Watching TV Religiously

Helping Christians Understand the Power and Meaning of TV

Since its inception, television has captured the cultural imagination. Outside of work and sleep, it is now the primary preoccupation of most Americans. Individuals consume upward of five hours of TV daily, even more when taking into account viewing done online and on mobile devices. TV is so ingrained in the fabric of everyday life that it can't help but function as one of the primary means through which we make sense of our lives and the world.

This book shows that television--as a technology, a narrative art form, a commodity, and a portal for our ritual lives--confronts viewers theologically. Whether its content is explicitly spiritual or not, TV routinely invites (and sometimes demands) theological reflection. This book articulates something of the presence and activity of God in the golden age of TV and forges an appropriate response to an ever-changing cultural form. It constructs a theology of television that allows for both celebration and critique, helping Christians more fully understand and appreciate the power and meaning of TV. A supplemental website provides additional resources, conversations, and close readings of TV programs.

Kutter Callaway (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is assistant professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he teaches at the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts. He is the author of Scoring Transcendence: Contemporary Film Music as Religious Experience.

Dean Batali is an experienced head writer for popular TV shows with over twenty years of experience in the industry. He is a regular speaker and teacher at film festivals, at media conferences, and in college classrooms.