Christian Worldview and Mass Media Reflections from Christianity and the Mass Media in America By Quentin J. Schultze

A Marriage Made for Media Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech , or of the press ; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble ...

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech , or of the press ; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble ...

Rhetoric of Conversion The Rhetoric of Conversion The Power of the media to change people Unflinching faith in the media Uncritical faith in the media The City on the Hill

The Rhetoric of Conversion

The Power of the media to change people

Unflinching faith in the media

Uncritical faith in the media

The City on the Hill

Conversing about Faith & Media Rhetoric of Discernment Mass media facilitates diversification The call to conversion Not so much evangelizing the lost Self-assertion of sectarian beliefs The Social Gospel

Rhetoric of Discernment

Mass media facilitates diversification

The call to conversion

Not so much evangelizing the lost

Self-assertion of sectarian beliefs

The Social Gospel

Conversing about Faith & Media Rhetoric of Communion Mass media seeks commonalities Celebrity increases in importance Entertainers & newsmakers take precedence over religious leaders National media reflect the interest of advertising, marketing, PR, audience research Traditional religious traditions are transformed into commercial events (Christmas, Easter) Churches respond with sectarian media that maintains their communion

Rhetoric of Communion

Mass media seeks commonalities

Celebrity increases in importance

Entertainers & newsmakers take precedence over religious leaders

National media reflect the interest of advertising, marketing, PR, audience research

Traditional religious traditions are transformed into commercial events (Christmas, Easter)

Churches respond with sectarian media that maintains their communion

Conversing about Faith & Media Rhetoric of Exile The language of exile Popular media and The Outsider Activities of Exile Identifies “the enemy” Coalesces the community “ Reclaim” American life Resemblance to secular special interests

Rhetoric of Exile

The language of exile

Popular media and The Outsider

Activities of Exile

Identifies “the enemy”

Coalesces the community

“ Reclaim” American life

Resemblance to secular special interests

Conversing about Faith & Media Rhetoric of Praise What is worthy of praise? That which is popular Popularity disenfranchises elitism Popularity identifies what is: Successful Important Legitimate

Rhetoric of Praise

What is worthy of praise?

That which is popular

Popularity disenfranchises elitism

Popularity identifies what is:

Successful

Important

Legitimate

Evangelical Populism & American Futurism Christian Optimism and Technology Utopian acceptance of progress Conflates salvation with progress Progress transfuses both sacred and secular narratives Technological Advance and Millenarianism become sibling, rather than competing ideas Christians interpret technological progress as a sign of God’s divine favor.

Christian Optimism and Technology

Utopian acceptance of progress

Conflates salvation with progress

Progress transfuses both sacred and secular narratives

Technological Advance and Millenarianism become sibling, rather than competing ideas

Christians interpret technological progress as a sign of God’s divine favor.

Evangelical Populism & American Futurism Evangelical Theology & Mass Communication Christianity’s embrace of mass media Millenarianism shaped attitudes toward mass media Postmillenialism – Antebellum theology that fell into discredit after WWI Premillenialism – Became more populare with wane of postmillenialism and rise of Scofield Bible. Driven by implicit individualism

Evangelical Theology & Mass Communication

Christianity’s embrace of mass media

Millenarianism shaped attitudes toward mass media

Postmillenialism – Antebellum theology that fell into discredit after WWI

Premillenialism – Became more populare with wane of postmillenialism and rise of Scofield Bible.

Driven by implicit individualism

Evangelical Populism & American Futurism Mythos of the Electronic Church Evangelicals trusted electronic media to overcome cultural, political obstacles to evangelism. Implicit faith in the efficacy of modern communication unsupported by factual data. Evangelical media became more deeply entrenched in modern rationality, and organizational and managerial culture. Christian media is dominated by corporate and commercial interests rather than sectarian or spiritual interests

Mythos of the Electronic Church

Evangelicals trusted electronic media to overcome cultural, political obstacles to evangelism.

Implicit faith in the efficacy of modern communication unsupported by factual data.

Evangelical media became more deeply entrenched in modern rationality, and organizational and managerial culture.

Christian media is dominated by corporate and commercial interests rather than sectarian or spiritual interests

Evangelical Populism & American Futurism Prophetic Mythos as Science Fiction American science fiction and popular theology address common issues. Utopian/Dystopian prognostication Critical exploration of technology Both possess eschatological gnosis Self-evident determinism Unreflective optimism

Prophetic Mythos as Science Fiction

American science fiction and popular theology address common issues.

Utopian/Dystopian prognostication

Critical exploration of technology

Both possess eschatological gnosis

Self-evident determinism

Unreflective optimism

Evangelical Populism & American Futurism Prophetic Mythos as Science Fiction Bankruptcy of futurism Science fiction lacks Christian worldview. Evangelicalism, while Christian, still cannot predict when Christ will come and what he will accomplish and how. Both are uninterested in cultural and religious tradition Pop Theology & SciFi provide a futuristic means of understanding the meaning of new communication technology.

Prophetic Mythos as Science Fiction

Bankruptcy of futurism

Science fiction lacks Christian worldview.

Evangelicalism, while Christian, still cannot predict when Christ will come and what he will accomplish and how.

Both are uninterested in cultural and religious tradition

Pop Theology & SciFi provide a futuristic means of understanding the meaning of new communication technology.

Evangelical Populism & American Futurism Conclusion Efficacy of mass communication Assumed, but not demonstrated Reduced to futurism rooted in eschatology Reflects societal trends rather than setting them More fractured audience More centralized, corporate structure of media Adoption of corporate vs. Christian values Mistakes information for communication

Conclusion

Efficacy of mass communication

Assumed, but not demonstrated

Reduced to futurism rooted in eschatology

Reflects societal trends rather than setting them

More fractured audience

More centralized, corporate structure of media

Adoption of corporate vs. Christian values

Mistakes information for communication

Discerning Popular Journalism News as the “Good News” Early on, secular and religious media were on an equal footing. During the early 1800’s the secular news presupposed a religious bent Attributed religious significance to everyday life Later it supplanted the religious press By the late 1800’s the press was largely secular until it lost all theological perspective Throughout the 20 th Century the press supplanted religious publications

News as the “Good News”

Early on, secular and religious media were on an equal footing.

During the early 1800’s the secular news presupposed a religious bent

Attributed religious significance to everyday life

Later it supplanted the religious press

By the late 1800’s the press was largely secular until it lost all theological perspective

Throughout the 20 th Century the press supplanted religious publications

Discerning Popular Journalism Mainstream Informational Fundamentalism The journalistic hermeneutic Claims detached objectivity and neutrality Emphasizes fact, actions, and conflict Most closely resembles the hermeneutic of fundamentalist who claim to view the Bible objectively Reporting covers events simplistically, without historical perspective or interpretation.

Mainstream Informational Fundamentalism

The journalistic hermeneutic

Claims detached objectivity and neutrality

Emphasizes fact, actions, and conflict

Most closely resembles the hermeneutic of fundamentalist who claim to view the Bible objectively

Reporting covers events simplistically, without historical perspective or interpretation.

Discerning Popular Journalism Mainstream Informational Fundamentalism Dangers of decontextualization Perceives events as isolated instances rather than ongoing religious tradition Ignores possibility of complex motives Lacks a way to see content of character or nobility of purpose Informational fundamentalism at odds with religious faith and practice Journalism is morally unimaginitive

Mainstream Informational Fundamentalism

Dangers of decontextualization

Perceives events as isolated instances rather than ongoing religious tradition

Ignores possibility of complex motives

Lacks a way to see content of character or nobility of purpose

Informational fundamentalism at odds with religious faith and practice

Journalism is morally unimaginitive

Discerning Popular Journalism News as Unimaginative Social Liturgy News emphasizes immediate events and immanent facts Cannot comprehend eternal verities Ignorant of social or cultural meaning Unconcerned with “truth” Incapable of making sense of religious yearnings, customs, & traditions

News as Unimaginative Social Liturgy

News emphasizes immediate events and immanent facts

Cannot comprehend eternal verities

Ignorant of social or cultural meaning

Unconcerned with “truth”

Incapable of making sense of religious yearnings, customs, & traditions

Discerning Popular Journalism Christian News in the Public Square Media ignore beneficial effects of religion in the public square Anti-slavery movement was religious Civil Rights movement was indebted to religious influence Poland’s Solidarity movement was religious in nature Lack of religious discussion has moved us toward political pragmatism rather than principled governance

Christian News in the Public Square

Media ignore beneficial effects of religion in the public square

Anti-slavery movement was religious

Civil Rights movement was indebted to religious influence

Poland’s Solidarity movement was religious in nature

Lack of religious discussion has moved us toward political pragmatism rather than principled governance

Religion in a Mass-Mediated Society Embracing four kinds of tension Time and space Sectarian and public interests Religious and secular cultures Technology and culture

Embracing four kinds of tension

Time and space

Sectarian and public interests

Religious and secular cultures

Technology and culture

Religion in a Mass-Mediated Society Culture in Time & Space Mass media segment audiences and create discontinuities Creation of Youth culture Reflected in Youth ministry Religion conserves traditional culture Relies on proximity, participation, and transmission of oral communication

Culture in Time & Space

Mass media segment audiences and create discontinuities

Creation of Youth culture

Reflected in Youth ministry

Religion conserves traditional culture

Relies on proximity, participation, and transmission of oral communication

Religion in a Mass-Mediated Society Sectarian & Public Interest Two worlds Intimate world of faith & family Impersonal world of commerce & politics Sectarianism Allows the articulation and conservation of traditional belief Should include elements of public interest Mass media should facilitate sectarian dialogue

Sectarian & Public Interest

Two worlds

Intimate world of faith & family

Impersonal world of commerce & politics

Sectarianism

Allows the articulation and conservation of traditional belief

Should include elements of public interest

Mass media should facilitate sectarian dialogue

Religion in a Mass-Mediated Society Religious & Secular Culture We maintain a tension between sacred beliefs and secular practices Social science offers us contemplation and introspection Religious life offers us activist responses Faith offers an overarching paradigm for critical evaluation.

Religious & Secular Culture

We maintain a tension between sacred beliefs and secular practices

Social science offers us contemplation and introspection

Religious life offers us activist responses

Faith offers an overarching paradigm for critical evaluation.

Religion in a Mass-Mediated Society Religious & Secular Culture Relationship between market and religion Positive use of market metaphors Evangelical advocacy of marketing rhetoric Consumerism edges out religious expressions in the media Market forces homogenize religious cultures Mainstream media create substitute mythologies Sectarian critics lose their distinctive voices Informational fundamentalism supplants critical evaluation Religion is both conservator and progressive

Religious & Secular Culture

Relationship between market and religion

Positive use of market metaphors

Evangelical advocacy of marketing rhetoric

Consumerism edges out religious expressions in the media

Market forces homogenize religious cultures

Mainstream media create substitute mythologies

Sectarian critics lose their distinctive voices

Informational fundamentalism supplants critical evaluation

Religion is both conservator and progressive

Religion in a Mass-Mediated Society Technology & Culture Culture views technology as neutral The church has fallen into the same thrall of neutral acceptance Religion offers the only serious alternative to universal acceptance of technology and a means to assess it

Technology & Culture

Culture views technology as neutral

The church has fallen into the same thrall of neutral acceptance

Religion offers the only serious alternative to universal acceptance of technology and a means to assess it

Wrap Up The rhetoric of... Conversion offers ability to change Discernment highlights what is from what should be Exile illuminates our conditional character in a world of conflicting cultures Communion calls us to faithful community Praise identifies the good in life

The rhetoric of...

Conversion offers ability to change

Discernment highlights what is from what should be

Exile illuminates our conditional character in a world of conflicting cultures

Communion calls us to faithful community

Praise identifies the good in life