DESCRIPTION: The course will investigate visual media culture, with an emphasis on television, exploring the theological implications of television and mass media upon culture, and in turn seek a theological engagement with the diverse and varied contours of visual media. We live in an age where television is acquiring a renewed influence upon society. Cable networks, advances in media technology, and access are making television a prime location for cultural reflection and impact.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through examination and investigation of seminal television shows combined with an introduction to visual media literacy, interactive discussion, and class lectures, students will (1) gain a broad understanding of both the structure and social contexts of visual media; (2) be equipped to engage theologically with one of the most influential components of contemporary culture; and (3) understand the ways in which television and media culture influence and shape our social contexts.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: Since the middle of the twentieth century, television in particular and visual media in general have had an amazing impact on our lives, bringing the world into our living rooms and forever changing the way we view ourselves as human beings. This class will equip those seeking to engage contemporary culture, be it in a pastoral ministry or social setting, by deepening our understanding of the nature of visual media culture and its role in our lives.

COURSE FORMAT: Classes will be divided between lecture and interactive discussion combined with multimedia approaches to understanding media culture. The course will meet once a week for a three-hour session.

REQUIRED READING AND VIEWING (1,300 pages plus viewing):

Lynch, Gordon. Understanding Theology and Popular Culture. Blackwell, 2004.

McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media Culture. Routledge, 2003.

Newman, Jay. Religion vs. Television: Competitors in Cultural Context. Praeger Publishers, 1996.

Taylor, Barry. Entertainment Theology. Baker Academic, 2008.

Zengotita, Thomas de. Mediated: How Media Shaped the World around You. Bloomsbury, 2005.

Course Reader of selections from Edward Carnell, Television: Servant or Master? (Eerdmans, 1950).

* Viewing a selection of television shows and programs spanning the history of the medium will be a required part of the curriculum (guidelines will be presented in class).

Detweiler, Craig, and Barry Taylor. Matrix of Meanings: Finding Faith in Pop Culture. Baker Academic, 2001.

Fiske, John. Television Culture. Routledge, 1987.

Gunter, Barrie, and Rachel Viney. Seeing is Believing: Religion and Television in the 1990s. University of Luton Press, 1994.