Matrix of Meanings, A: Finding God in Pop Culture - eBook

Craig Detweiler (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is professor of communication at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He previously served as codirector of the Reel Spirituality Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary. Detweiler has written scripts for numerous Hollywood films, and his social documentary, Purple State of Mind (www.purplestateofmind.com), debuted in 2008. He has been featured in the New York Times, on CNN, and on NPR.

Barry Taylor (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary), adjunct professor of popular culture and theology at Fuller, is a professional musician, painter, and the leader of New Ground, an alternative worship gathering in Los Angeles.

This study of today's pop culture and the marketplace is widely aimed. It is written for the young ("today's aspiring artists and culture consumers, who dig God but can't stomach religion"), for Christians who don't see much that relates to God in the culture of our day, and for anyone who wants to better relate to popular culture. The authors are immersed in their topic: Detweiler writes screenplays and teaches at the Los Angeles Film Studies Center, and Taylor (popular culture, Fuller Theological Seminary) paints and is a professional musician and songwriter. Chapters address advertising, celebrities, music, movies, TV, fashion, sports, and art. They show how artistic production in our postmodern world is characterized by "blending, fragments, and sampling." The writing is emotionally direct: "doubts are aired, gloves come off, and politeness takes a rest." The authors find recurring themes such as alienation and loneliness and see wisdom and God contained and shining through even the most debased popular culture. This book will offer patient readers a new understanding of and appreciation for pop culture and its often hidden connection to God. Recommended for large public and academic libraries.-George Westerlund, formerly with Providence P.L. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.