A Matrix of Meanings PDF Download

Author: Craig Detweiler
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 080102417X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
A lighthearted analysis of modern pop culture considers what lessons can be learned from today's movies, music, television, and more, exploring how its popularity and successes reflects today's society. Original.

Author: Craig Detweiler
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1585583324
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
From the glittering tinsel of Hollywood to the advertising slogan you can't get out of your head, we are surrounded by popular culture. In A Matrix of Meanings Craig Detweiler and Barry Taylor analyze aspects of popular culture and ask, What are they doing? What do they represent? and What do they say about the world in which we live? Rather than deciding whether Bono deserves our admiration, the authors examine the phenomenon of celebrity idolization. Instead of deciding whether Nike's "Just do it" campaign is morally questionable, they ask what its success reflects about our society. A Matrix of Meanings is a hip, entertaining guide to the maze of popular culture. Plentiful photos, artwork, and humorous sidebars make for delightful reading. Readers who distrust popular culture as well as those who love it will find useful insight into developing a Christian worldview in a secular culture.

Author: Kutter Callaway
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493405853
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Helping Christians Understand the Power and Meaning of TV Since its inception, television has captured the cultural imagination. Outside of work and sleep, it is now the primary preoccupation of most Americans. Individuals consume upward of five hours of TV daily, even more when taking into account viewing done online and on mobile devices. TV is so ingrained in the fabric of everyday life that it can't help but function as one of the primary means through which we make sense of our lives and the world. This book shows that television--as a technology, a narrative art form, a commodity, and a portal for our ritual lives--confronts viewers theologically. Whether its content is explicitly spiritual or not, TV routinely invites (and sometimes demands) theological reflection. This book articulates something of the presence and activity of God in the golden age of TV and forges an appropriate response to an ever-changing cultural form. It constructs a theology of television that allows for both celebration and critique, helping Christians more fully understand and appreciate the power and meaning of TV. A supplemental website provides additional resources, conversations, and close readings of TV programs.

Author: Clive Marsh
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1441240500
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Pop music is now an ever-present force shaping citizens in the West. Even at funerals, pop music is often requested over hymns. But how does popular music work? And what roles does it play for listeners who engage it? This new addition to the critically acclaimed Engaging Culture series explores the theological significance of the ways pop music is listened to and used today. The authors show that popular music is used by religious and nonreligious people alike to make meaning, enabling listeners to explore human concerns about embodiment, create communities, and tap into transcendence. They assess what is happening to Christian faith and theology as a result. The book incorporates case studies featuring noted music artists of our day--including David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Sigur Rós, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, and Lady Gaga--and includes practical implications for the church, the academy, and daily musical listening. It also includes a foreword by Tom Beaudoin, author of Virtual Faith.

Author: Robert K. Johnston
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 149341691X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Three media experts guide the Christian moviegoer into a theological conversation with movies in this up-to-date, readable introduction to Christian theology and film. Building on the success of Robert Johnston's Reel Spirituality, the leading textbook in the field for the past 17 years, Deep Focus helps film lovers not only watch movies critically and theologically but also see beneath the surface of their moving images. The book discusses a wide variety of classic and contemporary films and is illustrated with film stills from favorite movies.

Author: William D. Romanowski
Publisher: Brazos Press
ISBN: 1441200800
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Grounded in Christian principles, this accessible and engaging book offers an informed and fascinating approach to popular culture. William D. Romanowski provides affectionate yet astute analysis of familiar, well-loved movies and television characters from Indiana Jones to Homer Simpson, and he speaks with historical depth and expertise on films from Casablanca to Crash and music from Bruce Springsteen to U2. Romanowski's confessional approach affirms a role for popular culture in faithful living. Practical, analytical approaches to content, meaning, and artistic style offer the tools to participate responsibly and imaginatively in popular cultural activities. An engaging read, this new edition introduces students and thoughtful readers to popular culture--one of the most influential forces in contemporary society.

Author: Brad Harper
Publisher: Brazos Press
ISBN: 1587431734
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
This evangelical and ecumenical ecclesiology survey text provides a comprehensive biblical, historical, and cultural perspective and addresses contemporary issues in church life.

Author: Robert K. Johnston
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 9781441200907
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
Increasingly, thinking Christians are examining the influential role that movies play in our cultural dialogue. Reel Spirituality successfully heightens readers' sensitivity to the theological truths and statements about the human condition expressed through modern cinema. This second edition cites 200 new movies and encourages readers to ponder movie themes that permeate our culture as well as motion pictures that have demonstrated power to shape our perceptions of everything from relationships and careers to good and evil. Reel Spirituality is the perfect catalyst for dialogue and discipleship among moviegoers, church-based study groups, and religious film and arts groups. The second edition cites an additional 200 movies and includes new film photos.

Author: Daivd K. Naugle
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 0802828175
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
If we have a particle of sense, St. Augustine said, we realize that we all want to be happy. What's more, God actually designed human beings to crave and seek happiness. Why, then, is there so much unhappiness in the world? According to David Naugle, it's because, in our desperate quest, we're looking in the wrong places. Reordered Love, Reordered Lives explores a distinctly Augustinian theme that is supremely relevant for the twenty-first century. Naugle explains that if we love properly -- that is, if we love beginning with God and progressing to other humans, ourselves, and the world around us -- we will also liveproperly and, in so doing, will find our own true happiness. Packed with select quotes and references to popular music, literature, and other media -- and including provocative questions for discussion -- the book presents classic theological ideas in a conversational and edgy fashion. Naugle's refreshing take is sure to appeal to anyone searching for happiness -- which, in the end, is all of us.

Author: Tim Stevens
Publisher: Power Publishing
ISBN: 0979017491
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
Whether you're a regular attender, a leader, or have yet to step foot in a church, you may have questions about church that aren't being answered. How can the church remain relevant while communicating the unchanging integrity of God's truth? Author Tim Stevens makes an inspiring case for leveraging pop culture to reach out to people in the language of their lives. He offers a new perspective that gives relevance and impact to the church by using pop culture, meeting people in the real world with words, sounds and images that speak to them. He encourages us to get out of our comfort zones and look people in the eyes, meeting them wherever they are, relating to their problems and society's challenges, even celebrating pop culture, where there are exciting signs of spiritual seeking. Pop Goes the Church will open your mind to church in a way that breaks down walls, engages the culture and speaks to a generation that needs to hear good news.