Sacred Matters: Celebrity Worship, Sexual Ecstasies, the Living Dead, and Other Signs of Religious Life in the United States

by Gary Laderman

Sacred Matters makes the powerful case that we must take the broad view of religious life in America today. Laderman argues that genuinely religious practices and experiences can be found in the unlikeliest of places―in science laboratories, in movie theaters and concert halls, at the Super Bowl, in Americans' obsession with prescription drugs and in their pursuit of pornography. Laderman depicts an American cultural landscape blooming with sacred icons, popular devotions, and deep-rooted mythologies. Sacred Matters makes a powerful and illuminating case that religion is everywhere―and that we have barely begun to reckon with its hold on our cultural life.

Genres: Cultural, Religion

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2009

About the author

Gary Laderman is the Professor of American Religious History and Cultures at Emory University. He received his B.A. in psychology from California State University, Northridge, and his M.A. and Ph. D. from the Religious Studies Department, University of California, Santa Barbara. He also spent a year in Paris, France, as a graduate student, studying at the Center for Critical Studies and the Sorbonne. Laderman’s courses and seminars include U.S. Religious History; Mind, Medicine, and Healing; Death and Dying; Theory and Method; Introduction to Religion; Native American Religions; Health and Healing; and American Religious Cultures. Gary Laderman is the author of Sacred Matters: Celebrity Worship, Sexual Ecstasies, the Living Dead, and Other Signs of Religious Life in the United States. He is also the author of two books on death in America: The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1799-1883 and Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America. He also has co-edited two encyclopedias, Religion and American Cultures: An Encyclopedia of Traditions, Diversity, and Popular Expressions, and Science, Religion, Societies: Histories, Cultures, Controversies.

Reviews

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was lame. He treats a variety of topics, loosely identifying what he thinks are 'religious' elements in popular culture with no sense of overriding theory or actual criteria at all. The treatment he gives to his various topics, such as 'celebrity', 'medicine', 'science' is extremely thin and unsatisfying. In short he says next to nothing except that he, for some unknown reason, thinks that these reflect some aspects of religion. Exactly what aspects he has in mind is left for the reader to decide.

[Daniel Burton-Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I welcome Laderman's call for a more diffuse understanding of the religious, but--whether granting legitimacy to the concept "family values" or buying Ice T's claim of street authenticity--Laderman consistently fails to take his analysis to the next step. This book is just a long op ed, devoid of fieldwork, but evincing plenty of websurfing and not a little fanboy indulgence.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretentious & wordy attempt to deconstruct "worship" & "religious life"... like being stuck at a cocktail party with a sociology professor who won't let anyone else join the conversation. Stopped reading after two chapters - and that's more patience than the book deserved.

[Rob Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be much better than others, it seems? Sacred Matters defines the sacred using different lenses on American society. It shows that most participate in the sacred in ways unacknowledged and removed from or adjacent to the traditional monotheistic methods. Saying in fact, most people participate in multiple things that are sacred in some way.

Each chapter takes you through a major topic like Movies, Music, Celebrity and Death using 3-4 major examples in American culture. Laderman explains how each topic treads near and sometimes crosses fully into the sacred. He talks about humanities need for ordering chaos, finding meaning and much more while making clear examples within each chapter of folks doing just that.

I really enjoyed the chapter on Celebrity looking at idol worship and the downward spiral of worshiping saints and heroes with "ideals" to celebrities based on "image". I imagine that trajectory continues with the social media influencers and other crap people pay attention to now. The book was written before social media really captured the hearts and minds of people but explains very well why it has and why I avoid it.

Social media has taken many of the chapters of this book and wrapped them all up into one highly accessible and addictive beast, creating in some ways a sacred Frankenstein for the masses.

Also, I agree wholeheartedly with his perspectives on rave culture, psychedelics, and more which have also increased in popularity since the book was written.

Would be very interesting to see a follow-up to this, updating each chapter and such. The book isn't a monster read nor particularly verbose as some have mentioned. It's a sampling of elements of American culture with many thoughtful correlations to what most would consider traditional monotheism. While reading each chapter I would be analyzing my own actions and that of folks I know seeing the same correlations. At the end of the day and the book, the Sacred in American culture is definitely not something that can be easily summarized or discarded. In some ways the "sacred" is humanity and all that we do.

[Abby Malbreaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laderman is clearly an expert in his field and is able to give so much backing to each one of his arguments throughout the book. However, much of it is outdated to the times, I read this in a college course on new Religious Movements, and combed through this book with my class. Laderman is not shy to give his own opinions on the matter and this voice shines through his writing, I would be curious to see an updated version perhaps adding chapters conferring social media.