[ecrea] CFP: Book on Religion and Mediated Reality

*Call for Chapters: Book on Religion and Reality (Routledge)*

*Editors: Mara Einstein, Queens College (CUNY), Katherine Madden, USC, 
and     Diane Winston, USC*

              We seek papers for an edited collection on religion and 
mediated reality, which we define to include reality TV but also 
“reality” in other video forms as distributed in new media platforms. 
Our motivating question is how and why religion works well for reality 
formats, and we are especially interested in articles that consider (1) 
historically underserved audiences (non-white viewers, working class 
people, believers beyond members of white Catholic and mainline 
Protestant  denominations); (2) representing religion and spirituality 
to audiences of “nones,” and (3) religion as a postmodern spectacle. The 
proliferation of religion in the reality genre is, as we argue, a 
product of the ideological and policy reforms of late capitalism. In 
this book we hope to explore the relationship between lived religion and 
a media industry in flux.

              Arguably, the reality genre—media presenting “unscripted” 
personal interactions—is currently the most popular space for religious, 
spiritual and supernatural themes, content and characters. Within this 
genre, themes common to reality television and late capitalism such as 
the exposition and maintenance of the self, the commodification of the 
sacred, the performance of authenticity, the targeting of niche markets, 
and the privileging of the individual over the community are 
transforming the mediation and practice of religion.

Correspondingly, similar themes are present in the practice of modern 
day religion are transforming the media landscape. The Amish are a 
subgenre all their own with shows like /Amish Mafia; The Amish; Breaking 
Amish, /and/Amish in the City/, among several others. Likewise, 
Mormonism is explored in shows such as /Breaking the Faith; Escaping the 
Prophet; Sister Wives, /and/My Five Wives/. Conservative Christians are 
represented in nominally secular programs like /19 Kids and Counting; 
Dog, the Bounty Hunter, /and/Duck Dynasty/. And a significant number of 
shows look at the dynamics of African American churches, particularly 
through close-ups into the private lives of public figures, including 
/Divas for Jesus; Mary, Mary; Thicker than Water, /and/Preachers of LA./ 
   A supernatural genre, more spiritual than religious, includes 
programs that focus on paranormal activity ranging from psychics to 
ghost hunting.

              Yet even in the most secular of reality shows—whether 
/Keeping Up With the Kardashians; Undercover Boss, /or/The Bachelor 
/franchise—religion, ethics and spirituality are ever-present themes 
filtered through a late capitalist lens.  Whether through their 
references to church, prayers to higher powers, or discussions of 
“proper citizenship,” the importance of family and self-fulfillment, 
characters on these and other programs reflect the same longings for 
identity, meaning and purpose—the building blocks of religion—as any 
other neoliberal citizen. Moreover, their “lived religion,” daily 
rituals for meaning-making that point to ultimate values and concerns, 
raise up what is truly central in their lives.

              We are looking for papers on religion and reality (TV or 
digital video programming) that make use of theoretical models including 
lived religion and late capitalism. Given this, issues of race, class, 
religion, and gender will inevitably arise. Sample ideas for papers 
could be:

"Christly Knows Best: Queering the Southern Christian Patriarch"

"Conjuring Spirits: Ghost-Hunting Reality Television and Evangelical 
Spiritual Warfare"

"The Amish in the Media Panopticon"

"Women as second class church citizens in The Preachers of LA"

If you are interested, please email a 150-word description for chapters 
that will be approximately 6000 words to *(wag.katie /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(wag.katie /at/ gmail.com)> *by*July 15^th *.


--
*Katherine Madden*
/Phd Candidate/
Critical Studies
School of Cinematic Arts
University of Southern California
https://usc.academia.edu/KatherineMadden

---------------
ECREA-Mailing list
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier and ECREA.
--
To subscribe, post or unsubscribe, please visit
http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
URL: http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~ncarpent/
--
ECREA - European Communication Research and Education Association
Chaussée de Waterloo 1151, 1180 Uccle, Belgium
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
---------------