God in the Details: American Religion in Popular Culture

Exploring the blurred boundary between religion and pop culture, God in the Details offers a provocative look at the breadth and persistence of religious themes in the American consciousness. This new edition reflects the explosion of online activity since the first edition, including chapters on the spiritual implications of social networking sites, and the hazy line between real and virtual religious life in the online community Second Life. Also new to this edition are chapters on the migration of black male expression from churches to athletic stadiums, new configurations of the sacred and the commercial, and post 9/11 spirituality and religious redemption through an analysis of vampire drama, True Blood. Popular chapters on media, sports, and other pop culture experiences have been revised and updated, making this an invaluable resource for students and scholars alike.

Eric Michael Mazur is the Gloria & David Furman Chair of Judaic Studies at Virginia Wesleyan College. He is the author of several works in church-state studies, and is the editor of Art & The Religious Impulse and The Encyclopedia of Religion & Film.

Kate McCarthy is Professor of Religious Studies at California State University, Chico. She is also the author of Interfaith Encounters in America.