Post-Christian Religion in Popular Culture

Andrew D. Thrasher invites us to consider the place and value of popular culture works to theology and faith in a post-Christian culture dominated by disenchantment. This book helpfully moves beyond simple acceptance or critique of popular culture by offering critical methodologies rooted in re-enchantment, resourcement, and resciption. Thrasher's attentive analysis of cultural and theological elements makes the valuable discussions on music, movies, and media an imaginative investigation imbued with hope and belief. -- Scott Donahue-Martens, independent scholar Andrew Thrasher skillfully draws on philosophical insights from Charles Taylor and others to argue that the cultural liturgies of pop culture mediate a social imaginary that is fundamentally post-Christian. That is, the stories and songs of the pop-cultural mind reveal a different overarching story about the world that echoes but moves beyond Christian ideas. Even so, Thrasher offers resources for how to engage this new landscape in a way that modern social imaginary, as reflected in the pop culture imagination is post-Christian. -- Dale Coulter, Pentecostal Theological Seminary Andrew D. Thrasher has written a fascinating book which looks at implicit religious beliefs within contemporary popular culture and seeks to discern their significance for the construction of a "post-disenchantment theology." Working at the intersection of philosophy, sociology, religious studies, and theology, he provides important insights at every turn. No one who is interested in how theology can or should interrogate contemporary beliefs and values in wider society will wish to ignore this book. It is an important account that deals with fundamental questions on the nature of society and the human condition. I recommend it most warmly to students and scholars of religion and popular culture. -- Mark J. Cartledge, London School of Theology