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2004-04-20 issue:

Looking for God in all the pop places

Mediaculture

by Gordon Houser

Print Article

One of the premises of this column is that the wider culture and its artifacts (media) are the ocean we swim in, the air we breathe, and we need to pay attention to what is going on there. Craig Detweiler and Barry Taylor go further: “Popular culture stands as a vibrant and vital arena of spiritual expression.”

In their book A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture (Baker Academic, 2003, $17.99) they “examine different aspects of popular culture ‘not as ends in themselves but as means of unlocking their meaning in the culture as a whole.’ ” Whether we like it or not, ads, movies, television and music have a huge influence on people—including us. These writers go so far as to call pop culture “the collected wisdom of our era.”

They are more positive than I am (and you may think I’m too positive) about popular culture. Nevertheless, I agree with them that the church dare not ignore the wider culture or the spiritual hunger it shows. They write, “There is a conversation about God going on in popular culture that the church is not engaged in and is often unaware of.”

Detweiler teaches mass communications and is a screenwriter. Taylor teaches theology and is a professional musician and painter. Together they tackle the ambitious task of exploring the interplay of a Christian worldview with various aspects of popular culture. They include chapters on advertising, celebrities, music, movies, television, fashion, sports and art. The breadth of their coverage of these areas is impressive, and a discussion group could spend several rewarding sessions with each of these chapters.

Here are just a few provocative nuggets: “Advertising has replaced spirituality as our shaping story.” “People are not as naive or as gullible as we sometimes think they are.” “We should take seriously the religious function of both advertising and consumerism.” “Fashion is a series of signs that unlock at least part of the pop culture psyche.” “Art continually explores new ways of expressing timeless facts about human existence. Theology often seems intent on simply maintaining the status quo, and that will not suffice in these times.”

Also sure to provoke discussion, Detweiler and Taylor conclude with “A Top 10 Theology” that speaks to the new, postmodern era we live in:

10. Post-national—Diverse
9. Post-rational—Experiential
8. Post-literal—Mythological
7. Post-scientific/technological—Mysterious
6. Post-sexual—Embodied
5. Post-racial—Colorful
4. Post-human—Real
3. Post-traumatic/therapeutic—Bloody
2. Post-ethical/institutional—Humorous
1. Post-Christian—Loving.

These writers believe “popular culture continues to redefine the relationship between the sacred and the secular, the holy and the profane. People of faith should do the same.” Yes, we should.

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