Religion vs. Television: Competitors in Cultural Context

(Hardback)

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The subject of competition between religion and television has, if only indirectly, received considerable attention, particularly from religionists disturbed by the threat posed by television programming to traditional religious beliefs, values, and attitudes. This detailed study considers the competing cultural forces of television and religion from a wider and more theoretical perspective. Newman examines the major forms of competition and the various motives and strategies of the people and groups involved. His philosophical approach allows us to see that the most important aspect of competition between television and religion is their rivalry as cultural forces. In this rivalry, religion continues to have a profound influence on the shaping of television, just as it has always had on all newly developing forms of culture.

Reviews

.,."[A]nyone interested in these two institutions can find value in his book. The competition is deeper than disputes between televangelists and mainline religionists and more than arguments that mass entertainment is eroding religious values, though Newman carefully analyzes those contentions. In his view, the competition is essentially cultural, although it is being played out with the socioeconomic rsources of power: money, politics, and publicity.... His analysis of televangelism and its critics bring fresh insights. He aptly summarizes--and rejects--arguments that television is supplanting social functions traditionally supplied by religions, whether by intent or by default due to secularization."-Choice
"This groundbreaking work initiates a major turn in contemporary thought....[N]ewman investigates, with finely sharpened philosophical tools, how religion and television are cultural competitors. The author is to be commended for effectively introducing these issues into philosophy and thus reinvigorating the discipline."-Studies in Religion: Sciences Religieuses
...[A]nyone interested in these two institutions can find value in his book. The competition is deeper than disputes between televangelists and mainline religionists and more than arguments that mass entertainment is eroding religious values, though Newman carefully analyzes those contentions. In his view, the competition is essentially cultural, although it is being played out with the socioeconomic rsources of power: money, politics, and publicity.... His analysis of televangelism and its critics bring fresh insights. He aptly summarizes--and rejects--arguments that television is supplanting social functions traditionally supplied by religions, whether by intent or by default due to secularization.-Choice
This groundbreaking work initiates a major turn in contemporary thought....[N]ewman investigates, with finely sharpened philosophical tools, how religion and television are cultural competitors. The author is to be commended for effectively introducing these issues into philosophy and thus reinvigorating the discipline.-Studies in Religion: Sciences Religieuses
..."Anyone interested in these two institutions can find value in his book. The competition is deeper than disputes between televangelists and mainline religionists and more than arguments that mass entertainment is eroding religious values, though Newman carefully analyzes those contentions. In his view, the competition is essentially cultural, although it is being played out with the socioeconomic rsources of power: money, politics, and publicity.... His analysis of televangelism and its critics bring fresh insights. He aptly summarizes--and rejects--arguments that television is supplanting social functions traditionally supplied by religions, whether by intent or by default due to secularization."-Choice
..."[A]nyone interested in these two institutions can find value in his book. The competition is deeper than disputes between televangelists and mainline religionists and more than arguments that mass entertainment is eroding religious values, though Newman carefully analyzes those contentions. In his view, the competition is essentially cultural, although it is being played out with the socioeconomic rsources of power: money, politics, and publicity.... His analysis of televangelism and its critics bring fresh insights. He aptly summarizes--and rejects--arguments that television is supplanting social functions traditionally supplied by religions, whether by intent or by default due to secularization."-Choice

Author Bio

JAY NEWMAN is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Guelph. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a past president of the Canadian Theological Society. He is the author of Foundations of Religious Tolerance (1982), Fanatics and Hypocrites (1986), Competition in Religious Life (1989), The Journalist in Plato's Cave ((1989), and On Religious Freedom (1991). His numerous articles have appeared in such journals as Philosophy, Ethics, and Religious Studies.