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Pepperdine Launches Craig Detweiler’s Book on Pop Culture and Religion

The Center for Entertainment, Media, and Culture (EMC) will host a launch party Tuesday, Nov. 27. for the new book, Don’t Stop Believin’: Pop Culture and Religion from Ben-Hur to Zombies, which was coedited by EMC director Craig Detweiler. The launch will begin at 4 p.m. in the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, Malibu, in connection with the museum’s Pop Culture exhibition. 

Don't Stop Believin' is a collection of 101 chronological essays on pop cultural icons and phenomena from the 1950s to the present day—from Miles Davis, Ellen DeGeneres, and Tom Cruise, to Twilight, The Godfather, and the Lord of the Rings. The book also takes a look at the spiritual impact of pop culture and how it connects with religious development in society.

"Our book was created in the spirit of the song as a joyous chorus of voices, uniting around a shared passion for pop culture and the Divine," Detweiler says. "The vibrant imagery filling the Weisman gallery provides a perfect backdrop for celebrating the cultural icons we discuss."

Detweiler edited the book with Robert K. Johnston, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, and Barry Taylor, adjunct professor of pop culture and theology at Fuller. Taylor and Detweiler will introduce selections of readings from the book by contributors such as Pepperdine adjunct professors Caitlin Lawrence and Caroline Cicero, as well as Sister Rose Pacatte, director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies.

The event is free and open to the public. Call the Weisman Museum at (310) 506-4851 or visit the EMC website for the more information.