Com 320- Christ, Media, and Culture

A media theorist who wrote “the medium is the message”

Marshall McCluhan

What is a medium?

A medium is the channel through which something is communicated

What 3 eras of communication did McCluhan discover? Describe each era

1. Oral- verbal communication is limited to what you can hear within an earshot

2. Written/print- Communication can now be preserved and documented, but not easily transmitted Ex: Newspapers, books, manuscripts

3. Electronic- This started with the telegraph, but in the last century, there has been an explosion of documentation and transmission.

Which era of communication did McCluhan not discover?

Digital/Internet, which no longer limits us geographically

Describe and list McCluhan’s 4 laws of media

1. What does it enhance or expand? (What does it make better/easier

2. What does it make obsolete? (it’s function is no longer useful)

3. What does it reverse into? (What does it make worse)

4. What does it retrieve? (What does it bring back)

Provide Example using Smart TV

1. Smart TV’s expands our ability to watch entertainment

2. Smart TVs makes going to the movies, live TV, and cable obselete

3. Television was meant to be shared, but now we have an overwatching problem of our own. We entertain ourselves to death 

4. It brings back cable TV 

List the three reasons we use communication

1. To support our existing views of reality

2. We use verbal and non verbal communication to form communities that define reality for us and those like us

3. Shared defintions of reality function like shared maps that help us navigate life by making judgments about faith and culture

What is a tribe?

Unique reality defining groups within larger societies and communities that help us define communication Ex: churches, social groups, even MC clubs and tribes

What type of media to evangelicals love?

Mass Media 

What is the table used to define evangelicalism?

Bebbington’s Quadrilateral

List all 4 ways to define the beliefs of Evangelicals through Bebbington’s Quadrilateral

1. Biblicism- They believe that the Bible is the ultimate authority of truth

2. Crucicentrism- They stress the sacrifice of Jesus on a cross

3. Conversionism- They stress the moment of salvation and a born again experience

4. Activism- They believe there must be an outworking of faith in society

This model defines Evangelicals by…

characteristics not docterine

The relationship between Christ and Culture is called the…

Christ Culture Paradox

Who came up with 5 ways to understand Christ and Culture? 

Richard Niehbur

The spectrum 14532

• Christ against culture 

• Christ in Culture

• Christ, the transformer of culture 

• Christ above Culture 

• Christ of Culture 

1. Christ against culture

• The belief that the enemy is everywhere, so Christians should separate from the world.

• This belief states that culture is iredeamable and Christians must not partake in it

• Problem: People are the problem

4. Christ in Culture

• This belief sees human culture as a good creation, stained by sin

• Christians can not fully embrace or reject culture

• There is a conflict between Christians and culture

5. Christ, the transformer of culture

• The belief that culture is a good thing defiled by sin

• Christians should work to redeem culture as Christ will one day redeem all

3. Christ above Culture

• This belief emphasizes the conflict between God (holy) and man

• It is the belief that culture can only be perfected by the grace of God

• Culture has some value and can be used for good, but Christians can still critique things

• They also believe that culture only exists because God allows it to exist

2. The Christ of Culture

• This belief places a huge emphasis on the goodness of creation

• In practice, it means Christians give into culture

• They are called to affirm and celebrate the callings of the world

Who noted that were are 3 ways Chrisitians respond to media

Ferre

1. Media is a conduit (through which something travels) 

• Media is neutral; it is neither good or bad. 

• It is just a way of getting information out

2. Media is a mode of knowing

• Believes that the message cannot be separated from its medium

• Media is biased

• How media is transmitted effects people’s interpretation of the message 

• Ex: Worship on television is awful 

3. A 3rd way/ Media as a social institution 

• Both the medium and the message matter

• One is not more important than the other 

Reasons Christians support Christian television

1. Helps fulfill the Great Commission

2. Helps the church teach and disciple believers

3. Calms believers in turbulent times

4. Provides family friendly content

5. Reflect their own ideas about the role of religion in American culture and government

What makes for successful Christian Television?

Successful Christian Television…

• knows and targets a niche audience

• offers a robust targeted experience that’s attractive to its advertisers

• Promotes brands that serve audiences well and often comprehensively

• makes increasingly better use of user-generated content

Draw and explain the advertising circle of influence

5 things faithful media stewards must do

1. Use time wisely

2. Use money wisely

3. Being discerning critics

4. Being purposeful producers

5. Participating in Christian Communities of discourse

What good can Christian movies serve?

1. Translate biblical stories and truths into current vernacular (language)

2. Teach by both precept and example (principle that should guide morals)

3. Help people remember better

4. Help teach on a simple level

5. Help move people emotionally and to action