Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Tables
- Figures
- Acknowledgements
- Note
- Introduction: Xers and Yers as Cohorts of the Post-1970s Generation
- Chapter 1 Religious Diversity and the Politics of Definition
- Chapter 2 Religion and Popular Culture
- Chapter 3 Religion and Modernity: Marx, Durkheim and Weber
- Chapter 4 Religion, Spirituality and the Post-Secularisation Approach
- Chapter 5 Religion and Postmodernity (Part A): Consumer Religions
- Chapter 6 Religion and Postmodernity (Part B): Hyper-reality and the Internet
- Chapter 7 Esotericism, Its McDonaldisation, and Its Re-enchantment Process
- Chapter 8 Monotheistic Fundamentalism(s) as an Outcome of Consumer Culture
- Chapter 9 Buddhism, Its Westernisation and the Easternisation of the West
- Chapter 10 Christianity: Churches and Sects in a Post-Christian World
- Chapter 11 The Multiple-Modernities of Islam?
- Chapter 12 New Religious Movements and the Death of the New Age
- Chapter 13 Witchcraft, the Internet, and Consumerism
- Conclusion: What Do Sociologists of Religion in Academia Do Apart from Teaching and Marking? Their Work as Intellectuals
- References
- Index
Chapter 2 - Religion and Popular Culture
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Tables
- Figures
- Acknowledgements
- Note
- Introduction: Xers and Yers as Cohorts of the Post-1970s Generation
- Chapter 1 Religious Diversity and the Politics of Definition
- Chapter 2 Religion and Popular Culture
- Chapter 3 Religion and Modernity: Marx, Durkheim and Weber
- Chapter 4 Religion, Spirituality and the Post-Secularisation Approach
- Chapter 5 Religion and Postmodernity (Part A): Consumer Religions
- Chapter 6 Religion and Postmodernity (Part B): Hyper-reality and the Internet
- Chapter 7 Esotericism, Its McDonaldisation, and Its Re-enchantment Process
- Chapter 8 Monotheistic Fundamentalism(s) as an Outcome of Consumer Culture
- Chapter 9 Buddhism, Its Westernisation and the Easternisation of the West
- Chapter 10 Christianity: Churches and Sects in a Post-Christian World
- Chapter 11 The Multiple-Modernities of Islam?
- Chapter 12 New Religious Movements and the Death of the New Age
- Chapter 13 Witchcraft, the Internet, and Consumerism
- Conclusion: What Do Sociologists of Religion in Academia Do Apart from Teaching and Marking? Their Work as Intellectuals
- References
- Index
Summary
Introduction
The novels and movies of Harry Potter have been so successful that they do not need any introduction in this book. However, what is of interest for this chapter is the graphic novel called Hairy Polarity and the Sinister Sorcery Satire published by The Truth for Youth which is a Christian evangelical group against pornography, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, secular rock music, drugs, drunkenness, sorcery and witchcraft. The second page of this book, available on the Internet, is quite telling. A young boy is having an argument with his parents at his home. The boy is aggressive and angry whereas his parents are calm and quote the Bible:
Young Boy: WHAT!?! You're forbidding me from going out today with Minnie? She's my best friend!! All we do together is read Hairy Polarity books! You ought to be glad I'm finally reading something!!!
Mother: Ari, you've been turning God out of your life lately (Corinthians 11:3)… you don't see your Christian friends anymore…
Father: These books… And Minnie… seem to be a big part of the problem!
Mother: Look, Ari, we've discussed this endlessly! Hairy Polarity is evil! If you Can't stop reading those books with Minnie, we don't want you seeing her anymore!
Young Boy: Unbelievable! It's just a fictional story! Nobody actually believes in this stuff… It's just for fun!
Father: Witchcraft isn't fantasy, Ari… It's real. And you don't want to get involved in it (Deut. 18:10-11). Like your mom and I were once! A demon was exorcised from us that…
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- Sociology of Religion for Generations X and Y , pp. 25 - 38Publisher: Acumen PublishingPrint publication year: 2009