Contents
Chapter One: Introduction—Religion, Mass Media, and
Supernatural
Chapter Two: Plurality of Religion
Chapter Three: Hegemony of Religion
Chapter Four: Horsemen and Homilies
Chapter Five: A Divinely Ordained Civil Religion
Chapter Six: Conclusion
References
Erika Engstrom is professor of communication studies at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is the author of The Bride
Factory: Mass Media Portrayals of Women and Weddings.
Joseph M. Valenzano, III, is assistant professor and basic course
director at the University of Dayton. He has co-authored two public
speaking textbooks, The Speaker: The Tradition and Practice of
Public Speaking and The Speaker’s Primer.
In summary, Engstrom and Valenzano provide a thorough and
interesting investigation of this fan favorite that regularly draws
two to three million viewers on the CW network. They clearly
identify their methodologies and define their terms. Their
knowledge of the show is extensive and many of their conclusions
persuasive, though occasionally repetitive. For those researching
the relationship between television and the supernatural, the book
provides helpful context and information for comparison....
Engstrom and Valenzano demonstrate the value of Supernatural as a
resource for teaching about religion, popular culture, media, and
representations of the Apocalypse.
*Nova Religio: The Journal Of Alternative And Emergent
Religions*
The combination of analyses based on concepts from hegemony theory,
homiletics and civil religion make Engstrom and Valenzano’s
Television, Religion, and Supernatural: Hunting Monsters, Finding
Gods a fascinating addition to the burgeoning literature examining
the cultural and religious implications of ostensibly secular
media.
*Judith M. Buddenbaum, Colorado State University*
This is without a doubt one of the best books on television and
religion. Timely, intricately researched, a pleasure to read. It is
a cleverly written, multi-layered explanation of how religion and
popular culture are very similar phenomena.
*Daniel Stout, Brigham Young University–Hawaii*
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