Sample by Topic from Apologia Report

CULTURE

 

"In the Beginning There" by Francine Klagsbrun -- the author, who wrote "Jewish Days" and is a columnist for Moment magazine and Jewish Week, briefly reviews the media's new fascination with the biblical Genesis theme and then asks the question "What's going on? How did this ancient text become hot news?" Her answer is that "our culture has a seemingly insatiable longing for spiritual stimulation, a kind of counterpoint to the nation's long-standing obsession with physical fitness. ... Now they are seeking more immediate spiritual encounters than organized religion usually supplies and a more personal path toward the sacred." With a definite Jewish perspective, Klagsbrun explains why this heightened interest has her concerned. She notes, "Moyers seem to have made a conscious decision not to have participants confront the hard stuff, the opposing biblical interpretations that have caused strife in the past." Newsday, Nov 3 '96, p 00F -- Electronic Library.

(from Apologia Report 1:28, October 28, 1996)

 

"William Martin: Mediating the Culture War" by Steve Rabey -- in this profile the RBL says Martin describes himself as "a mediator between conservative Christians and the culture at large." Martin, author of the biography of Billy Graham, A Prophet with Honor (Morrow), was chosen to write the companion book for the PBS documentary series on the religious right (With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America [Broadway Books, 1996]). Rabey writes that "there's a good chance that With God on Our Side won't be as warmly received by members of the religious right [as was Graham's bio] who might be uncomfortable with Martin's warts-and-all coverage of their growing political activism...." The captions under his photos in this issue say alternately, "William Martin 'translates' religious conservatives for the larger culture" and "culture war peacemaker" -- no small task either way. Publisher's Weekly Religion BookLine, Oct 1 '96, p6.

(from Apologia Report 1:29, November 11, 1996)

 

"The Rise of the Cultural Creatives" by Paul H. Ray -- agreeing that "America is experiencing a renaissance of values" the author gives strategy for applying a New Age spin to the trend. Adapted from The Integral Culture Survey: A Study of the Emergence of Transformational Values in America, by Paul H. Ray and the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS, 1996). New Age Journal, Jan/Feb '97, p74.

(from Apologia Report 2:2, February 3, 1997)

 

"Technoshamanism: Digital Deities in Cyberspace" by Douglas Groothuis -- "a growing number of New Agers and neopagans have embraced computers as the LSD of the nineties: a product of modern technology that challenges our notions of reality and unleashes the divine potential of the human mind." Christian Research Journal, Wtr '97, p36.

(from Apologia Report 2:2, February 3, 1997)

 

"The Mars Hill of Television" by Douglas L. LeBlanc -- a savvy cultural apologist answers the question, "Why I like 'Politically Incorrect,'" in reference to Bill Maher's television show on the ABC network which follows Nightline. Books & Culture, Nov/Dec '96, p14; see also National Review, Mar 10 '97, p56.

(from Apologia Report 2:4, March 3, 1997)

 

"The Foxhole Subculture" by Robert W. Patterson -- "Evangelicals have created a parallel culture not so much out of a gospel mandate, but out of fear." Reviews (pro, not con) Pop Culture Wars: Religion and the Role of Entertainment in American Life, by William D. Romanowski (InterVarsity, 1997) and What on Earth Are We Doing? Finding Our Place as Christians in the World, by John Fischer (Servant/Vine, 1997). Books & Culture, Jan/Feb '97, n.p.

(from Apologia Report 2:4, March 3, 1997)

 

"American Popular Culture and American Aculturalism" by Kenneth A. Myers -- expresses concern regarding the fruit of television; especially the loss of familial strengths and the erosion of learning from history. Critique, 4-1996, p1.

(from Apologia Report 2:5, March 10, 1997)

 

"Interview with a Vampirette" -- peeks at a fringe group within the Gothic Death Rock scene known as "practicing vampires." Love is expressed by drinking each other's blood. The column heading is "Subcultures." Brief. New York Times Magazine, Feb 9 '97, p17.

(from Apologia Report 2:6, March 17, 1997)

 

"The Dissatisfaction of Francis Schaeffer" by Michael S. Hamilton -- "Thirteen years after his death, Schaeffer's vision and frustrations continue to haunt evangelicalism." Frustrations mentioned are mainstream evangelicalism's "apparent unwillingness to defend inerrancy and take up the pro-life cause." Christianity Today, Mar 3 '97, p22.

(from Apologia Report 2:7, March 24, 1997)

 

"What's It All About? The Spiritual Revolution" -- a week-long series "looking at the revival of spirituality in America" on ABC's Good Morning America, hosted by Michael Guillen and Charles Gibson, aired on July 14, 1997. The series began with "the apparent friction between religious beliefs and a scientific view of the world." The next segment considered "the role of spirituality in medicine," which was in turn followed by "a look at how religion has gone high-tech." (From transcripts at the Electronic Library.)

(from Apologia Report 2:23, July 28, 1997)

 

--------

 

Sources:

 

Books & Culture (Christianity Today, Inc.), (800) 523-7964

 

Christian Research Journal (Christian Research Institute), (888) 700-0274, <http://www.equip.org>

 

Christianity Today, (800) 999-1704, <http://www.christianity.net>

 

Critique (Ransom Fellowship), (507) 282-0564, <73653.2770@compuserve.com>

 

Electronic Library (Infonautics), <http://www.elibrary.com>

 

National Review, (815) 734-1232, <http://www.nationalreview.com>

 

New Age Journal, (617) 926-0200, <editor@newage.com>, <http://www.newage.com/home/>

 

New York Times, <http://www.nytimes.com/>

 

Publishers Weekly Religion BookLine, (800) 278-2991, <72624.3562@compuserve.com>

TOP OF PAGE

PARENT PAGE

MORE SAMPLES

APOLOGIA HOME PAGE