Seeing Through the Media: A Religious View of Communications and Cultural Analysis
"A profound and engaging study in which weighty issues are handled with commendable clarity and concision." —Chris Arthur, University of Wales (Chris Arthur)"Overall, this is a reflective, thoughtful look at understanding the media. The issue of religion and the academy is a thorny one, with continual discussions on whether religious academics should be open about their beliefs or hide them for fear of negatively influencing their students and peers. One side of the debate fears that religious beliefs may be dangerous in general because of a tendency towards dogmatism and intolerance. Another believes that excluding religion entirely is in itself dogmatic and intolerant, and that if professors may advocate particular political, cultural or economic ideologies, religious should certainly be allowed to take its place." —American Reporter (American Reporter Book Review)"Never was such a book more urgently needed. The media, after all, have become the new gospels; communicators the new high priests. What media and gospels have in common, Warren suggests, is a claim to ultimacy. The difference between them, however, is that the religious claim to ultimacy is open and explicit: the media claim is masked in narratives and images which imply rather than insist, which are subliminal rather then overt. This makes it all the more necessary not to take media messages at their face value...Michael Warren's book provides us with some invaluable signposts to the future." — The Furrow (John HorganThe Furrow)"This book is essential reading for anyone concerned with how to bring the gospel message to bear on contemporary culture...Warren's book challenges us to see that our vocation as humans and as followers of Jesus requires us to question and contest all that is inhuman while recognizing all that is positive about culture." —Don Walker, Catholic New Times (Don WalkerCatholic New Times)"...excellent questions for discussion at the end of each chapter make this a good resource for any type of encounter and sharing group." —Church & Synagogue Library Association (Csla-Church and Synagogue Library Assoc.)"Written with a palpable sense of mission, which will be especially appreciated by pastors and educators vexed by similar questions. These books are calls to action, provoking both the theoretical underpinnings and the step-by-step "how to's" of taking control of the sometimes ambiguous cultural forces that come to bear on lives of faith." — Anglican Theological Review (Joanne MaguireAnglican Theological Review)"Warren offers very practical questions designed to encourage cultural analysis. Seeing Through the Media makes a compelling case for the danger of absorbing popular culture uncritically and for the role that the church can play in countering that temptation." —The Princeton Seminary Bulletin (Carolyn HerringThe Princeton Seminary Bulletin)"a crucial piece, missing until now, in the conversation on forming people in faith... an important resource for the Church..." — David F. White (David F. White (printed in The Living Light))"A profound and engaging study in which weighty issues are handled with commendable clarity and concision." —Chris Arthur, University of Wales (Sanford Lakoff)"Never was such a book more urgently needed. The media, after all, have become the new gospels; communicators the new high priests. What media and gospels have in common, Warren suggests, is a claim to ultimacy. The difference between them, however, is that the religious claim to ultimacy is open and explicit: the media claim is masked in narratives and images which imply rather than insist, which are subliminal rather then overt. This makes it all the more necessary not to take media messages at their face value...Michael Warren's book provides us with some invaluable signposts to the future." — The Furrow (Sanford LakoffThe Furrow)"This book is essential reading for anyone concerned with how to bring the gospel message to bear on contemporary culture...Warren's book challenges us to see that our vocation as humans and as followers of Jesus requires us to question and contest all that is inhuman while recognizing all that is positive about culture." —Don Walker, Catholic New Times (Sanford LakoffCatholic New Times)"...excellent questions for discussion at the end of each chapter make this a good resource for any type of encounter and sharing group." —Church & Synagogue Library Association (Csla-Church and Synagogue Library Assoc.)"Written with a palpable sense of mission, which will be especially appreciated by pastors and educators vexed by similar questions. These books are calls to action, provoking both the theoretical underpinnings and the step-by-step "how to's" of taking control of the sometimes ambiguous cultural forces that come to bear on lives of faith." — Anglican Theological Review (Sanford LakoffAnglican Theological Review)"Warren offers very practical questions designed to encourage cultural analysis. Seeing Through the Media makes a compelling case for the danger of absorbing popular culture uncritically and for the role that the church can play in countering that temptation." —The Princeton Seminary Bulletin (Sanford LakoffThe Princeton Seminary Bulletin)"a crucial piece, missing until now, in the conversation on forming people in faith... an important resource for the Church..." — David F. White (Sanford Lakoff)