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Pop-ologética: Cómo acercarnos a la cultura pop desde la fe cristiana
Está por todas partes... es tan ubicua y extensa, que casi ha llegado a convertirse en parte del mismo aire que respiramos. A algunas personas les entusiasma, otras la odian, y algunas la desdeñan o se comportan como si no existiese. Sin embargo, nos guste o no, ya sea que advirtamos o no su presencia, la cultura pop desempeña un papel extraordinario en nuestras vidas cotidianas, influyendo a menudo en la manera en la que entendemos y observamos el mundo.
La respuesta que algunos dan es la de distanciarse por completo de la cultura popular, mientras que otros la aceptan como una bendición, sin plantearle pregunta alguna. Ted Turnau, en cambio, nos recuerda que la cuestión no se resuelve con dicotomías simplistas. En la cultura popular, como en cualquier otra faceta de la sociedad, la gracia y la idolatría se entremezclan caóticamente, y merece que le dediquemos nuestra atención y discernimiento.
Con este libro aprenderás a realizar un acercamiento sabio a la cultura popular, pudiendo distinguir las joyas de la gracia, de las tentaciones de la idolatría, llevando así la pop-ologética a la práctica ¡para ser tú mismo una influencia positiva!
La respuesta que algunos dan es la de distanciarse por completo de la cultura popular, mientras que otros la aceptan como una bendición, sin plantearle pregunta alguna. Ted Turnau, en cambio, nos recuerda que la cuestión no se resuelve con dicotomías simplistas. En la cultura popular, como en cualquier otra faceta de la sociedad, la gracia y la idolatría se entremezclan caóticamente, y merece que le dediquemos nuestra atención y discernimiento.
Con este libro aprenderás a realizar un acercamiento sabio a la cultura popular, pudiendo distinguir las joyas de la gracia, de las tentaciones de la idolatría, llevando así la pop-ologética a la práctica ¡para ser tú mismo una influencia positiva!
580 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2012
45 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Ted Turnau
4 books11 followersTed Turnau is chair of Journalism and Media Studies at Anglo-American University, Prague. He speaks widely on culture, media, and Christian cultural engagement and is the author of Popologetics (P&R) and The Pop Culture Parent (New Growth Press). He and his wife Carolyn have three children and two cats. Ted Turnau is chair of Journalism and Media Studies at Anglo-American University, Prague. He speaks widely on culture, media, and Christian cultural engagement and is the author of Popologetics (P&R) and The Pop Culture Parent (New Growth Press). He and his wife Carolyn have three children and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 16, 2021
This book does exactly what the subtitle suggests. Turnau gives a brilliant framework for western Christians to engage with the popular culture around them in a way that is constructive.
For me the real brilliance of this book is that it equips you to engage with Popular culture for yourself, rather than giving a diagnosis that will quickly go out of date.
This will be the sort of book I keep on going back to.
For me the real brilliance of this book is that it equips you to engage with Popular culture for yourself, rather than giving a diagnosis that will quickly go out of date.
This will be the sort of book I keep on going back to.
November 28, 2022
Popular culture is all around us; you can't escape it. How should a Christian interact with it? Ted Turnau offers a book that is "for those who want to be able to give an intelligent, warmhearted, biblical answer back to the worldviews presented in popular culture." He starts by grounding us in definitions of popular culture and worldview, explains how they interact and influence each other, shows how apologetics that engages with worldviews is necessary, and offers what creation/fall/redemption can tell us about popular culture.
In the second part of the book he explains and examines various approaches Christians have taken toward popular culture, and shows why they are all deficient. Included are apathy toward pop culture, attempted avoidance of pop culture, contrasting pop culture with supposedly high culture (and seeing no good in the former and no bad in the latter), rejecting pop culture because it is almost entirely image based, and finally an uncritical embrace of pop culture. I found this part particularly helpful, and a good corrective to some of the views espoused by Kenneth Myers and Neil Postman.
In the third part Turnau suggests a method by which to evaluate pop culture. He posits five questions to ask of every cultural text ("text" could be a book, article, song, play, movie, online game). He then examines a pop song, a documentary, an anime series, and a movie using these questions. He also analyzes Twitter using the same questions, which I found very interesting. I learn some things about Twitter--and the good uses it can have--that I did not know. The last chapter is an encouragement as to how to use all of this in practical terms.
The book is not an easy read; in parts it can be dry and academic, and it is incredibly comprehensive. But if you have the time and the patience to wade through it, you will come away with valuable insights.
In the second part of the book he explains and examines various approaches Christians have taken toward popular culture, and shows why they are all deficient. Included are apathy toward pop culture, attempted avoidance of pop culture, contrasting pop culture with supposedly high culture (and seeing no good in the former and no bad in the latter), rejecting pop culture because it is almost entirely image based, and finally an uncritical embrace of pop culture. I found this part particularly helpful, and a good corrective to some of the views espoused by Kenneth Myers and Neil Postman.
In the third part Turnau suggests a method by which to evaluate pop culture. He posits five questions to ask of every cultural text ("text" could be a book, article, song, play, movie, online game). He then examines a pop song, a documentary, an anime series, and a movie using these questions. He also analyzes Twitter using the same questions, which I found very interesting. I learn some things about Twitter--and the good uses it can have--that I did not know. The last chapter is an encouragement as to how to use all of this in practical terms.
The book is not an easy read; in parts it can be dry and academic, and it is incredibly comprehensive. But if you have the time and the patience to wade through it, you will come away with valuable insights.
November 11, 2020
Smart, incisive, down-to-earth, exuberant, reasoned, relaxed but rigorous, utterly contemporary, unerringly biblical - all at once. Absolute masterclass in Christian thinking.
Big fan of a writer who uses footnotes for helpful asides and jaunty self-deprecating comments, too.
Big fan of a writer who uses footnotes for helpful asides and jaunty self-deprecating comments, too.
June 19, 2025
Turnau rejects the notion that Christians should dismiss pop culture and offers a new way to thoughtfully embark on what it truly means to be “in the world but not of the world.”
Truth be told: I skimmed a good bit of this because I had a deadline to finish it. However, it still was a great skim worthy of 4 stars. Reading Popologetics felt like I was reading a cool textbook, and I really enjoyed the trains of thought that the book sparked in me. It gave me solid new language and philosophical frameworks with which to engage pop culture. It also continually pointed me back to the Creator! So it’s not just about engaging pop culture, it’s about engaging pop culture as an active, real entity in the order of creation & how doing so can be a means of pointing us to the Creator of all things.
Planning on returning to read it slower and more methodically when my schedule permits!
Truth be told: I skimmed a good bit of this because I had a deadline to finish it. However, it still was a great skim worthy of 4 stars. Reading Popologetics felt like I was reading a cool textbook, and I really enjoyed the trains of thought that the book sparked in me. It gave me solid new language and philosophical frameworks with which to engage pop culture. It also continually pointed me back to the Creator! So it’s not just about engaging pop culture, it’s about engaging pop culture as an active, real entity in the order of creation & how doing so can be a means of pointing us to the Creator of all things.
Planning on returning to read it slower and more methodically when my schedule permits!
February 14, 2023
As a lover of pop culture, this book was right up my alley! Ted’s work is accessible but deep. It’s clear he not only observes pop culture and compares it well to the Bible, but he also enjoys it!
December 11, 2022
I’ve been looking for a book like this for a while and Popolegetics didn’t disappoint. Turnau provides a profound (yet simple) biblical framework for approaching pop culture. I’m sure I’ll be returning to this for some time to come.
August 14, 2016
This book was a surprise to me. I purchased it because the author is a friend, brother in the faith and colleague of mine. The topic however is not something that I have considered myself to be interested in. After all, I have systematically ignored much of popular culture; certainly those areas that are obviously idolatrous or mind numbing. This book did not try to convince me to embrace or even pay attention to much of the popular culture that I find objectionable or insulting. Rather it first argues that there are significant aspects of popular culture that are excellent, and that I should consider intellectually the best of these.
The book begins by outlining various ways that Christians typically treat popular culture, such as discounting, ignoring, hiding or embracing. Turnau argues against all of these and convinces me well that I need to intelligently wrestle with the best of popular culture and understand what is both good and bad about it. He provides five questions that one can ask to help with better understanding each aspect of popular culture. By asking and answering these questions, one can learn from and about popular culture and see the glimpses of common grace that may well be inside. These of course may well point toward God, even in spite of what the authors originally intended. Better still, by learning how to analyse modern culture one is better prepared to deal with those who embrace it. 1 Peter 3:15-16.
The book begins by outlining various ways that Christians typically treat popular culture, such as discounting, ignoring, hiding or embracing. Turnau argues against all of these and convinces me well that I need to intelligently wrestle with the best of popular culture and understand what is both good and bad about it. He provides five questions that one can ask to help with better understanding each aspect of popular culture. By asking and answering these questions, one can learn from and about popular culture and see the glimpses of common grace that may well be inside. These of course may well point toward God, even in spite of what the authors originally intended. Better still, by learning how to analyse modern culture one is better prepared to deal with those who embrace it. 1 Peter 3:15-16.
May 15, 2020
This was my second time reading through this book and I remain a big fan. Ted Turnau promotes genuine, honest, rigorous engagement with popular culture, perhaps even, gasp etc, enjoyment of it.
The book follows a good logical process. Why does pop culture matter (interesting discussions of 'high' vs 'low' culture and how problematic that division is)? Why should Christians engage with it? How do we approach it?
Turnau lays out his model, his questions, that might help to fully understand and engage with pop cultural texts (text meaning any object of popular culture). This involves acknowledging the good, righteous content in texts, whether we like them or not. It also acknowledges the failures, then seeks to see how the gospel applies.
Finally Turnau gives some examples of the model in practise.
It's incredibly thorough, well researched, and biblical. Some of the references are a little dated now but it's deliberately written so that that doesn't matter. The popologetics approach can be applied to anything at any time.
At times, the book is so well referenced and so thorough that it begins to collapse under its own weight and become a bit heavy going. But, while the most rewarding way to experience the book is to read it cover to cover (maybe excluding the reference list and the index pages), you can also dip into individual sections if you find another too long or dull.
An excellent resource all in all. A real gift of a book.
The book follows a good logical process. Why does pop culture matter (interesting discussions of 'high' vs 'low' culture and how problematic that division is)? Why should Christians engage with it? How do we approach it?
Turnau lays out his model, his questions, that might help to fully understand and engage with pop cultural texts (text meaning any object of popular culture). This involves acknowledging the good, righteous content in texts, whether we like them or not. It also acknowledges the failures, then seeks to see how the gospel applies.
Finally Turnau gives some examples of the model in practise.
It's incredibly thorough, well researched, and biblical. Some of the references are a little dated now but it's deliberately written so that that doesn't matter. The popologetics approach can be applied to anything at any time.
At times, the book is so well referenced and so thorough that it begins to collapse under its own weight and become a bit heavy going. But, while the most rewarding way to experience the book is to read it cover to cover (maybe excluding the reference list and the index pages), you can also dip into individual sections if you find another too long or dull.
An excellent resource all in all. A real gift of a book.
January 8, 2019
Really excellent.
December 18, 2021
Masterful.
July 27, 2019
Excellent book for understanding popular culture from a christian point of view. Very readible, funny and interactive, and still robust in its doctrine (seems to be reformed, at least in its view of culture). In other words, it is a good systematic theology of culture which ends up with practical applications in real life (i.e. practical theology).
List all the different positions (reactions) of Christians on popular culture (movies, modern music, manga/anime, series, social networks etc), on how it should interacts with faith and then criticise them. This false views includes too pessimistic views, too optimistic views, non-concern views, conspiracy theory views and despising for favoring high-and-traditional culture.
He presents his view which is nothing else than the classical reformed doctrine of man (man is sinner = totally depraved i.e. in all realms of his life, but not absolutely depraved, he is still image of God, he still got some knowledge of the truth, of God and of goodness). He essentially applies this originally doctrine of man to the realm of culture i.e. what this man produces. Which is logic, what man produces looks like what he really is.
He then furnishes us with tools for analysing popular culture ourselves after what he guides us through some examples (including One Piece !, Twitter and Kung Fu Panda).
I didn't read "Christ and culture" yet, but Turnau's list of views on faith and culture appears to be more general and more pertinent than Niehbur's.
List all the different positions (reactions) of Christians on popular culture (movies, modern music, manga/anime, series, social networks etc), on how it should interacts with faith and then criticise them. This false views includes too pessimistic views, too optimistic views, non-concern views, conspiracy theory views and despising for favoring high-and-traditional culture.
He presents his view which is nothing else than the classical reformed doctrine of man (man is sinner = totally depraved i.e. in all realms of his life, but not absolutely depraved, he is still image of God, he still got some knowledge of the truth, of God and of goodness). He essentially applies this originally doctrine of man to the realm of culture i.e. what this man produces. Which is logic, what man produces looks like what he really is.
He then furnishes us with tools for analysing popular culture ourselves after what he guides us through some examples (including One Piece !, Twitter and Kung Fu Panda).
I didn't read "Christ and culture" yet, but Turnau's list of views on faith and culture appears to be more general and more pertinent than Niehbur's.
October 30, 2018
This book is a great look at what popular culture is, why we should be interested in it as Christians and how we can engage it.
Really there is only one chapter of actually engaging methods and techniques and stratagem, but the book is great in that it builds a case for Christian engagement with popular culture on a critical level and assess the strengths and weaknesses of some other Christian approaches to popular culture (from rejecting it all as evil to accepting it all as good).
Worth a read if you live in the 21st century and come across things deemed popular culture in your day to day life and what to be a little more aware of what those things are trying to get you to think and believe and how they are attempting to shape and inform your own worldview.
Really there is only one chapter of actually engaging methods and techniques and stratagem, but the book is great in that it builds a case for Christian engagement with popular culture on a critical level and assess the strengths and weaknesses of some other Christian approaches to popular culture (from rejecting it all as evil to accepting it all as good).
Worth a read if you live in the 21st century and come across things deemed popular culture in your day to day life and what to be a little more aware of what those things are trying to get you to think and believe and how they are attempting to shape and inform your own worldview.
February 20, 2018
An excellent book. Could have been shorter but nonetheless, a really helpful insight into popular culture. Section 2 may wear you down a bit, but as Turnau says, skip it if you must or skim through and read the summary at the end of each section. Various views on culture are vigorously but respectively critiqued. A useful method of engaging with culture is given in the 3rd section.
I appreciated Turnau's reading of what makes culture, not purely focusing on 'high' culture but on the popular culture that is more readily available to the masses.
Been on my to read list for ages, glad I finally read it.
I appreciated Turnau's reading of what makes culture, not purely focusing on 'high' culture but on the popular culture that is more readily available to the masses.
Been on my to read list for ages, glad I finally read it.
April 24, 2020
An incredible journey and practical guide to engaging with culture and with God. Ultimately the book provokes you to, in the words of the road crossing hedgehog, stop look and listen. That holy stopping to critically reflect on the world and message of what we consume is a vastly important one. Thanks Ted
November 18, 2020
Thorough book I would recommend to young Christian that enjoy reading or want to engage culture. It's thickness is not a problem with most books. It's only 12 chapters with two of the longest chapters being more on the application side, so fairly 'easy' reading. Those that are new to the concept to 'worldview' will find the first chapters the most challenging, but by no means difficult to grasp.
November 18, 2020
There are plenty of good ideas presented in this book, but the author is unnecessarily long winded. The book could have been half the length and still gotten his point across. If you want to just read chapters 10 and 11, I think you will get the whole of the book without having to succumb to 300 pages of constant review.
October 1, 2018
This is a good sober look at popular culture from a Christian perspective. It bridges the gap between total avoidance and full immersion. My only compliant is that many of the chapters are quite long and Turneau gives more detail than needed. Highly recommend.
September 17, 2019
Decent book explaining how to see and critique the world views that are behind the stories in popular culture.
Turnau is right, this book does slow down and drag on in part 2.
Picks apart some good examples in part 3 though!
Turnau is right, this book does slow down and drag on in part 2.
Picks apart some good examples in part 3 though!
January 8, 2021
If you are looking for a way to engage with popular culture, and especially young adults, this book will help you more than any other. Dr. Turnau makes a case for why we should engage with popular culture and then gives very practical ways to do so.
June 4, 2024
Some helpful tips on interacting with an ever changing culture with a biblical worldview. Chapter on postmodernism was very well written and probably my favorite part of the book. Also crazy to see the quickness of culture changing, even 10 years.
August 5, 2020
This is the best treatise on the Christians view on pop culture out there. Should be required reading for every Bible college student, youth pastor, and lead pastor.
December 22, 2024
The most insightful book on analyzing popular culture from a Christian perspective that I have read. Highly recommended!
August 2, 2025
Great book for cultural engagement from a Christian perspective
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2016
Few things are more ubiquitous or more divisive than popular culture. That said, what is it, and why should Christians worry about it or even have anything to do with it? Ted Turnau, a Christian teacher and thinker who lives in the Czech Republic, believes not only that Christians should think about pop culture, but that we should use it as a way to present the Gospel to our friends and family.
This is no easy task, but Popologetics is a very helpful training manual to help readers learn to identify pop culture, think about it from a Christian perspective, and use it as part of a robust apologetic method. After all, Turnau points out, there is basically no one living in a Western country today that isn't deeply affected by pop culture. We can't run from it, so we'd better engage it.
And it's not all bad. There's plenty of stuff we should steer clear of, for sure, and there's no pop cultural text (whether it be a video game, comic book, novel, movie, anime show, song, social networking site, etc.) that doesn't have at least some bad elements, but most of them also have some good elements.
Popologetics (a combination of "popular" and "apologetics") involves identifying the bad elements and subverting them, and using the good elements as a springboard for talking about the Gospel. Subverting the bad elements means using them to show how the worldview assumed by the author is inconsistent and in fact relies on biblical truths for its very existence; using the good elements as a springboard to the Gospel means just what it sounds like.
Those familiar with presuppositional and covenantal apologetics, the method developed most thoroughly by Cornelius Van Til and Greg Bahnsen, will recognize the basics of the transcendental argument here, and Turnau is open about this influence. In fact, the entire book is largely structured along presuppositional lines.
The first section of Popologetics is mostly theological. Turnau presents his own theology of creation, human nature, common grace, pop culture, and many points in between (Turnau is Reformed). Theology of popular culture? Certainly—there is a theological way to think about anything, and since pop culture is so pervasive there is a great need for a reasoned Christian approach to it.
In the second section, Turnau looks at a variety of Christian approaches to pop culture that he finds unhelpful, and in some cases even dangerous. These range from those who think there's no reason to think about pop culture, those who prefer high culture and look with disdain on its "lesser" cousin, and those who uncritically embrace all things pop cultural in the name of postmodern diversity and openness. This section will be a bit tedious for some, but it is an essential part of Turnau's message.
The third and final section takes a long, serious look at Turnau's own approach to pop culture reading and response. He applies the presuppositional and transcendental approach in language anyone can understand, though aspects of his arguments will require special concentration.
He ends by applying this method to five pop cultural texts: the Eagles song "Heartbreak Tonight," the documentary film Grizzly Man by Werner Herzog, the manga/anime series One Piece, the cartoon family film Kung Fu Panda, and Twitter. This is extremely helpful, and the one thing lacking in many books about apologetics.
This book is for every Christian. We can't afford not to think about pop culture for two reasons: we are all affected by it and Christ calls us to take every thought captive, and we are surrounded by people who are affected by it and who need the Gospel clearly articulated to them. What better way than to use the pop culture texts with which they're already familiar?
Read more of this review (and more like it) on our website.
This is no easy task, but Popologetics is a very helpful training manual to help readers learn to identify pop culture, think about it from a Christian perspective, and use it as part of a robust apologetic method. After all, Turnau points out, there is basically no one living in a Western country today that isn't deeply affected by pop culture. We can't run from it, so we'd better engage it.
And it's not all bad. There's plenty of stuff we should steer clear of, for sure, and there's no pop cultural text (whether it be a video game, comic book, novel, movie, anime show, song, social networking site, etc.) that doesn't have at least some bad elements, but most of them also have some good elements.
Popologetics (a combination of "popular" and "apologetics") involves identifying the bad elements and subverting them, and using the good elements as a springboard for talking about the Gospel. Subverting the bad elements means using them to show how the worldview assumed by the author is inconsistent and in fact relies on biblical truths for its very existence; using the good elements as a springboard to the Gospel means just what it sounds like.
Those familiar with presuppositional and covenantal apologetics, the method developed most thoroughly by Cornelius Van Til and Greg Bahnsen, will recognize the basics of the transcendental argument here, and Turnau is open about this influence. In fact, the entire book is largely structured along presuppositional lines.
The first section of Popologetics is mostly theological. Turnau presents his own theology of creation, human nature, common grace, pop culture, and many points in between (Turnau is Reformed). Theology of popular culture? Certainly—there is a theological way to think about anything, and since pop culture is so pervasive there is a great need for a reasoned Christian approach to it.
In the second section, Turnau looks at a variety of Christian approaches to pop culture that he finds unhelpful, and in some cases even dangerous. These range from those who think there's no reason to think about pop culture, those who prefer high culture and look with disdain on its "lesser" cousin, and those who uncritically embrace all things pop cultural in the name of postmodern diversity and openness. This section will be a bit tedious for some, but it is an essential part of Turnau's message.
The third and final section takes a long, serious look at Turnau's own approach to pop culture reading and response. He applies the presuppositional and transcendental approach in language anyone can understand, though aspects of his arguments will require special concentration.
He ends by applying this method to five pop cultural texts: the Eagles song "Heartbreak Tonight," the documentary film Grizzly Man by Werner Herzog, the manga/anime series One Piece, the cartoon family film Kung Fu Panda, and Twitter. This is extremely helpful, and the one thing lacking in many books about apologetics.
This book is for every Christian. We can't afford not to think about pop culture for two reasons: we are all affected by it and Christ calls us to take every thought captive, and we are surrounded by people who are affected by it and who need the Gospel clearly articulated to them. What better way than to use the pop culture texts with which they're already familiar?
Read more of this review (and more like it) on our website.
June 26, 2014
I truly enjoyed reading this book by Ted Turnau. The author has helped me gain a new perspective on popular culture and why Christians should engage it critically (aside from just being spectators seeking entertainment). Briefly, the book draws attention to the worldviews that may underlie cultural texts (or pieces of pop culture; a song, a movie, etc.) and how us Christians can use apologetics (the author doesn’t take the “philosophical arguments for God’s existence” or “empirical evidence” aspect into consideration in this book) to speak relevantly to the people around us about the great message that is the gospel. Not only this, the author’s approach may also help us gain a deeper appreciation of the gospel by the way it contrasts with the worldviews that underlie popular culture.
The book is divided in three parts. The first one focuses on explaining the concepts: popular culture, worldviews, and apologetics. The author explains how culture is built into us as humans created in God’s image (Genesis 1 and 2). Being fallen beings (Genesis 3), however, culture ends up being a mix of grace and idolatry. There is both good and bad in culture. Where do worldviews and apologetics come into play? In helping us understand the worlds that popular cultural texts invite us into and giving an answer based on the truth of the gospel.
Part two takes a look at some unhelpful approaches some Christians take when dealing with popular culture (the following are the chapters’ names with a small summary of mine):
1) “Problem? What problem?” - There’s nothing to worry about with culture.
2) “Don’t Touch that Dial - It’s Dirty!” - Popular culture is ultimately damaging to the Christian’s spiritual health. Withdrawal is our duty.
3) “But It’s so Jejune” - High culture is what we all need (e.g., classical music, greek epics). Popular culture is degrading to human flourishing.
4) “A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures” - Popular culture makes us dumb with so many images. Propositions, arguments, logic, and reasoning is what we all need more of.
5) “It’s All Good!” - God is speaking to us through culture. After all, that’s all we got, our context.
The author offers a critique, detailing some positive elements of each approach at the end of each chapter.
Finally, on part 3, the author offers his own approach (which he ends up calling wittily “popologetics”). This approach seeks to be faithful to reality as it is presented to us in Scripture. We are cultural beings created to reflect God. We are fallen. God has sent His only Son for our salvation. All creation points beyond itself to its Creator. Humanity knows and suppresses the truth of the God who is there. Just as Jesus came into the world, so also Christians must engage it without succumbing to the idolatry that can be found therein.
And so the author presents five questions that can help us understand the pop cultural texts and engage:
1) What’s the story?
2) Where are we?
3) What is true and good and beautiful here?
4) What is false and evil and perverse here, and how can I subvert it?
5) How does the gospel apply?
The last chapter of part 3 applies Turnau’s method with some well-known texts of our time (e.g., Kung Fu Panda, One Piece, Twitter).
The book can get difficult at times, but not because of content, but because of style. Overall, this book is great! If you can, get it and read it.
The book is divided in three parts. The first one focuses on explaining the concepts: popular culture, worldviews, and apologetics. The author explains how culture is built into us as humans created in God’s image (Genesis 1 and 2). Being fallen beings (Genesis 3), however, culture ends up being a mix of grace and idolatry. There is both good and bad in culture. Where do worldviews and apologetics come into play? In helping us understand the worlds that popular cultural texts invite us into and giving an answer based on the truth of the gospel.
Part two takes a look at some unhelpful approaches some Christians take when dealing with popular culture (the following are the chapters’ names with a small summary of mine):
1) “Problem? What problem?” - There’s nothing to worry about with culture.
2) “Don’t Touch that Dial - It’s Dirty!” - Popular culture is ultimately damaging to the Christian’s spiritual health. Withdrawal is our duty.
3) “But It’s so Jejune” - High culture is what we all need (e.g., classical music, greek epics). Popular culture is degrading to human flourishing.
4) “A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures” - Popular culture makes us dumb with so many images. Propositions, arguments, logic, and reasoning is what we all need more of.
5) “It’s All Good!” - God is speaking to us through culture. After all, that’s all we got, our context.
The author offers a critique, detailing some positive elements of each approach at the end of each chapter.
Finally, on part 3, the author offers his own approach (which he ends up calling wittily “popologetics”). This approach seeks to be faithful to reality as it is presented to us in Scripture. We are cultural beings created to reflect God. We are fallen. God has sent His only Son for our salvation. All creation points beyond itself to its Creator. Humanity knows and suppresses the truth of the God who is there. Just as Jesus came into the world, so also Christians must engage it without succumbing to the idolatry that can be found therein.
And so the author presents five questions that can help us understand the pop cultural texts and engage:
1) What’s the story?
2) Where are we?
3) What is true and good and beautiful here?
4) What is false and evil and perverse here, and how can I subvert it?
5) How does the gospel apply?
The last chapter of part 3 applies Turnau’s method with some well-known texts of our time (e.g., Kung Fu Panda, One Piece, Twitter).
The book can get difficult at times, but not because of content, but because of style. Overall, this book is great! If you can, get it and read it.
February 21, 2021
What a great read! The onions illustration is a clear re-framing of the (Lewis) argument from desire, but it's so well expressed... There is so much in this book that merits thoughtfulness. Read it. I know I want to read it again (just need more time in my day to get to it...).
January 9, 2013
Popologetics is an insightful, practically helpful and Biblical approach to the controversial and debatable topic of Popular Culture. Ted Turnau addresses the question of how a Christian should approach Pop Culture (or even whether they should approach it at all!) and he does so in a mature, honest, witty and wise manner which engages with the reader and provides a stimulating and truly thought-provoking read.
From a personal perspective, Ted’s book has put into clear words many of the things which formed vague and muddled ideas previously in my head, providing Biblical backing, extensive research and practical way to reach non-Christians with the Gospel. Ted highlights some bad approaches to Popular Culture that some Christians have but concludes every chapter with in a mature and wise manner, by commending people who get things wrong in either their strive for purity or their desire to see the Gospel spread. Ted then goes on to outline his five questions to look at when analysing Popular Culture from a Christian perspective.
Ted is honest, intelligent and above all hugely readable and I would heartily recommend his book to anyone who is thinking about what it means to live as a Christian in this media-saturated world.
From a personal perspective, Ted’s book has put into clear words many of the things which formed vague and muddled ideas previously in my head, providing Biblical backing, extensive research and practical way to reach non-Christians with the Gospel. Ted highlights some bad approaches to Popular Culture that some Christians have but concludes every chapter with in a mature and wise manner, by commending people who get things wrong in either their strive for purity or their desire to see the Gospel spread. Ted then goes on to outline his five questions to look at when analysing Popular Culture from a Christian perspective.
Ted is honest, intelligent and above all hugely readable and I would heartily recommend his book to anyone who is thinking about what it means to live as a Christian in this media-saturated world.
May 5, 2014
This is a critical book for all Christians of every denomination to read. One of the biggest challenges facing the modern day Christian church is how to engage the youth in a meaningful and honest way, without minimizing or chastising the things that they value, most of which are found in pop culture. This book is an especially essential read for all church leaders who work with young people. Turnau goes into meticulous detail examine the different kinds of mentality that are so popular within the Christian and non-Christian world and his aim is ultimately to bring us together through understanding, not by compromising our principles as Christians. The approach that he suggests is on that I will be basing part of my theology thesis on.
December 19, 2012
Turnau has a both-and theory of culture which sees the junk but appreciates the diamonds too. Discriminating Consumption R Us. He finishes with just-great dissections of five culture bits -- a movie, anime, etc., I can t remember. See my review in Themelios 35 (spring 2013). Turnau finds Christ obscured and revealed in popular culture. Deserves a wide audience and I hope he gets one. The cause will benefit.
December 9, 2013
Despite my occasional disagreement, and the way the author misrepresents some writers whose views he opposes (not least Neil Postman), this is a fine book for helping Christians discern what's good and not-so-good about any work of pop culture - whether it is a song, film, TV series, or even a social networking site.
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