RST 325/425 - Religion and Popular Culture (3)

This course is designed as an introduction to the reciprocal relationship of religion and popular culture. More specifically, we will address the influence and impact religious ideas, themes, and texts have had on four species of media within our North American context: film, television, literature, and music; and also discuss how various spaces, places, and groupings function religiously. For students, the objectives of the course are 1) to develop a critical vocabulary to examine and understand both religion and popular culture through reading and engaging theoretical writings; 2) to become familiar with selected central and/or current examples of popular culture influenced by religion; and 3) to develop their own view(s) of the subject matter through reading primary and secondary sources, in-class discussion, and independent research.