"Religion and Popular Culture in America" is a collection of essays devoted to one of the most interesting and exciting new areas of study to develop within the field of religious studies. Originally deriving from the intersections of anthropology, sociology, American studies, and religious studies this new interdisciplinary approach helps us refocus our academic and teaching lense to "learn more about widespread perceptions of religion, and the role religion plays in the everyday lives of people" (pg. 2).

In a very helpful introduction, Bruce Forbes discusses definitions of popular culture, religion, considerations for analyzing popular culture, and develops four ways of thinking about the relationship between religion and popular culture. The four ways of thinking about religion and popular culture are: (1) Religion in Popular Culture, (2) Popular Culture in Religion, (3) Popular Culture as Religion, and (4) Religion and Popular Culture in Dialogue. Each of these categories is explained in a short essay. The book is then divided into these four divisions with essays focusing on each theme.

The first four essays deal with religion in popular culture. The range of topics covered is quite impressive. Essays range from the "Oriental Monk in American Popular Culture" to Christmas television specials, the complimentary religious dimensions of writers Louis L'Amour and Cormac McCarthy to Madonna videos. A fascinating discussion takes place on Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence's book "The American Monomyth." Jewett and Shelton suggest that Joseph Campbell outlined the classical heroic monomyth, but that "most of American popular culture follows a different singular plot, a distinctively American monomyth" (11). This plot line can be summarized as, "A community in a harmonious paradise is threatened by evil: normal institutions fail to contend with this threat; a selfless superhero emerges to renounce temptations and carry out the redemptive task: aided by fate, his decisive victory restores the community to its paradisal condition: the superhero then recedes into obscurity" (11).

The next group of essays looks at how elements of pop culture have found their way into organized religion. William Romanowski's "Evangelicals and Popular Music" looks at the tension in Christian pop music between a conservative religious message and the needs of marketing. This tension both shapes and defines this type of popular music. Gregor Goethals's "The Electronic Golden Calf; Transforming Ritual and Icon" looks at how conservative Protestant churches, historically anti-iconic and focused on the biblical word, have in an age of mass media and entertainment created a whole new series of electronic rituals and icons. Steven Hoover's "The Cross at Willow Creek: Seeker Religion and the Contemporary Marketplace" looks at how mega-churches utilize marketing strategies in meeting the needs of members. Very thoughtfully Hoover discusses emerging forms of religiosity in an age of commodity culture.

The third group of essays looks at the ways that certain pop culture phenomenon parallels certain forms of religious activity and meaning construction. Essays here span from Michael Jindra's look at Star Trek fandom, Michelle Lelwica's essays on the religious vocabulary and images used in women's weight loss programs, Joseph Price's analysis of American sports as popular religion to David Chidester's brilliant "The Church of Baseball, the Fetish of Coca-Cola, and the Potlatch of Rock'n'Roll."

The fourth section is devoted to the dialogue between religion and popular culture. Topics covered in this section range from "The Disguise of Vengeance in Pale Rider" to "Lost in Cyberspace?: Gender, Difference, and the Internet Utopia." The last essay by Jeffrey Mahan on "Establishing a Dialogue about Religion and Popular Culture" is another lucid explanation that reminds us that the two basic questions this new field is investigating are whether American pop culture has a religious face, and how has religion adapted in the middle of consumer culture. The editors include a helpful select bibliography for those who want to pursue this field in more depth. For teachers and students wishing to explore the interaction between American religiosity and pop culture this is an excellent introduction to a rapidly growing and exciting field of inquiry.

Review © 2000 Tom Collins and RSiSS

Seabury Hall
Makawao, Hawaii

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