Christianity And Pop Culture

Timetable

Tuesday 13:45 (1:30 PM)

Module aim (aims)

Presenting of chosen areas of contemporary culture where happens synergy between Christianity and pop culture,

and where culture marks it own stigma

- pointing the space where Christianity have own specific place in the contemporary culture

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

– training skills of influencing on contemporary culture

– building bridges between Christianity and pop culture in synergical understanding

– finding culture as a space of contemporary arena of world-wide dialogue of human-being condition

– showing world of Christian family as a world of values that shaped contemporary Europe

Syllabus

1: Salvation as the most important value. How theological point of view shapes cultural

perception of social ideas.

2: Incarnation of Christ- Merry Christmas in November. Why we miss for traditional way of

Christmas, but on the other side we want to consume everything before the time.

3: Pictures from Hell, Heaven and Purgatory. Normally nobody is taking care about finding to

Hell or Heaven, but in the bottom of heart we need to find something like Heaven.

4: The Church- the oldest club in the World. Nobody respects the Church, but in every

problematic moment in the world-wide history we are looking for Church opinion. How it is

with the Church. Almighty movement or social whipping boy?

5: Europe- the Spiritual Legacy. What Europe does mean today? Is it just a continent, or still

has spiritual roots?

6: Propaganda or soft PR. Is it possible to run an advertisement campaign without Christian

connections? .

7: Mysticism- being mystic or cynic. Is it possible to find a medium-way in spirituality,

between mysticism and being cynical?

8: The Lord’s Word, so how it was in the very beginning? We know that Bible is, and how it

looks? But, do we really know about what Bible is?

9: Being the Pilgrim- about contemporary spirituality. We don’t want to have ready answers,

instead of this we prefer to find everything valuable on our own conditions. Even, when it

hurts.

10: Exorcisms- between horror movie and comedy. Is it really true that exorcisms are real? Or

it is just a fairy tale for altar boys?

11: What pop culture can teach the Church? Church had a huge influence on contemporary

culture for ages. How it is now? Culture or Church? Who is more powerful?

12: How to meditate? We don’t want to go to Church, but we still are interested in spiritual life. What can be today

the best way for funning spiritual life?

13: Prayer without God. Is it really possible to pray without God? To whom I pray, when God doesn’t exist? .

14: Spiritual, clergyman or functionary. We know how priest, nun or pope look. But what we really know about their

real life? How does Pope exist in contemporary world? Is he just a priest or world wide super leader?

15: Being Happy as a contemporary religion. Happiness is the promise of life without problems. Is it really possible

to run life truly happy without problems and suffering? How to measure a Happiness?

Reading list

- Bartłomiej Dobroczyński, III Rzesza popkultury i inne stany, ISBN: 83-240-0421-1,

Znak, Kraków 2004.

- Bruno Ballardini, Jezus - i biel staje się bielsza. Jak kościół wymyślił marketing.

(origin title: Gesù lava più bianco ovvero come la Chiesa inventò il marketing.)ISBN:

9788374144094, W.A.B. Warszawa 2008.