Religion as Entertainment

In this collection of essays, religion in the United States is explored in terms of its interaction with an entertainment-focused culture. The first half of the book addresses questions of how religion actually fulfills an "entertaining" role in society, focusing on lay participation in faith communities, the goals and impact of preaching the rise of non-traditional religions and attraction of meditation in recent years, and the question of whether bigger crowds are always better. The second half of the book focuses on how religion is treated in various entertainment media, including film, music, television, and literature.