Hi friends,I am currently working on a research paper for a class on "Interpreting Popular Culture" at NYU. I am exploring the representation of evangelicals in the media. I think that this is a pertinent time to discuss this subject.
Cultural studies and film theorist, Richard Dyer suggests that a stereotype is "the reduction, exaggeration and simplification of specific characteristics." When a person's character and personality or culture are reduced to such a crystallized caricature, this would be referred to as "essentializing" that individual or culture.
I would like to explore whether there is an essentializing of the evangelical in mainstream media today, and whether or not this is a fair representation.
Is there such a thing as a single, evangelical entity, or is it comprised of a multiplicity of representations? Does difference exist in this sub-culture? Do we all look like Ned Flanders??? In doing so, have we reduced evangelicalism down to an oodely-doodely, mindless, uncritical, happy-go-lucky stereotype?
What are your thoughts?
In preparing this research, it would be helpful to have some qualitative research. While blogging would not necessarily qualify as 'qualitative research', I would love to hear any of your stories. You can either publish these in the comments section of this blog, or you can e-mail me if you would prefer for this to be more confidential. You don't have to be a Christian or an evangelical to comment on this. In fact, it would be beneficial to hear from all sides of the discourse.
I'll continue this idea with further thoughts in days to come.
Steve
11 comments:
Hi-diddly-o Old Roomie!
Stumbled upon your site and thought I would drop in to say "HI". I hope things are going well for you, Sharon & kids. Drop me a line sometime... it would be great to hear from you!
Darrell (pastordar@sympatico.ca)
Darrell,
Howzit going??? I haven't heard from you in years.
[For everyone else who are trying to figure out who this is, this is my roommate from 14 years ago (!?!?) when I was doing my undergrad at Ontario (now Tyndale) Bible College.]
It's great to hear from you. I hope all is well. I'll send you an e-mail to catch up.
Steve
Is part of the stereotype embraced by us? As we transition from relying solely on "presentation of facts" to "seeing the gospel in us" as a more dominant form of sharing the gospel, I wonder if we haven't, or perhaps even shouldn't, embrace some of what is embodied in Ned Flanders or the "Saved!" movie represetations, etc... They help us to see how ridiculous we have looked at times to the culture we are trying to reach. They challenge us to move beyond the comfort of the past and "work out our salvation with fear and trembling".
We may not like what we see - even if they are funny - but sometimes it's good not to like what we see in ourselves, if there is some element of truth in it (if not in who we are, then in the world's perception of who we are).
Somehow our representation of the gospel as "facts" has resulted in culture's search stopping at looking at us - and we look ridiculous. If we challenge ourselves to embody the gospel and its truths, then hopefully the vision they see as they begin by looking to our lives, will relfect and point to Christ. These representations are a challenge to us to start rethinking how we are bringing Christ to the world.
Hey! I don't know you but I've heard quite a bit of buzz about your research project and I'm looknig forward to reading more about it.
You probably know this allready but there's a booke The Gospel According to the Simpsons by Mark I. Pinksy that may be of some interest to you. Pinksy mentions that The Simpsons is perhaps the most Christo-friendly sitcom on air. The chapter on Ned Flanders is entitled The Evangelical Next Door.
I'll be checking back!
Natalie
www.sallynat.blogspot.com
Hi Kelly,
Fantastic comments! You sound like a 117 graduate! ;)
I think this is exactly what needs to happen if things are going to change. It requires one step at a time.
I'll send you an official invite to my blog,
Steve
Kevin,
I think you are right. These media representations serve as a mirror to help us reflect on how we are being perceived.
The problem is that we automatically condemn these representations as being anti-Christian and therefore valueless and incapable of teaching us something about ourselves.
There are many a true word said in jest, and maybe these representations serve as a healthy REALITY check for all of us in the church?
Hi Natalie,
Welcome to my blog, and please know you are welcome to be an ongoing participant.
I am familiar with the book "The Gospel According to the Simpsons" and I'll probably pick this up and read through it as part of my research.
If anyone else has recommended books, please let me know - I'd love to hear.
Steve
I posted some things on my blog to get people thinking about your question and here is what they came up with:
http://www.lublink.ca/?p=108
Thanks for always making us think.
Peter www.lublink.ca
Ok Steve I have been lurking for a little while. But, you hit a nerve i can't leave this one alone.
Ned Flanders is a chacterization of the evangelical Christian that is portrayed in the media. This does not mean that he is representitive of all or even most evengelicals. But he is representitive of a certain type of evangelical.
Let's refer to them as Evangelical extremists for the sake of distinction. The Evangelextremists are modernday Pharises. They once held alot of power in community in government and so on.
However as the nation has developed and role of the church in the community has diimminished they have struggled to hang onto control.In order to convince the world that they are still a power house the rountinely speak on behalf of christians everywhere even when there views are extremely different from that of the average born again believer.
They rely on the large numbers of professing Christians that exist in america to present the appearance of unity on their political issues, thus creating a suedo reality or the illiusion of power in numbers.
Again many of the issues these evangelextremists champion are not consistant with the avarege bible beliving Christian either, Either by degree,(Both may agree that abortion is not God's plan but the extremist may take an approach that hurtful even borderline hateful) or the average christian may disagree with the extremist stance alltogether (for instance enviornmental or immigration issues)
The problem is we have a free market 'sales' driven media who is always looking for the best story.
Lets be honest a TV preacher with a large viewing audience attributing the 9/11 attacks to God's wrath agaist homosexuals is gonna sell newspapers.
but wait there's more. These exremeists are so protective of their 'political influence' that when a Bible believing Christian who disagrees with them politically comes to the fore these extremesits go to great lengths to marginalize them within the public christian community. Exemples are hard because these individuals often retreat to underground or grass roots movements but there are many examples: Stephen Baldwin, Jay Bakker, P.O.D, Donnald Miller, Anne Rice.
These people often face public scorn and personal attacks by other christian not because of the faith claims but because of their political views.
As a result many of those outspoken Christian have begun to dissasociate themselves from 'Evangelicism' or even 'Christianity' opting for new terms like 'Christian Spirituality' in hopes of shreading some of the bagagge that comes with the more traditionally used terms. But their faith claims are essentially the same.
Well steve I am no expert so it won't help your paper but that's what i think about that.
Hi Peter,
Thank you so much for posting a link to this subject on your blog. There were some very interesting comments that were made on it about this subject. Would you be OK if I used some of these comments for research?
Congratulations too on your acceptance to Belgium. I hope you guys have a fantastic time there. Europe is one of the most challenging mission fields - considering the post-Christian culture which exists there... however, this presents an awesome opportunity as many of the hurdles we face with the misinformation of who evangelicals really are are not as in-grained as they are in North America.
Keep us in the loop!
Steve
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for the posting, and please feel free to jump in at any point to add your two cents!
I think your right, there is a multiplicity of representations of evangelicals which could be drawn on in the media, but it seems that the most common representation is the extremist view.
If this mono-representational approach were to be taken with African-Americans, Muslims, women, or homosexuals, everyone would be having a fit and identifying such a representation as racist, prejudice, or discriminatory... but when it comes to evangelicals - it's OK... I don't get it!
This is why I want to write on this subject. I don't want to be apologetic for who I am, but in challenging this representation in academia I take the risk of being perceived of as the stereotypical bigot! It's a bit of a Catch-22, but I am hoping that this paper might at least make some people think about this much needed correction in the media.
Thanks for the heads up on Anne Rice - I think she'll make a good example of someone who doesn't fit in the box. If anyone has any additional suggestions, I'd be happy to hear these.
Steve
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