Friday, December 22, 2006
Religion goes pop: Contemporary culture taps into many faiths this season and beyond
Wednesday, you went to see Hasidic reggae artist Matisyahu at his "Festival of Light" Hanukkah concert at the Boston club Avalon.
Thursday, you watched the holiday episode on NBC's "My Name Is Earl," which borrows the Hindu concept of karma.
Tonight, you're heading to the movie theater to see "The Nativity Story," and you might even get up early tomorrow to watch Christian-based "VeggieTales" on NBC's Saturday morning cartoons. You may not realize it, but popular culture is bombarding us with religion this holiday season in what some may see as newer, hipper forms. But several local experts say religion constantly updates itself to be part of the mainstream.
"The two are so intertwined. It's not that we've suddenly discovered that art and religion are friendly to each other; art and religion have been deeply intertwined for centuries," said Bruce Herman, chairman of the art department at Gordon College in Wenham. "Any medium someone chooses - whether it's high art or commercial art; whether it's contemporary music or poetry - any medium chosen to communicate religious ideas, I believe is good."
Religious, for-profit entities are everywhere in entertainment, including JVibe, a Newton-based Jewish teen magazine, and FoxFaith, a new cinematic venture by 20th Century Fox for Christian content. But some believe there's more at stake than simply making a few bucks; that maintaining relevance is crucial to winning the attention of an increasingly secular society.
http://www.salemnews.com/lifestyle/local_story_356094848?keyword=topstory
Wednesday, you went to see Hasidic reggae artist Matisyahu at his "Festival of Light" Hanukkah concert at the Boston club Avalon.
Thursday, you watched the holiday episode on NBC's "My Name Is Earl," which borrows the Hindu concept of karma.
Tonight, you're heading to the movie theater to see "The Nativity Story," and you might even get up early tomorrow to watch Christian-based "VeggieTales" on NBC's Saturday morning cartoons. You may not realize it, but popular culture is bombarding us with religion this holiday season in what some may see as newer, hipper forms. But several local experts say religion constantly updates itself to be part of the mainstream.
"The two are so intertwined. It's not that we've suddenly discovered that art and religion are friendly to each other; art and religion have been deeply intertwined for centuries," said Bruce Herman, chairman of the art department at Gordon College in Wenham. "Any medium someone chooses - whether it's high art or commercial art; whether it's contemporary music or poetry - any medium chosen to communicate religious ideas, I believe is good."
Religious, for-profit entities are everywhere in entertainment, including JVibe, a Newton-based Jewish teen magazine, and FoxFaith, a new cinematic venture by 20th Century Fox for Christian content. But some believe there's more at stake than simply making a few bucks; that maintaining relevance is crucial to winning the attention of an increasingly secular society.
http://www.salemnews.com/lifestyle/local_story_356094848?keyword=topstory
Comments:
I live in Boston -- nobody told me about this.
Comment Credit ---This article posted by 
: December 26, 2006 1:01 PM
: December 26, 2006 1:01 PM
Unless it has changed in just the last few months, JVibe is not a for-profit business. It's a non-profit. I was one of the founders.
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Comment Credit ---This article posted by : December 27, 2006 6:16 AM
: December 27, 2006 6:16 AM
