applying Orientalism: The Hollywood Terrorist and the Oriental Monk ; - Aladdin and the Arab Ineptitude ; - True Lies and the Dangerous Arab ; - The Siege ; Applying Orientalism: The Oriental Monk ; - Kung Fu ; - Kung Fu Panda and Broken Blossoms or the Yellow Man and the Girl ; Applying Orientalism: -Reel Injuns-? ; - Avatar ; Challenging Orientalism: Multiculturalism ; - Little Mosque on the Prairie ; Challenging Orientalism: Visual Sovereignty ; - Atanarjuat ; Summary ; Review Questions ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Video ; 8. SUBCULTURES AND POST-SUBCULTURES ; Dick Hebdige and the CCCS ; - Sites of Resistance ; Post-Subcultural Theory ; - Sarah Thornton and the Subcultural Capital ; - David Muggleton and the Rejection of Metanarratives ; - Michel Maffesoli and Neo-tribalism ; - Graham St John and "Carnivals of Protest" ; (Post)-Subcultures and Religion ; - Jennifer Porter, Edward Bailey, and Implicit Religion ; Subcultural Theory Applied: Goth As Implicit Religion ; - Amy Wilkins and Style ; - Stan Cohen and Moral Panic ; - Anna Powell and the Parareligious ; - Julia Winden Fey and Cult/ure ; Post-subcultural Theory Applied: Burning Man Festival ; - Lee Gilmore and Burning Man Spirituality ; - Steven T. Jones and Counterculture ; - Burners Without Borders ; Summary ; Review Questions ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Online ; 9. DIGITAL MEDIA AND HYPER-REAL RELIGION ; Media Studies ; - Marshall McLuhan ; - Neil Postman ; Digital Media ; - Andrea L. Press and Bruce A. Williams: Digital Options and Interactions ; - Henry Jenkins: Convergence and Collective Intelligence ; - Rachel Wagner and the Digitally Sacred? ; Hyper-realism ; - Jean Baudrillard and Simulation ; - Umberto Eco and the "Absolute Fake" ; - Adam Possamai and Postmodern Religion ; Applying Media Studies: Virtual Christianity in Second Life ; - Phylis Johnson and Virtual Life ; - Sher Salmson and a Virtual Church ; Applying Media Studies: Hyper-real Religion in World of Warcraft ; - Stef Aupers and Hyper-real Religion ; - Lauren Bernauer and Christian Gaming ; Summary ; Review Questions ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; - Online ; Conclusion: Multiple Readings of Avatar ; Marxist or Neo-Marxist Theories ; Culturalism ; Performativity ; Feminist Theories ; Race and Racism ; Orientalism ; Subcultures and Post-Subcultures ; Digital Media ; Useful Resources ; - Print ; Glossary ; References ; Index

A very clearly written, readable, and superbly organized introductory text that reflects appreciation of complexity, critical thinking, and contemporary issues."