Faith and Pop Culture: Christianity Today Study Series

“Can we find Jesus in popular entertainment?” That’s the question that this study attempts to answer. In a culture that values entertainment above all, Christians often just withdraw by turning off their TVs, home-schooling their children, or forbidding their families to participate in certain cultural activities that violate their moral standards.

Faith and Pop Culture, from Thomas Nelson Publishers, offers the opportunity for Christians to examine entertainment and evaluate it in light of scripture. Each of the eight chapters opens with an article from Christianity Today which deals with a single aspect of popular culture. The lessons include options for group discussion, a statement of the issue, and study questions. The “Let’s Explore” section provides Bible verses and discussion questions on what the Bible says about the chapter topic.

The study covers the visual arts, literature, sports, television, “family friendly” entertainment, violence, the Hollywood culture, and the role of entertainment in society. It is a good study to do on your own, but I think the real value would be in the discussion of these topics with others.

I recommend this study for anyone concerned about the effect of modern culture on society, but I think it would be especially valuable for parents attempting to make good decisions about raising their children in today’s culture. The cover price is $9.99, a reasonable price for a group study book.