> Sigh.
>
> Yes, I know.
>
> This is why I wrote: "Read, listen and view the pop
> culture of the major religious sub cultures (GOOG
> Carmen + Christian singer, for example)."
>
> In other words, try to understand the social elements
> of modern religious expression.
I agree that the pop culture of the major religious sub cultures would be somewhat more revealing than the primary sources. My point is that a textual analysis (defined broadly to encompass holy books, sermons, popular music, movies, novels, etc.) -- while surely not a waste of time -- won't go as far as explaining the social elements of modern religious expression in the U.S. as, say, a sociological analysis.
One could write a treatise on the messages in popular Christian music, novels and movies and why this message appeals to many Americans. Fine. I just have my doubts that examining the "message" will actually explain key questions, like why people are religious in the first place, and why otherwise critical people are willing to suspend their disbelief in a religious context. The Left Behind novels are a terrifying example of the sado-apocalyptic world view shared by too many evangelicals -- there are certainly values in the series that are incompatible with liberal democracy -- but reading L.B. (and I've read excerpts here and there) won't tell you why so many find those values appealing. To figure that out, you're going to have to figure out why people join communities that embrace those values and why they stay in those communities even when those values are challenged.
-WD
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