tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83304659275793313952024-01-03T18:06:13.228-08:00Leah Payne• Assistant Professor of Christian Studies • Religion & Pop Culture Aficionado • Coffee Lover • Sci-fi Fan •Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-74954594797922206052018-06-04T11:59:00.000-07:002018-06-04T11:59:22.875-07:00New Religion & Pop Culture Projects on the Horizon!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A5HdbJ8j615caY9gSLSAyv8HmU9tNObjlNQA_P-ja50GcN6s8PSV9Nv4WN_0dAYQ8AFUsY4EQVHDR0XaG1nSeFte88FK0S0DZWxLUyFtVNcrtuc0jDyhhv6bGa3LmkYwjcC4zxvL3Ck/s1600/IMG_2480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A5HdbJ8j615caY9gSLSAyv8HmU9tNObjlNQA_P-ja50GcN6s8PSV9Nv4WN_0dAYQ8AFUsY4EQVHDR0XaG1nSeFte88FK0S0DZWxLUyFtVNcrtuc0jDyhhv6bGa3LmkYwjcC4zxvL3Ck/s320/IMG_2480.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Summer is a great time for new projects! Working on a couple of fun ones... stay tuned for more!</div>
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#weirdreligion</div>
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#keepreligionweird</div>
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#makereligionweirdagain</div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-27078104580170681762018-05-01T06:30:00.000-07:002018-05-22T22:44:32.740-07:00Wild Wild Country Revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hBLS_OM6Puk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hBLS_OM6Puk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> recently wrote <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2018/may/wild-wild-country-hits-close-to-home-netflix.html?share">short reflection</a> on <i>Wild Wild Country </i>for <i>Christianity Today. </i>There's only so much you can cover in a magazine article... I still have so many questions after watching this fascinating depiction of the events in my home state of Oregon!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">***Fair warning: these are pretty nerdy. Definitely the kind that keep religion scholars up at night.***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What counts as "authentic" religion? Religion scholars problematize this term, but the town of Antelope, the State of Oregon, the federal government, and the followers of Bhagwan were very invested in whether or not Osho and his followers were participating in a really real religion.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What constitutes appropriation? Westerners have long been accused of appropriating practices, philosophical ideas, etc. from the "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Orientalism-Religion-Post-Colonial-Theory-Mystic/dp/0415202582">mystic East</a>." Are the large groups of white Americans and Europeans attracted to Rajneeshpuram part of the <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=0MvGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA189&dq=rajneesh+appropriation&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirh9yf3-PaAhUH6IMKHS25CVgQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=rajneesh%20appropriation&f=false">New Age appropriation </a>of India</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n practices? If not, how would we categorize Bhagwan's efforts to create a </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mash-up of asceticism
and materialism; “East” (defined in a number of ways in the film) meets “West”
(a term with many meanings and uses in the film); spiritual and carnal?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What makes American religion, <i>American</i>? Entrepreneurialism? Capitalism? Celebrity? Religion scholars often note that Americans are very enthusiastic religious innovators. Does <i>Wild Wild Country </i>show us anything about what makes for a successful or unsuccessful religious innovation? Does it show us anything about why Americans seem so attracted to new religious movements?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
What are the limits of charismatic authority? Whether you consider the real charismatic leader to be Bhagwan or Sheela, there's no doubt that the two are using charisma as a source of authority... but what are the limits of that power? Sheela and Bhagwan both test the limits in their own ways until they eventually break.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
How does space shape religion in the USA? The rugged landscape, culture, and politics of Central Oregon surely played a role in shaping the practices of the Rajneeshees. How does space continue to shape other groups, whether it be rural or urban, contemporary or colonial, large or small?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is just a start! The fun of watching <i>Wild Wild Country</i> is that it invites so many layers of questions upon questions.</span><br />
<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-48894882591979072082017-12-30T15:05:00.000-08:002020-01-12T07:58:02.551-08:00How to Read Academic Texts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Academic reading is a specific skill. It's a lot different than savoring your favorite novel or poem. It requires speed, precision, and critical thinking. But, once you acquire this skill, you'll be well-equipped for life as a student. Need help learning how to read academically? My mentor <a href="http://religiousstudies.as.virginia.edu/faculty/profile/kf7dy">Kathleen Flake</a> has just the tips for you!</i><br />
<br />
(printed with permission from Kathleen Flake)<br />
<br />
Academic material is not meant to be read. It is meant to be
ransacked and pillaged for essential content. This means that you
should never just sit down to read academic works as if they were
novels or magazine articles. Academic study is not suited to such
an approach, and the chances are you could spend hours reading
and then not have a clue what you have been reading about
(does that sound familiar?).<br />
<br />
Rule #1
Never read without specific questions you want the text to
answer. If you want your reading to stay in your memory, you
must approach your text with a list of questions about the
particular information you are after, and search the text for the
answers to those questions. Don't just read with the hope that an
answer will appear.<br />
<br />
Rule #2
Never start reading at page 1 of the text. If there is a summary, a
conclusion, a set of sub-headings, or an abstract, read that first,
because it will give you a map of what the text contains. You can
then deal with the text structurally, looking for particular points,
not just reading ‘‘blind'' and so easily getting lost. Always keep in
mind what you need, what is relevant to the question you are
asking the text.<br />
<br />
Rule #3
Think critically as you read. In reading academic texts you need to develop a personal (but nevertheless academic and rational)
response to the article/ theory/ chapter through<br />
(1) developing an
understanding of the content and<br />
(2) evaluating and critiquing the
article. Therefore, before reading a text closely, read the
introduction or abstract and skim read the text to give you a
preliminary idea of what it is about. Then read it closely and
critically. Some questions to help you read critically are:<br />
a. What are the main points of this text?<br />
b. Can you put them in your own words?<br />
c. What sorts of examples are used? Are they useful?
Can you think of others?<br />
d. What factors (ideas, people, things) have been
included? Can you think of anything that has been
missed out?<br />
e. Is a particular bias or framework apparent? Can you
tell what 'school of thought' the author belongs to?<br />
f. Can you work out the steps of the argument being
presented? Do all the steps follow logically?<br />
g. Could a different conclusion be drawn from the
argument being presented?<br />
h. Are the main ideas in the text supported by reliable
evidence (well researched, non-emotive, logical)?<br />
i. Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why?<br />
j. What connections do you see between this and
other texts?<br />
k. Where does it differ from other texts on the same
subject?<br />
l. What are the wider implications——for you, for the
discipline?<br />
<br />
Rule #4
Treat critical reading as a skill which can be developed through
practices, such as:<br />
a. Taking notes of the text's main ideas and adding
your own responsive comments.<br />
b. Talking to others about what you have read.<br />
c. Relating a given text to others in the syllabus by
identifying similar or contrasting themes.<br />
d. Explaining what the text means to a non-specialist
and noting what you would have to add to make it
intelligible? (This will help you to see the underlying,
unstated assumptions.)<br />
e. Asking yourself: "Is it possible to disagree with any
of this?"<br />
f. Asking yourself: 'How can I convince my
peers/teachers that I understand what this is about?'Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-28756821851679192342017-08-31T12:59:00.001-07:002017-10-17T03:56:32.521-07:00Bingeworthy: The Americans <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">"Only duty and honor are real, Mischa. Isn't that what we were told?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Irina in <i>The Americans</i></span></div>
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Happy Fall Semester, Friends!<br />
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This summer has been a whirlwind. I spent a week <a href="http://www.georgefox.edu/theologia/people.html">studying theology </a>with a bunch of high school students, enjoyed a weekend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/pdxseminary/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156267573605760">thinking about the American church & public life</a> with a bunch of pastors, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BWngDMGlCyo/?taken-by=profleahpayne">visited my alma mater</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVQsgo_lhk8/?taken-by=profleahpayne">remodeled a 1950s bungalow</a>. AND of course I watched <i>Wonder Woman. </i>Amidst the chaos, I managed to write a bit and get some research done. But I am way, <i>way </i>behind on t.v. watching and recommending! Mea culpa.<br />
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This spring I'll be teaching American Church history, and to prepare for it, today's post is about one of my recent favorites: <i>The Americans</i>.<br />
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At first glance, <i>The Americans - </i>a show about deep-cover Soviet spies in the 1980s who try to undermine the U.S. government while living under cover as a "normal" American nuclear family in Washington, DC - might seem like a strange choice for class about Christianity in America. But <i>The Americans </i>offers watchers an opportunity to think about Civil Religion, a key concept in American religious studies, from a distinct point of view.<br />
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The term American <a href="http://www.robertbellah.com/articles_5.htm">civil religion</a> describe the rituals, holidays, cultural events/places/spaces drawn from our national history that create a religion of America. This religion has key beliefs ("all men are created equal," citizens are guaranteed "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) that amount to a kind of orthodoxy, and key practices (saluting the flag, standing for the national anthem, observing Independence Day, etc.) that are a kind of orthopraxy. The idea is that to be American, one must participate in the beliefs and practices of American civil religion.<br />
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<i>The Americans</i> offers us a chance to observe American civil religion from the perspective of those who believe that this religion is unorthodox and in fact a great evil that must be fought at any cost.... or is it? Through the eyes of "Elizabeth" (aka<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Nadezhda, played by </span></span>Keri Russell), we see someone who works to maintain a purist vision of the Communist Party, and who is and disgusted by the materialism, comfort, and social injustice that surrounds her. Her partner/husband "Phillip" (aka Mischa/Mikhail, played by Matthew Rhys), on the other hand is not so sure. He finds that he actually enjoys American culture and he is reluctant to leave the life he has built there. After all, what's so bad about Coca Cola & McDonald's (this is the 80s - people don't hate these institutions yet)?<br />
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<i>The Americans </i>is about intrigue and global political strife, and it stands up very well as a political thriller. But it is most interesting when it parses out the tensions between Elizabeth and Phillip as they wrestle with whether or not they have been fully baptized into American civil religion. Elizabeth believes that her convictions (coupled with her brutal ability to extinguish human life on behalf of the Soviet Union) are enough to create a distinction between herself, her children, and American civil religion. The equally ruthless Philip wonders if the practice of being American has made him, and indeed their entire family, true believers.<br />
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What does it mean to be religious? Is religion about beliefs? Or practices? And what does it mean to be American? Is it enough to have citizenship, or must one convert? These questions and more are at the heart of one of my favorite summer binges.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-65174422054272419242017-06-15T19:25:00.002-07:002017-10-17T03:56:32.564-07:00Theology of Wonder Woman: watch Diana Prince and talk theology with Portland Foursquare Church!<div style="text-align: center;">
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-8106589549374432202017-01-26T22:23:00.000-08:002017-10-17T03:56:32.574-07:00Weekend Watching: Gaslight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"You're slowly and systematically being driven out of your mind."</div>
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Joseph Cotton as Brian Cameron in <i>Gaslight</i></div>
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The term "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/01/23/white-house-press-secretary-sean-spicer-defines-gaslighting/?utm_term=.9728ec4c9131">gaslighting</a>" has been making the rounds in American political discourse. My advice? See this classic film. </div>
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Gaslighting, which is synonymous with manipulating a person or group into thinking that they are going out of their minds, comes from a classic play <i>Gas Light</i> that has been adapted to film twice. The 1944 version of <i>Gaslight</i>, staring the incandescent Ingrid Bergman, is my favorite. </div>
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Bergman stars as Paula, a troubled young woman who witnessed her aunt being murdered as a child. As an adult, Paula is caught up in a whirlwind romance, gets married, and is now living with her new husband in relative isolation. Unfortunately for Paula, her happiness in love is short-lived. Soon, she begins seeing and hearing things... a creaky floor, a flickering gaslight. Her husband assures her that she's mistaken. Eventually Paula begins to think that she is going mad. But is she? </div>
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<i>Gaslight </i>explores psychological abuse in a creepy, personal way. Watch it and you can decide for yourself whether or not it is a good metaphor for the state of our body politic.</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-82424915852187758802017-01-20T15:04:00.001-08:002017-10-17T03:56:32.580-07:00Bingeworthy: Rectify<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> "<i>At the least I feel that those specific coping skills were best suited to the life there, behind me. I doubt there will serve me so well for the life in front of me, so I will seriously need to reconsider my world view." </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Daniel Holden in<i> Rectify</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">Last week, I mentioned the glacial pace of one of my favorite shows, <i>Rectify</i>. <i>Rectify</i>, a moody, dreamy Southern Gothic drama about a man who is released from prison after serving 19 years for a rape and murder he may or may not have committed, moves at the pace of a humid Southern town in August. There is plenty of time to watch Daniel Holden struggle with life outside his cell walls and to watch his family struggle to reintegrate him into their web of relationships. And, there's ample space to enjoy sunset and fireflies and classic drawls (Clayne Crawford's Alabama roots shine in his spot-on performance as a Southern frat-guy character Ted Talbot Jr.). </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />There are also many opportunities to consider the nature of justice, redemption, conversion, and repentance. How does a man who will always be connected to a terrible crime find forgiveness or freedom? Daniel struggles to attain both. How does 'hope deferred' change a person? Daniel's fiercely loyal sister Amantha, who worked for her entire adult life to secure his release, struggles to find meaning in her life. For those interested in conversations about whether or not the criminal justice system should be retributive or restorative, <i>Rectify</i> gives viewers a meditation on what imprisonment does to a human soul. And, there is one scene - a classic tent meeting complete with gospel choir and baptisms - that captures the enthusiasm and earthiness of revivalism in the American South. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you want a visual treat, a thoughtful discussion of justice and love, and an immersion into Southern religion, try <i>Rectify.</i></span></span></div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-82853232876518019992017-01-13T13:41:00.004-08:002017-10-17T03:56:32.585-07:00Weekend Watching: The OA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are certain things that I <i>know</i> I should like, but I just can't. Like sushi (not cosmopolitan enough). Or hiking (not outdoorsy enough). Or craft beer (not hipster enough). <i>The OA</i> falls under that category. The premise is this: a young woman, Prairie Johnson, makes a dramatic reappearance in middle America after disappearing for seven years. Her parents are anxious to welcome her back to her old life, but there's something very different about her this time around. For one thing, she used to be blind but now can see. For another, Prairie insists that she be called The OA. Mystery surrounds this woman and soon she attracts a ragtag group of followers who are fascinated by her storytelling abilities.<br />
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I could go on, but I'll just stop there. You know, dear readers, that I am a fan of this genre. But in order for a high concept show like this one to work, a viewer needs to be able to buy into that concept (or even just understand what it is) by the time the first episode concludes. <i>The OA </i>doesn't provide any such narrative structure. Without a story core to hold it together, we at least need some snappy dialogue or chemistry between characters to stay with it. But, the pacing of <i>The OA</i> is slow. Glacial. And, I can handle slowly paced television (<i>Rectify</i> is one of my favorites!).<br />
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It's really a shame because <i>The OA </i>plays with a lot of themes that historians of religion appreciate. The idea that a story can change the world, change history, and change the hearer in a fundamental way has rich potential. And, The OA herself - a fragile woman with mystical powers and reluctant but mesmerized followers - almost makes me want to watch a season 2. Am I missing some way to frame <i>The OA</i> that will help me recognize its greatness? You tell me.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-28718834883995155102017-01-06T07:07:00.000-08:002017-10-17T03:56:32.516-07:00Weekend Watching: Travelers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"We, the last and broken remnants, vow to undo the errors of our ascendants, to make the earth whole, the lost - unlost, at peril of our own birth"</div>
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Time Traveler's version of a Hippocratic Oath in <i>Travelers</i></div>
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It's a classic dystopian sci-fi premise: humans in the future ruined the earth and it's up to an intrepid time traveler(s) to set the world right years before it goes wrong. In <i>Travelers</i>, they do it by using tech from the future to digitally override the brains of people in the 21st century who are about to die. But is it moral to override someone who is about to die, but is not quite dead yet? And when do you <i>know</i> that you've saved the world? What if saving the world means losing your very existence? The characters in <i>Travelers</i> wrestle with these questions as they work to redeem the world, one mission from the future at a time.<br />
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<i>Travelers</i> is theoretically right up my alley, but I'll admit that I was slow to appreciate the show's charms. Its stars are a bit too inexplicably attractive (which for some reason works for me on CW shows but doesn't work elsewhere); it stars Eric McCormack, who is a good actor, but I will always see him as Will from <i>Will and Grace</i>; it's also pretty humorless... I can handle bleak (in fact, some of my favorite shows are uber-depressing... ahem, <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>), but bleak is only bearable with a few laughs every now and then.<br />
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The final episodes pick up the pace, however, and they start asking some better-than-run-of-the-mill sci-fi questions. Such as, where and what is God in this future world? Does fixing the future eliminate free will? How do we know we can trust the powers that be in the future? And what would it take for the future people to become so attached to the present that they forget their vow to undo the errors of their ascendants? In the end, I found that the quality of <i>Travelers</i> increased along the way. And the questions they asked made the binge-investment worthwhile.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-56560703342145964092016-12-29T19:31:00.003-08:002017-10-17T03:56:32.554-07:00See You in the New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Friends, if you follow me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/profleahpayne/">Instagram</a>, you know that I've had a family emergency that has taken me offline for the past couple of weeks. I'm going to be spending the rest of 2016 with the ones I love the most, but you can expect to see me back in action with more commentary and reviews on bingeworthy classics and new winter shows in the New Year!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-28573573307625225732016-12-16T06:45:00.002-08:002017-10-17T03:56:32.511-07:00Finals Week: Grading Music!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finals week: the time of year when I wear headphones and spend a LOT of time in front of a laptop. From the moment I saw Lin-Manuel Miranda's performance of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8_ARd4oKiI">Alexander Hamilton</a> at the White House in 2009, I knew <i>Hamilton: an American Musical </i>would be one of my favorite finals week obsessions. There are a thousand reasons why <i>Hamilton</i> is a joy for fans of history, musical theater and hip-hop (and for anyone with ears), but there is a lot for students of religion too.<br />
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For one thing, <i>Hamilton</i> is a mediation on Providence. In the opening number, we meet Alexander Hamilton - a brilliant but penniless orphan who immigrates to what would become (due in part to Hamilton's powerful writings and political maneuverings) the United States. Why was he born with so few resources and did his tragic, destitute beginnings make him into the tenacious, creative force of nature whose ideas helped create the world as we know it? Was it divine intervention or chance?<br />
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Later in life, Hamilton meets his nemesis (and [spoiler alert!] his killer), a privileged, wealthy young Aaron Burr. The two have a Mozart-Salieri type of relationship: Burr cannot understand what makes a man like Hamilton tick. And (in one of the most tightly-written songs you will ever hear), he questions his own more hesitant nature, his place in the grand scheme of life, and what questions Christianity can and can't answer in <i>Wait for It. </i><br />
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In <i>Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story, </i>we get a poignant, understated musical finale that self-consciously critiques how we tell the story of our Founding Fathers (e.g. <i>where</i> are the Mothers?) and invites us to think about the afterlife in terms of legacy. Who makes sure that Hamilton lives on? Who gets to tell our stories? Do we live forever if they are told well?<br />
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<i>SO</i> while I'm finishing out the semester, chances are, I'll be listening to <i>Hamilton... </i>are you obsessed with <i>Hamilton </i>or some other record? Write me and let me know what I should be putting on my end-of-the-term playlist!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-72854705089033041442016-12-09T07:57:00.000-08:002017-12-19T14:42:54.775-08:00Bingeworthy: 7 Reasons Why We Need Another Buffy the Vampire Slayer (religion scholar listicle!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are certain shows that you just have to watch more than once (more than ten times?). The more nuanced the show, the more you need to watch it. <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> is at the top of most religion scholars' lists. Here's why we (the entire religious studies guild... I speak for all of us) need another <i>Buffy</i>!!!<br />
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1. Elegant storytelling: There are tons of great shows that draw theologians' attention (<i>The Walking Dead</i>, <i>Breaking Bad</i>, & <i>Mad Men</i> to name a few), but none of them beat <i>Buffy</i> for its simple premise and quality execution. A Big Bad wants to destroy the world. Only Buffy can save it. A simple story allows for a lot of nuance and creativity along the way (musical episode, anyone?).<br />
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2. Campy villains: We loved to hate the Big Bads, didn't we? They were always <i>bad</i> but still funny and they hammed up every scene. Villains today (even on shows I enjoy like <i>Jessica Jones </i>or <i>Daredevil</i>) can be scaaaaaary but they tend to be (mostly) humorless. We need another Caleb, the cheerful, creepy, misogynist, axe murdering priest (also: Nathan Fillion)!<br />
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3. Gender scholars need a muse: Feminists loved (LOVED) <i>Buffy</i>. She's strong! She's a woman! Bella Swan from <i>Twilight</i> and the (slightly less frustrating) Elena Gilbert from <i>The Vampire Diaries </i>are tired throw-backs to the damsel in distress. We can't leave all of the supernatural heroics to Sam and Dean Winchester!<br />
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4. It's time to revive some 90s fashion trends: Chokers are totally on point. As are overalls on grown women. And scrunchies! Let's bring those back. I think I've still got my awesome homemade scrunchy collection at my parents' house.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Yours Truly circa 1993 wearing ALL the 1990s trends you can fit on a 16 year old girl </span></i></div>
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5. And slang too: What's your damage? Don't go all Dawson's Creek on me. I can't even deal with Destructo Girl. (that was just a fraction of the awesome slang from the "<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=3uIJCAAAQBAJ&pg=PP195&lpg=PP195&dq=what%27s+your+damage+buffy&source=bl&ots=yrJqmxmyII&sig=eKVqv7H1fzkucjCuTT0PRonoyZA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_1b2LiuXQAhVR7WMKHWrkBnYQ6AEIIDAB#v=onepage&q=what's%20your%20damage%20buffy&f=false">D" entry </a>in <i>Slayer Slang: a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon</i>).<br />
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4. Academics need to justify their t.v. watching: There are philosophical, theological, linguistic, etc. treatments of <i>Buffy. </i>Just do a Google Scholar search and you'll see that the academic takes on the show are endless (as are the scholarly puns... we really need to put a stake in those, guys. Seriously).<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Screenshots of just two of the many, many, many Buffy articles on Google Scholar</span></i></div>
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5. We need more accessible discussions of BIG ideas: Want to talk about the nature of good & evil? Of life? Of death? Of destiny? Stick with <i>Buffy</i>. You'll end up thinking about fate a lot, developing mixed feelings for Spike, and you'll tear up (if not all-out messy cry) when one sympathetic character dies in "The Body" (season 5, ep 16).<br />
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6. David Boreanaz: (What? Like you weren't thinking it?)<br />
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7. Cool librarians!!! Most of the nerds on t.v. these days are science-y. They are usually computer experts or crime scene investigators. Their main function is to provide blood spatter analysis or hacking. Giles the Watcher/Sunnydale librarian rescued the world with his knowledge of ancient pagan myths, and art, and literary themes; in other words <i>the humanities</i>. We need a show with a lead who saves us with Socrates!<br />
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-432935259969090512016-12-02T06:36:00.003-08:002017-10-17T03:56:32.538-07:00Weekend Watching: The Invitation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Each and every one of us is on a journey. And we feel that it's important to be on that journey with the people you love."</div>
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David in <i>The Invitation</i></div>
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A few years ago I watched the haunting PBS documentary <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/jonestown/">Jonestown: the Life and Death of Peoples Temple</a>. Told with interviews, film, and audio records, viewers experience a beautiful utopian dream slowly twisting and turning into a (now infamous) death cult. What must it have been like to witness the descent of the Peoples Temple? What must have been like to be a member? Would you know that you were being groomed for death? Would you feel the dread immediately or would it slowly, subtly build in your subconscious? </div>
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In <i>The Invitation, </i>an eerie, suffocating thriller-horror film, the lead character Will (Logan Marshall Green) may or may not be about to find out. Will and his new girlfriend Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) have been invited to a dinner party with old friends in a ritzy Hollywood home. Kira is eager to enjoy the evening, but Will is on edge. He's leery of the new peace that his fragile host (and ex-wife) Eden seems to have found with a group of devotees to spiritual guru "Dr. Joseph," (including the mesmerizing, menacing David (Michiel Huisman)). As the dinner progresses, Will's anxiety and paranoia increase. Is Will right to be this suspicious? The more we learn about the tragic history of this group of friends, the more we wonder whether or not Will's perspective can be trusted. And yet, something seems off about the house, its inhabitants, and the tranquility they seem to have found with Dr. Joseph....</div>
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<i>The Invitation </i>is a frightening psychological thriller. And its setting in Hollywood invites us to ask all sorts of good questions about new religious movements and class. Why is it that privileged folks in the American West, like those in this film, are drawn to religious innovations? <i>The Invitation </i>is fictional but there are many, many real-life examples of wealthy folks who join religious organizations like Scientology or Heaven's Gate. Why is it that having it all in California leaves people so soul-empty? Why doesn't 'old time religion' fill the void? And what is it about the region that allows for so much spiritual creativity? </div>
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In addition to academic questions about religious movements, the emotional and theological questions raised by <i>The Invitation </i>about the relationship between religion and tragedy are worth asking. Should religion always relieve grief? Should it explain sorrow away? Should religion reframe suffering in light of new spiritual understanding? Humans seem more open to spiritual answers during seasons of grief. What if those spiritual answers are dangerous? Like Will, you may find more questions than answers in <i>The Invitation</i>.</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-64085938905049729182016-11-25T09:15:00.000-08:002017-10-17T03:56:32.558-07:00Religion & Pop Culture Holidaze Edition<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=holidaze&defid=1531830">Holidaze</a>: term that defines the feelings of confusion and excitement people have between Thanksgiving and Christmas; the blur one feels after/during shopping for gifts in crowded retail stores with heavy holiday traffic</i><br />
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- Urban Dictionary</div>
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Friends, this is the time of year when it's socially acceptable to listen to holiday music (I like it year-round but SOMEONE in my household makes me wait until after Thanksgiving). It's also the time when you might be looking for a little escape from the family - especially during this post-election insanity! I won't lie; I like a good, sappy Christmas movie as much as the next person. But what I <i>love </i>is a little bit of bite to my holiday watching. So, while you enjoy your leftovers, sneak away from the in-laws and try three of my favorite holiday-themed television episodes.<br />
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"A Very Supernatural Christmas"</div>
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<i>Supernatural</i> Season 3, ep 8</div>
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This Christmas treat is <i>Supernatural </i>at its monster-of-the-week best. Brothers Sam and Dean Winchester hunt the things that go "bump" in the night and protect the world from supernatural threats large and small (all while eating tons of pie and being exceedingly handsome). In this episode they are after a creature that appears to be devouring people who are decorating their homes with yuletide cheer. The brothers investigate undercover (per usual: as FBI agents with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_5aY4ZP2PI">rock aliases</a>) and they discover a truly depressing bad Santa, the legend of Krampus, and pagan threats much older than the first Noel. This episode is creepy, funny, and full of references to ancient pagan lore and its current Christianized forms. And, for <i>Supernatural</i> superfans, this show also includes some poignant flashbacks wherein we see what it was like for two motherless boys to be raised as hunters. </div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">"Regional Holiday Music"</span></div>
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<i>Community </i>Season 3, ep 10</div>
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For those of you who are not <i>Community </i>watchers, this is a weird, inventive show. It's also very snarky and "Regional Holiday Music," is a tour-de-force in holiday cynicism. The study group of lovable losers<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alison_Brie" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-decoration: none;" title="Alison Brie">Alison Brie</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Glover" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; text-decoration: none;" title="Donald Glover">Donald Glover</a>, <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_McHale" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Joel McHale">Joel McHale</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillian_Jacobs" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Gillian Jacobs">Gillian Jacobs</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Pudi" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Danny Pudi">Danny Pudi</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvette_Nicole_Brown" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Yvette Nicole Brown">Yvette Nicole Brown</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">, &</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevy_Chase" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Chevy Chase">Chevy Chase</a><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;">)</span></span> </span>at Greendale Community College is thinking about their Christmas plans when they are interrupted by Mr. Rad (played in over-the-top glory by SNL's Taran Killam), the Greendale glee club instructor who is recruiting students to participate in his annual Christmas pageant. The study group rejects him initially, but through a series of holiday-themed songs that target each member in nefarious ways, the group is lured into holiday joy. Chevy Chase's character Pierce cannot resist "<a href="https://vimeo.com/55700843">Baby Boomer Santa</a>," who seems to know just what to say to scratch his narcissistic, consumer-oriented, generational itch ("Pierce! They're just trying to pander to your demographic's well-documented historical vanity. Resist!"). Alison Brie's Annie tempts Joel McHale's Jeff with "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksm1RX5tmIE">Teach Me How to Understand Christmas</a>." Annie's song begins as a send-up to "Santa Baby" and quickly devolves into gibberish ("Boopy Doopy Doo Boop Sex!!!"); it's one of the canniest deconstructions of sexy-baby-voice femininity you'll see. Add to that a nod to Jehovah's Witnesses who struggle through the holidays and a Fundie's discomfort with anything other than wishing someone a Happy Jesus' B-day, and you have a holiday treat!</div>
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"How the Ghosts Stole Christmas"</div>
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<i>The X-Files</i>, Season 6, ep 6</div>
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The slow burn chemistry that <i>X-Files </i>fans adore between the true believer Fox Mulder and skeptic Dana Scully is on display in this classic episode. It's Christmas Eve and FBI agent Mulder inadvertently drags his partner Scully to a haunted house in Maryland. Supposedly two lovers participated in a suicide pact there in 1917 and have been haunting the premises ever since. Trapped in a nightmarish bleak house, the two encounter some pretty scary early twentieth-century ghosts as well as a few phantasms haunting their working relationship. And, they do it with plenty of holiday cheer. No show blends humor and horror quite like <i>The X-Files</i> - especially the early episodes like this one.<br />
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P. S. If you find yourself <i>still</i> stressed after these eps, I recommend the Target parking lot. That's where I'll be.<br />
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-38098769569039164602016-11-11T22:39:00.000-08:002017-10-17T03:56:32.532-07:00Conferencing Dos and Don'ts <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i style="text-align: right;">You never know who you will meet at AAR/SBL! </i><i>My friend <a href="http://www.valpo.edu/valpocore/faculty/melanie-trexler/">Melanie Trexler</a> and I met the one and only (very gracious!) <a href="http://www.cornelwest.com/">Cornel West</a> in 2009.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then William Young, author of <i>The Shack </i>attended one of my sessions.</td></tr>
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It's that time of year again - time to fly across the country and join your fellow nerds at your guild's annual conference. For me and my kind, the Big One is the American Academy of Religion and Society for Biblical Literature's annual meeting (aka AAR/SBL). Once a year, thousands of religion scholars descend on an unsuspecting city and bring corduroy jackets (with elbow patches!), old-timey pipes, and all-around questionable fashion sense to discuss the latest trends in religious studies research. For first-timers, it's overwhelming!</div>
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For your first-timers (and long timers), I offer a few modest suggestions on how to make the most out of your academic conferencing experience.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Leah's Lucky 13 Conferencing Dos and Don'ts</span></div>
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1. Don't be fooled - the conference begins on the plane. You never know who will sit next to you on your flight. I recommend dressing in conference attire and having a stack of business cards with you at the airport.<br />
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2. Do bring comfortable shoes. I know, I know. I sound like your mother. But one year of walking around with blisters and a forced smile during your third late-night reception will cure you of your vanity.<br />
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3. Don't build your schedule entirely around paper presentations. There are a plethora of panels at large conferences and it can be tempting to spend your time jogging from one session to the next. But, a few years in and you'll find out that - with a few notable exceptions - most AAR-SBL panels are... boring. Painfully boring. And also pompous. Exceedingly pompous. Unless you are going to see a celebrity scholar or you are working on exactly the same thing as the panel you'd like to see, don't spend all of your time running after research papers.<br />
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4. Do be strategic when it comes to food and beverages. The line for Starbucks will be LONG. Happy hours in a 2 mile radius from the conference will be crowded. Plan accordingly.<br />
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5. Don't forget that much of the real business of conferencing gets done informally. So make sure you are prepared to stay out a bit and recruit some outgoing friends to go reception-hopping with you. Network!<br />
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6. Do give yourself permission to sleep in the day after a night of receptioning (this is a verb at AAR/SBL - I can assure you of this).<br />
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7. Don't take up too much of your scholarly crush's time at their university's reception. I learned this from a mentor of mine who will remain nameless. As gracious as many of them are, star scholars are usually at receptions to catch up with old friends, not to hear you talk for 25 min. about religion and 12th century Romanian folk art. So (unless told otherwise) introduce yourself, make an impression, and exit in less than 5 min.<br />
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8. Do remember that the religion scholar world is small... if you are gossiping at a hotel bar, you never know who is listening. You've been warned!<br />
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9. Don't get so nervous that you ignore normal social cues. Smile at people. Shake their hands. Laugh at their bad jokes. You get the idea.<br />
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10. Do take time to enjoy some local foods and take in some local sights. You never know who'll you will meet or when you'll be in that city again.<br />
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11. Don't forget to drink a lot of water. You'll thank me.<br />
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12. Do remind yourself that everyone feels insecure at these things. You aren't the only one; <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/?&fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/h0086006">impostor syndrome is real</a>. Take a deep breath and try to enjoy yourself.<br />
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13. Don't feel bad for playing hooky a bit with your friends. This time last year, while skipping out on a session, a casual conversation with <a href="https://brite.edu/staff/keri-day/">Dr. Keri Day</a> about a video of Paula White praying over Donald Trump led me toward my next research project (and predicted the bizarre political dystopia in which we now live). You never know what great ideas you'll get from talking to your brilliant friends!<br />
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-38224644887810515502016-10-28T12:16:00.003-07:002017-12-19T14:43:26.822-08:00Trick or Treating at Home? Housebound this All Hallows' Eve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Disclaimer: I thought about trying to make this post about religion & Halloween, but I gave up. Instead, I offer you a good horror story for your celebration of the Day of the Dead:<br />
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This year for Halloween I plan on dressing up and eating my weight in candy corn while I give sweets to my neighbor kids. If you, like me, enjoy creepy movies this time of year, add <i>Housebound - </i>a 2014 horror-thriller-slasher-comedy film from New Zealand - to your list.<br />
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The premise of <i>Housebound </i>is this: Kylie, a rebellious (and criminal) young woman has committed one too many robberies and she is sentenced to 8 months of dank and dusty house arrest with her mother Miriam and stepfather Graeme in the country. For a city girl with attitude problems, 8 short months with her doting mother and clueless stepdad feels like a boring eternity-worse-than-death.<br />
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Not to worry! Soon eerie things start happening in the house that pique Kylie's interest. She overhears Miriam calling in to a radio show to say that her house is haunted; creepy toys seem to follow her around the house on their own; a menacing next-door neighbor must be up to no good. Kylie enlists a the security contractor who oversees her ankle monitor to help her investigate. What follows are bloody, funny, and legitimately scary hijinks.<br />
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Like <i>Scream</i>,<i> </i><i>Housebound</i> has just the right amount of humor and thrills. Like <i>Cabin in the Woods</i>, it riffs on standard horror stories and includes surprising twists. And as the plot unfolds, <i>Housebound</i> stands on its own as a weirdly sweet family comedy.<br />
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For fun and fright this Halloween, you'll want to stay in and watch <i>Housebound</i>.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-16312676548854641062016-10-21T15:00:00.000-07:002017-10-17T03:56:32.506-07:00Teaching with TV: Religion & Public Life according to Battlestar Galactica <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What should a society do when faced with terror attacks? What should citizens do when the future of their government is uncertain? And what role should religion play in all of this?</div>
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These are tough and timely questions that should be asked and discussed in the classroom. Many educators are (understandably) nervous about facilitating theses kinds of discussions because any time an instructor takes on a controversial topic, s/he assumes a good deal of risk. Science fiction is a great vehicle for teaching controversial subjects like the role of religion in the body politic because it allows students to enter into a story and debate important issues in a non-threatening way; the society that they are discussing is far, far away from their own religious or political experiences. </div>
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If you want to generate some fantastic discussion about whether or not religious values do/can/should influence society from heads of state to the average person, I recommend <i>Battlestar Galactica </i>(2004)<i>.</i></div>
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The premise of <i>BSG </i>is this: sometime in the not-too-distant future, humans create robotic technology (cylons) that develop consciousness and rebel against their creators. For years, humans and cylons war and eventually come to a truce. <i>BSG</i> begins when cylons break their longstanding peace and destroy the many planets on which humans live (12 to be exact). The only humans who remain are a rag-tag group of space ships led by a rickety old relic from the past war, the Battlestar Galactica.<br />
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How will humanity survive? How will it thrive? And will religion play a part in humanity's salvation? These questions (and many more) are at the heart of the series. As the last remnant of humanity flees from their enemies and searches desperately for a new home, socio-political and religious divisions abound. Wealthy people from the planet Tauron clash with the impoverished, oppressed planet of Sagittaron. Humans from the planet Gemenon cling devoutly to their polytheistic scriptures and prophecies about the future of humanity; politicians from the capital planet of Caprica are not so sure that the gods have anything to do with humanity's destruction or its future. And of course all of the humans have to wrestle with what it means to have human rights (and how those ought to be protected) if there is little to nothing distinguishing cylons from their creators.<br />
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The more detailed conversations students have about the intricacies of this sci-fi world, the more real-world connections they are able to make in their own contexts. Plus, it's a ton of fun. I dare you not to root for Starbuck, Apollo, & Co. So say we all!</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-83069691336437145552016-10-14T16:05:00.000-07:002017-10-17T03:56:32.590-07:00Religion & Pop Culture Fall Season Review: Timeless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"For better or worse, and in this case worse, this is real history."<br />
Professor Lucy Preston to her history students (and to us the viewers?) in <i>Timeless</i></div>
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On paper, <i>Timeless</i> was made for me. It is about a tenure-track lady historian who discovers that she must save America (and maybe the world?!) from a time-traveling terrorist with her historian skills (and super cute colleagues). And, it was created by Eric Kripke, who created <i>Supernatural </i>(I love this show with a deep, abiding love). AND it stars Abigail Spencer from <i>Mad Men</i>, Paterson Joseph from the uneven, but overall-worth-thinking-about <i>The Leftovers</i>, Matt Frewer (Dr. Leekie!) from the truly wonderful <i>Orphan Black</i>, and Malcolm Barrett from the under-watched <i>Better Off Ted. AND</i> the pilot takes viewers to the WWII era.</div>
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Why, why, WHY don't I love this show? Here's the short list of reasons why not:</div>
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1. The dialogue is generic. "Your canceling my tenure meeting?" asks Professor Lucy. Of course if that was how tenure review worked, this would be the MOST TERRIFYING line in the entire pilot for us academics, but it is not. Here tenure is used in the most generic way give us exposition about Lucy's lack of job prospects. Okay, I realize only my academic friends will get this point, but there are several other examples in the pilot where generic plot twists are used where detailed world creation would be more compelling (see for example the haunting Southern Gothic <i>Rectify</i>, which also stars Abigail Spencer).</div>
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2. The plot is confusing. Eric Kripke is the king of creating a simple plot with complex emotional dynamics that has staying power (12 seasons of Supernatural!). This plot is actually fairly simple (take old, derelict time machine and save the world by chasing villain in fancy, new time machine!), but it's told in such a convoluted way that the viewer has to pay attention for all of the wrong reasons.</div>
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3. There's not enough attention to historical detail. Of course, as an academic, I am going to harp on this. But attention to detail is important if you are doing a show about time-traveling. Sadly, the pilot's inattention to detail ends up trivializing unfortunate historical realities like the danger of being African American in 1930s America. Or being a woman for that matter. </div>
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Will I try <i>Timeless</i> again? Yes. Because, Eric Kripke, Abigail Spencer, et. al. And, it <i>is</i> about a tenure-track lady historian who discovers that she must save America (and maybe the world?!) from a time-traveling terrorist with her historian skills and super cute colleagues. Would I recommend it? Sorry to say, no. But I'll keep you posted!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">NB: I think it's worth noting that I am a huge nerd and I didn't include ONE pun about time travel in this review. You're welcome, dear readers.</span></div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-24714797597341606692016-10-10T11:53:00.001-07:002017-12-19T14:43:49.498-08:00Interview with Pneuma Review: Gender & Pentecostal Revivalism <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a great time with the editors of <i>Pneuma Review </i>talking about my book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gender-Pentecostal-Revivalism-Christianity-Interdisciplinary/dp/1137494697/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474980272&sr=1-1&keywords=leah+payne,+Gender+and+Pentecostal+Revivalism&linkCode=sl1&tag=pneuma08-20&linkId=e9076d61335fee92ed1e35ed6923eb8e">Gender and Pentecostal Revivalism</a>. </i>Click <a href="http://pneumareview.com/pioneer-women-of-pentecostal-revivals/">here</a> for the full conversation!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-5618354625575971292016-10-07T16:05:00.003-07:002017-10-17T03:56:32.549-07:00Bingeworthy: Cleverman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"The Aboriginal people of Australia are the longest surviving culture on earth with over 60,000 years of stories known as The Dreaming. The Dreaming is the spiritual realm that binds the past, present and future together. It is inhabited by incredible creatures and spirits. At the head of this realm is the Cleverman, a powerful man who is the conduit between The Dreaming and the real world."</div>
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Opening credits of <i>Cleverman</i> on Sundance TV</div>
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In the world of <i>Cleverman</i>, a mysterious group of ancient creatures known as "Hairypeople" - who have lived peaceably and secretly alongside humans for millennia - have been discovered in contemporary Australia. As is often the case with new and different people, they are not warmly received by the general public or the Australian government. Hairies are deemed "subhuman," and are required to live in "The Zone," an undesirable part of the city. As Hairies are stronger, faster, and, well, hairier than humans, the powers that be are both interested in and fearful of their potential. Adding to the fear and distrust of Hairies - a series of gruesome murders are terrorizing the inhabitants of The Zone. </div>
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Who can bring peace to this world? Who will advocate for the Hairies and protect the people of The Zone? Of course it's the Cleverman of Aboriginal lore. He's old, though, and seems ready to pass the mantle on to one of his two nephews: Warru, a human/subhuman activist who has been groomed for the role his entire life, or his half-brother Koen (who is also half-Aboriginal) who makes a living exploiting terrified Hairypeople for his own gain. The choice seems obvious - or does it?</div>
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<i>Cleverman</i> has many layers. It explores timeless mythical themes such as strife between two brothers, reluctant heroes, developing virtue, supernatural anointing, and of course the ancient story of the Cleverman & the Dreaming (probably new to most non-Aussies - it was to me!). It also includes classic sci-fi tropes and ethical quandaries around issues of genetics, reproductive politics, the limits of science, etc. And, you don't have to dig very deep to find excellent conversation starters about immigration, racial and ethnic identity, class warfare and xenophobia. At its heart, however, <i>Cleverman</i> is a superhero origin story that I hope to follow for many seasons.</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-59301262238070952302016-09-30T06:30:00.000-07:002017-12-19T14:45:25.046-08:00Religion & Pop Culture Fall Season Review: The Exorcist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You're being manipulated, my friend, by forces you don't understand." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Father Marcus Keane to Father To</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">m<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">á</span>s </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ortega in </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Exorcist</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Confession: I have never seen the original <i>The Exorcist</i>. Should I? You tell me. But you'll have to make a good case. Even the trailer scares me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I do know the plot of the film, however, and I was curious: how would one of the scariest films of all time translate to the small screen? So, I decided to brave the pilot. Although this is <i>not</i> a remake, the basic bones of the original <i>The Exorcist </i>are present in the new FOX show. A young Roman Catholic priest is about to confront something unbelievable to many in the Western, industrialized world: demonic possession. An old, battle-weary priest - who has waged a (largely unsuccessful) war against the demonic for many years - will (probably) be providing much-needed reinforcements. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you know anything about the original film or novel, you'll be able to predict much of the pilot. There are a few interesting twists (including who is actually in need of an exorcism) and I thought the overall tone of the show was appropriately menacing. And the cast is solid. I always like seeing Geena Davis and Alfonso Herrera, who at first seemed WAY too handsome to portray the intrepid Fr. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: right;">To</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: right;">m<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">á</span>s</span>, is very good!. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course there is the Catholic-ish (heavy on the "ish") stuff. Clich</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">é</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s abound: a (possibly?) lovelorn priest? Check. An cartoonish oppressive Catholic hierarchy that stymies the work of a few moral actors? Check. Fancy old relics that go unexplained? Check. A television show like </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Exorcist </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">has potential to raise questions about the arrogance of the industrialized world when it comes to spirituality (have we modernized ourselves to a world without God or Satan? And who is Satan/the devil anyway? a personal being? a force of evil?), the limitations of medical science (must every malady be explained through a medical diagnosis?), the relationship between the physical world and the spiritual world (what are relics and what is their power)? Instead, the viewers have to settle for a relatively mundane (although I am sure very common) situation: a priest whose sense of calling is in doubt. Does one need demonic possession to ask that question? Hopefully the writers will dig a little deeper in future episodes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Horror enthusiasts will be disappointed to know that </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Exorcist </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">under-delivers when it comes to creepiness. On the one hand, we can blame this on network television; you can't get away with the vulgar, disturbing scenes from the film when kiddos could be watching. On the other hand, </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The X-Files</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Supernatural</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and other network shows demonstrate that it is possible to create genuinely scary moments that will make it past censors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Verdict? Not all that exciting. But, the very last minute of the show livened things up enough for me to give <i>The Exorcist</i> another try... until then, I remain a skeptic!</span></div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-75760197811028315042016-09-24T12:16:00.003-07:002017-10-17T03:56:32.569-07:00Teaching with TV: The Good Life according to The Good Place<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Somebody royally forked up."<br />
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- Eleanor Shellstrop in <i>The Good Place</i></div>
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At least that is the premise of <i>The Good Place </i>(NBC), a show that I cannot believe I almost missed. Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) has just died. Not to worry, though! She has landed in "The Good Place," which is neither heaven nor hell (turns out there is no heaven or hell - no religion got the afterlife right... just some stoner from Canada); it's where the <i>really</i> good people go. Someone (or several someones?) in the afterlife does a meticulous calculation of every deed done in a life and determines whether or not the dead get to go to The Good or Not-So-Good place. Those in The Good Place get a house made especially to their liking, <i>all the fro-yo</i>, <u>and</u> a soulmate!<br />
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But Eleanor has a problem: Someone "forked up" (turns out you can't swear in The Good Place) and she is in fact <i>not</i> the saintly type of person who would get rewarded in the afterlife. She is a deeply - and comically - flawed person and those flaws seem to be wreaking havoc on The Good Place. No one knows this more than The Good Place's well-meaning architect Michael (Ted Danson) and Eleanor's soulmate and recently deceased moral/ethical philosophy professor Chidi (William Jackson Harper).<br />
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Poor Chidi is now faced with a moral dilemma: should Eleanor be exposed so that the communal afterlife can be saved? Or, should Chidi protect Eleanor and teach her how to be good so that she can stay? And, what does it mean to be good? Does goodness depend upon intentions? Actions? Character? Destiny? Genetics? Also, how does one go about becoming good? By doing good works? By learning how to have empathy? Does it matter?<br />
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<i>The Good Place</i> tackles all of these questions and more. Kristen Bell (I will always love her for the superb <i>Veronica Mars</i>) is a lovable, terrible person. We want her to be better but we also love watching her be bad. And of course we'd all like to think that we'd belong in <i>The Good Place</i> with her. The trailer might lead you to think that this is a show that is about religion. But it's more about complex moral philosophies displayed with sarcasm & silliness. Perfect for any course on ethics, philosophy, and/or religion.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-81431915593814384682016-09-16T14:04:00.001-07:002017-12-19T14:44:12.707-08:00Weekend Watching: Holy Hell - the Rise and Fall of a Devotee <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I always wanted to know, 'Why am I here? What is the point? How do I live a meaningful life?'"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Will Allen in <i>Holy Hell</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">***Warning: this film includes explicit material that viewers may find disturbing***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How does religion shape a person or group's identity? What if a religious group is one of those outliers - popularly referred to as a cult - that molds a group to stand out in radical ways from the world around them? And what if that group is dangerous?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are perennial questions in religious studies and <i>Holy Hell </i>gives viewers an insider's perspective on how they play out in one such outlying group. <i>Holy Hell</i> was made by Will Allen, man who spent 22 years living and</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">filming life in Buddhafield, a nomadic spiritual group that Allen - then a recent film school graduate - and many others joined in 1980s West Hollywood. Through Allen's lens, we see a group of beautiful young people become enthralled with Michel Rostand (or is that is name?) a charismatic, speedo-loving spiritual leader and performance artist. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am fascinated by religious innovations (I grew up in one!), especially those from the 1970s and 80s. I knew from the trailer that I would be hooked; there's just something about the combination of New Age (ish) philosophy, spandex, and banana clips that is too good to miss! I expected to find a silly remnant of hippie aspirations and West Coast religious creativity. What I didn't anticipate was the sympathy I felt for former members and the suspense and dread that I felt as stories of control, abuse, and sexual assault began to surface.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">There are several revealing documentaries about Jonestown and Scientology, but <i>Holy Hell </i>gives the viewer something distinct: an artistic rendering of a charismatic leader and his group that changes as the filmmaker/adherent transforms from adoring devotee to heartbroken apostate. </span><i>Holy Hell</i> is a poignant (and sometimes terrifying) tale about American religious innovation, religion & mass media, religion in the American West, sexual abuse & religion, and more. Unlike many "cult" documentaries, this isn't a film about a corrupt leader (or leaders). What we see is the rise and fall of the devoted. It's about the joy of falling in love with Michel. It's about the euphoria of finding a place to belong and people who love you. It's about thriving together. And it's about the excruciating pain that an entire community feels when they realize that not everything in their ideal world is as it seems. It's about their loss.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You may come to this film for insight into religious innovations and discussions about power and sexual abuse, but you'll stay out of genuine care for the devoted.</span></span>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-51815846789556586802016-09-10T15:54:00.000-07:002017-10-17T03:56:32.543-07:00Binge-worthy: Roswell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"September 23rd. Journal Entry 1. I'm Liz Parker and five days ago, I died. After that, things got really weird."<br />
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So begins September's adorable binge-worthy choice. This summer I rewatched <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0201391/">Roswell</a>. </i>The show's premise is that aliens <i>did</i> land in Roswell in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roswell_UFO_incident">1947</a>, but their story really got started in 1999 when 3 alien teenagers reveal their secret to local high schoolers. Based on a popular young adult novel series, <i>Roswell</i> uses UFOs to explore themes of teen angst, family dynamics, and the fact that all of us feel a bit like aliens at one time or another. Decidedly more earnest than <i>Buffy</i> (which is a strength and a weakness), <i>Roswell </i>shines when it focuses on its kitschy setting (alien conventions! little green men costumes! <a href="https://twitter.com/jonathansfrakes">Jonathan Frakes</a> cameos!), Romeo & Juliet-esque leads Liz and Max, and the good chemistry of its talented young cast (you'll recognize more than <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/2158873/roswell-where-are-they-now/">a few famous faces</a>). This show is less good when awkwardly fusing Native American spirituality with the aliens' journey of self-discovery. And, like <i>The X-Files</i>, my favorite episodes focus on character development and humor; the conspiracy theories get a bit cumbersome. Overall, if you are looking for 3 seasons of extraterrestrial fun, a few "big questions" about identity & family & spirituality, all in a turn-of-the 21st century teen drama package, this is the show for you.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8330465927579331395.post-59473660346982876422015-05-28T12:33:00.001-07:002017-12-19T14:44:46.376-08:00Summer Series on Religion & Popular Culture Month 1: Jesus and the Biblical WorldEnough serious stuff! It's time for some summer reading & watching. Over the next few months, I'll be posting weird and wonderful television and film recommendations for those interested in religion & popular culture. This month's subject? Jesus and the Biblical World.<br />
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These days, it seems like everyone wants to make a movie or television show about Jesus or the early church. Some of my favorite representations of Jesus and the ancient world come not from the 2010s, but from the 1970s! Before you watch <a href="http://www.bibleseries.tv/">The Bible</a>, or <a href="http://www.nbc.com/ad-the-bible-continues">A.D. The Bible Continues</a>, you really ought to watch these gems.*<br />
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<u><i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>: </u><br />
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Based on the 1970s rock opera of the same name, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's classic just gets better with age. The music! The vocal performances! The hippies! The film has been often imitated, and the musical has been revived again and again, but no other version offers such a heady blend of American 1960s-1970s counterculture, religion, and media. You'll come for the iconic theme song, but you'll stay for a truly compelling version of the final days of Jesus told from the perspective of the tragic anti-hero Judas Iscariot. Here's a video of the first few minutes of the film, wherein Judas warns Jesus that his ministry will have dire consequences for all involved. And, if you can make it through listening to the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK_YEH4gTeg">John Nineteen: Forty-One</a> without crying, you are a lot tougher than me!</div>
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<u><i>Godspell</i>:</u><br />
Did I mention hippies? If <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i> is the cynical apology for why hippies were into Jesus, then <i>Godspell </i>is its sunny sister. And, if you are looking for a daily dose of the Jesus Movement, this<i> </i>1973 adaptation of the 1971 Stephen Schwartz classic is for you. Check out this video of John the Baptist "preparing the way of the Lord." Have you ever seen such a delightful group of disillusioned young people finally finding the charismatic leader they've been hoping to follow?<br />
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<i><u>Monty Python's Life of Brian:</u></i></div>
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This film is actually technically not about the life of Christ... it's an unfortunate tale of a man born just one stable away from him: Brian Cohen. Poor Brian just cannot catch a break. Through a series of unfortunate events, Brian inadvertently founds a messianic movement - and we all know what Rome did with those! If you are looking for something truly off the wall and if satire doesn't offend your religious sensibilities, the 1979 masterpiece <i>Life of Brian</i> is for you. If you know anything at all about the first century, there are in-jokes galore. It's actually more historically accurate than most television or film about the life and times of Jesus. Consider the following clip wherein we get an inside view of a meeting between Jewish zealots complaining about what it was like to live under the colonial thumb of Rome:</div>
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Any time I teach a Bible or church history course, I show this hysterical summary of why living in empire is so complex.</div>
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Do you have any recommendations for representations of Jesus and/or the ancient world in popular culture? Send them my way! And stay tuned for next month's entry....</div>
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*N.B.: Unlike most films or television shows on network television that deal with biblical subject matter, not all of these films are child-friendly.</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504174265843735442noreply@blogger.com0