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Links to Religion and Pop Culture Websites
Compiled by JUSTIN
HIENZ The Left Behind
Series www.leftbehind.com This is the official
website of the popular books by that name.
The fiction novels, loosely based on Christian
scripture, detail the Rapture and end times.
They also have been turned into audio books
and movies - information about which is
available on the site. Readers of LeftBehind.com
find information on Left Behind products
for sale, book clubs, a discussion forum
and information on Christianity and its
take on the end of the world. Additionally,
the website holds information about the
authors of the books, novelist Jerry B.
Jenkins and minister and speaker on Biblical
prophecy Tim Lahaye.Muslim Videogames www.afkarmedia.com http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0605/p07s02-wome.html
The first website holds
information on the Damascus-based media
group that has produced videogames dealing
with problems in the Middle East and the
history of Islam. The second website is
an article from the Christian Science Monitor
providing more in depth information on the
soon to be released Afkar videogame, al-Quraysh;
a game identified as having been set during
the first 100 years of Islam.
Christian Sermons www.sermonaudio.com
This index provides
links to recorded sermons dealing with various
topics. The sermons come from leaders of
different Christian denominations. The intersection
between gospel interpretation and modern
themes, such as the internet, music, movies,
drugs and clothing, is presented from the
standpoint of Christians with different
perceptions or interpretations of their
religious beliefs and culture.
Journal
of Religion and Popular Culture www.usask.ca/relst/jrpc
The Journal of Religion
and Popular Culture is published both in
print and online. It contains articles,
book reviews and reports on a variety of
pop culture issues investigated and interpreted
from the standpoint of a number of different
academic disciplines. For example, on the
following website, the reader can find a
feminist critique of The Da Vinci Code
in relation to Christian scripture (http://www.usask.ca/relst/jrpc/art12-resex.html).
Christ Centered
Game Reviews www.ccgr.org
Christ Centered Game
Reviews provides information, links and
downloads of videogames that either deal
with Christianity specifically or have been
reviewed and found to adhere to the reviewers'
understanding of Christian morality. Readers
can download games, write in discussion
forums and find CCGR's top 10 videogames.
The Passion
of the Christ www.thepassionofthechrist.com/skip.html#
This official movie
webpage contains information on buying the
DVD, VHS and other merchandise associated
with the acclaimed and criticized blockbuster
film. One product for sale is The Passion
of the Christ Church Resource DVD which
has film clips and stills designed for use
during church service. The website also
contains a link to MyLifeAfter.com, a website
"dedicated to covering the impact that 'The
Passion of The Christ' is having in America
and around the world."
Fasting for
Bush www.heartlight.org/fast
This is the cyberspace
locale of a group of people from across
the nation who are reported to be fasting
and praying for President George W. Bush.
They believe his time in office is bringing
God more fully into the public domain. Each
day, the website lists the number of people
fasting for the president. Those signed
up to be a part of the group receive reminders
about their commitment to fast, as well
as prayer requests handed down from the
Whitehouse.
The Da Vinci
Code and Opus Dei http://davincicode-opusdei.com
One of the main characters
in The Da Vinci Code is a member of the
Catholic organization, Opus Dei. This webpage
is written by a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature,
John Wauck. It is primarily a blog - a running
discussion between readers of the website.
It contains information about Opus Dei,
its relationship to the novel and the priest's
thoughts on faith, prayer and literature.
Killing the
Buddha www.killingthebuddha.com
The name of this website
stems from a Zen Buddhist teaching advocating
focus on the highest truth (in this case,
Nirvana) rather than religious leaders and
anthropomorphic deities. Makers of the website
believe that "religious discourse has become
bloodless, parochial and boring. Any God
worth the name is none of these things."
The site contains links to a plethora of
articles ranging from Christian rock music
to commentaries on the recent uproar over
Islamic cartoons. The articles engage many
religious traditions, including Sufism,
Hinduism and Judaism.
The History
of American Religion Project www.materialreligion.org
The scholarly project,
based at Vanderbilt University's Divinity
School, produces articles concerning the
objects and texts that play a part in America's
evolving religious traditions. A section
of the website displays pictures and descriptions
of religious objects which form a bridge
between materialism, religion and popular
culture. Readers will also find electronic
journal articles as well as links to other
scholarly websites.
The Journal
of Religion and Film www.unomaha.edu/jrf/
This electronic journal
is published by the University of Nebraska's
department of philosophy and religion. It
provides scholarly film reviews, analyzing
the religious and philosophical meanings
and implications of current movies. Additionally,
the website presents articles pertaining
to films with religious significance. An
article and review archive is also available
to readers.
Beliefnet www.beliefnet.com
The diverse and expansive
contents of Beliefnet provide information
concerning religion and its relationship
to American life and culture. Readers find
articles engaging the religious themes in
television, movies, books and music. It
also lists celebrity interviews on the topic
of religion and an indexed list of websites
directed at religion and popular culture.
Beliefnet gives nearly equal coverage to
the world's five major religions, as well
as writings on less prominent religions
such as Zoroastrianism and Scientology.
iPod and the
Bible www.bibleplayer.com
This website offers
text and audio files which can be downloaded
to an iPod. A free text version of the program
is available to all visitors to the website.
The complete program costs $20. It includes
CDs containing audio recordings of the Bible,
reading plans and daily devotional readings.
The purchased CDs and texts are available
in three translations: King James, Modern
American Standard and Spanish Reina Valera.
Lark News www.larknews.com
This satirical publication
pokes fun at different religious phenomena
such as prayer and church. The monthly online
publication contains humorous articles on
obscure people and events, both actual and
fictional. Whereas some satirical Christian
websites can be offensive, Lark News achieves
tongue-in-cheek religious commentary without
being distasteful.
Angels and
Ghosts www.angelsghosts.com
Stories of ghosts and
angels have been a part of popular folklore
for centuries. On this website, readers
find editorial explanations of ghosts and
angels and their relationship to God and
religion. Readers will also find information
and stories about near-death experiences.
The site serves as an index of reader-submitted
stories, photos and videos of ghosts and
angels. There are also links to online stores
offering ghost and angel related clothing
and memorabilia.
The Center
for Cultural Judaism www.culturaljudaism.org
The Center for Cultural
Judaism aims to provide support and education
to non-religious Jewish people. The goal
of the center is to foster Jewish identity
and culture such that it is strengthened
and transmitted from one generation to the
next. On this website, readers will find
information about events and programs offered
by the center, editorial commentaries on
cultural Judaism, a bibliography of relevant
texts and contact information for leaders
of Jewish communities throughout the world.
Dharma the
Cat www.dharmathecat.com This website holds
a series of cartoons designed to teach the
tenants of Buddhism in a humorous way. Three
characters, Dharma the cat, Bodhi the monk
and Siam the mouse, interact in everyday
situations which serve as the basis for
explaining Buddhist philosophies. Each cartoon
is accompanied with explanatory commentary,
giving the reader more information on the
meaning of each cartoon. Readers of the
website also find religious teachings and
explanations from scholars and Buddhist
practitioners.
A blog about faith, values and spirituality in the media, from CORP faculty, staff and friends.
ReligiousLife@MU A blog about religious life at the University of
Missouri-Columbia.
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