This text examines the history, theory, cultural context, and professional aspects of media and religion. While religion has been explored more fully in psychology, sociology, anthropology, and the humanities, there is no clear bridge of understanding to the communication discipline. Daniel A. Stout tackles this issue by providing a roadmap for examining this understudied area so that discussions about media and religion can more easily proceed.
Offering great breadth, this text covers key concepts and historical highlights; world religions, denominations, and cultural religion; and religion and specific media genres. The text also includes key terms and questions to ponder for every chapter, and concludes with an in-class learning activity that can be used to encourage students to explore the media–religion interface and review the essential ideas presented in the book.
Media and Religion is an ideal introduction for undergraduate students in need of a foundation for this emerging field.
- Introduction
- Key Concepts
- Physiology and Mental States
- World Religions and Denominations
- Cultural Religion
- Media Criticism
- The Internet
- Entertainment Media
- The News
- Strategic Communication
- In the Classroom: A Learning Activity
Biography
Daniel A. Stout is a Professor in the Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies at University of Nevada Las Vegas.
"Gone are the piles of articles and book chapters we used to rely on for a survey course in religion and media. Students and faculty will both delight in this succinct overview of theory and research in religion and media, making it the perfect go-to text we've been looking for." --Debra L. Mason, Professor, School of Journalism, University of Missouri.
"In addition to offering a sorely needed, up-to-date foundational text, Media and Religion offers creative ideas for teaching and understanding the central concepts and methods of the field." --Amanda Sturgill, Associate Professor of Communications, School of Communication, Elon University
"A much-needed roadmap for exploring an important yet under-researched area at a time when religion is appearing on radar screens all over the world. Best of all, Media and Religion takes us beyond frameworks and theories into a realm of interdisciplinary connections and real-world applications." --Donn James Tilson, Associate Professor of Public Relations, School of Communication, University of Miami
"Media and Religion provides a helpful synthesis of the many different subfields of media and religion. It encompasses many facets of media (entertainment, strategic communication, the Internet, news) and challenges our conceptions of religion by introducing the numinous. It provides an introduction into the emerging field of media and religion, and as such is suitable for the undergraduate classroom, the newly oriented, and as a conceptual reference for seasoned researcher." --Kyong James Cho, Texas A&M University
