The Culture-Wise Family: Upholding Christian Values in a Mass-Media World [Hardcover]

Dr. Theodore Baehr (Author), Pat Boone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 2007

Sex. Graphic killings. Profanity. Adultery. Flip on the television, head for the movie theater, or open a newspaper and you can’t get away from it. How do you raise a family in a world supersaturated with media extolling toxic values that are not your own? Media critic Dr. Ted Baehr and legendary entertainer Pat Boone draw from their own extensive experiences and interviews with experts to help readers understand the power of the media and its influence on families. They also examine the ongoing threats to family values by those in the media who promote a humanistic worldview. Media consumers are challenged to understand their own worldviews, make wise choices and are given the information they need to do so. Baehr and Boone also look at the progress that has been made in family values programming in Hollywood, and offer hope for the future.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Sex. Graphic killings. Profanity. Adultery. Flip on the television, head for the movie theater, or open a newspaper and you can’t get away from it. How do you raise a family in a world supersaturated with media extolling toxic values that are not your own? Media critic Dr. Ted Baehr and legendary entertainer Pat Boone draw from their own extensive experiences and interviews with experts to help readers understand the power of the media and its influence on families. They also examine the ongoing threats to family values by those in the media who promote a humanistic worldview. Media consumers are challenged to understand their own worldviews, make wise choices and are given the information they need to do so. Baehr and Boone also look at the progress that has been made in family values programming in Hollywood, and offer hope for the future.

About the Author

PAT BOONE was second only to Elvis in the 1950’s as the most popular singer of that decade. In his trademark white buck shoes, Boone skyrocketed to fame with hits such as Two Hearts, Ain’t That A Shame, I Almost Lost My Mind, Letters in the Sand and Sugar Moon. He appeared in 15 films, including Bernardine, April Love and State Fair, and hosted his own television series, The Pat Boone/Chevy Showroom, for three years. In the 60’s and 70’s the Boone family toured as gospel singers and made gospel albums, such as The Pat Boone Family and The Family Who Prays. Pat is a direct descendant of pioneer Daniel Boone, and he and his wife Shirley have four daughters: Cherry, Lindy, Debby and Laury.
DR. TED BAEHR is publisher of Movieguide® and Chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, as well as a noted critic, educator, lecturer and media pundit.  He is a popular speaker and the author of several books including Narnia Beckons, Frodo and Harry: UnderstandingVisual Media and Its Impact on Our Lives and So You Want to Be in Pictures. He has been a featured guest on Oprah, Hannity and Colmes, CNN, ABC, Fox News, MSNBC and Entertainment Tonight and his work has been featured in such publications as Time Magazine, USA Today, L.A. Times, Washington Post, Hollywood Reporter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and U.S. News and World Report. Baehr graduated summa cum laude in Comparative Literature from Dartmouth College, attended Cambridge University, the University of Bordeaux & Toulouse and the University of Munich, graduated from New York University School of Law and finished his theological studies at the Institute of Theology at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. He and his wife, Lilly, have four children.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Regal (February 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830743057
• ISBN-13: 978-0830743056
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,269,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wake-up Call for the Family, June 17, 2007

By 

Vonda Skelton (SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Culture-Wise Family: Upholding Christian Values in a Mass-Media World (Hardcover)

As one who is concerned about the family, I couldn't help but embrace this book. Dr. Baehr convincingly articulates the words I've tried to say for years: We can change the direction of the family by changing the direction of the culture--whether for good or for evil. With detailed research and documented statistics, the author reveals the influence the media and the culture have, not only on the young minds of children, but on our minds as well. A must-read for every Christian who wants to make a difference at home, and in the world.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars About media impact on the family, June 4, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Culture-Wise Family: Upholding Christian Values in a Mass-Media World (Hardcover)

Readers will either love this book and think it a godsend--or they will hate it and describe it as narrow, biased, etc. The turning point will be the reader's view of the world and how it's supposed to work.

The authors have a biblical world view that says that the purpose of man is to know, love, and serve God. Therefore anything that moves someone closer to that end is good. If it does not--it is not good. It is that simple.

This would explain why Pat Boone would lead his family out of a viewing of the movie, "Paint Your Wagon" in the early seventies. Why? Because the premise of the movie was that the town would be a better place if there were more woman of a certain type--a prostitute. And much of the movie focused on how to get these women to town.

Many people would say that this is simply entertainment, point to the number of awards the movie garnered, and say that Pat Boone was narrow-minded and out of touch with the times. Pat Boone's response would be that the movie did not cause people to know, love, and serve God--and therefore should be avoided.

This book is much more than opinion. The authors share carefully documented research that shows the real impact of media on our behavior and attitudes. They argue that as parents and grandparents we have the moral obligation to teach our children and grandchildren how to look at, evaluate, and think critically about what they media presents to us--whether it be entertainment, news, or education.

Any reader will be challenged to examine the personal impact media has had on their own thinking and actions. I recommend this book.

Armchair Interviews says: A critical look at media and family today.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A valuable tool in our spiritual battle, October 10, 2007

By 

C. Straub (N. Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Culture-Wise Family: Upholding Christian Values in a Mass-Media World (Hardcover)

I have to agree with a previous poster who stated that the book was not cohesive. It seemed that the author jumped around and there didn't always seem to be a logical progression, especially within individual chapters.

That said, I appreciate the general message of the book...our children are watching entirely too much television/videos, and we need to be more careful that what they watch is in line with our Christian worldview and our biblical values.

Overall, I most appreciated chapter 10, titled "Who Stole Our Culture?", authored by William S. Lind. Lind gives the history behind the shift from Judeo-Christian values to politically-correct, cultural Marxist values. He explains that the number one goal of cultural Marxism has been the destruction of Western culture and the Christian religion (including the family) and shows how this has been put into action through gaining access to our institutions - the schools (ie...public education), the media, the churches and every other institution that could influence the culture.

I also thought that chapter 11, "Where Are We Going?", tied together the secular humanism of cultural Marxism with the Muslim advance, especially in Europe. Will the Muslim advance fill the void left in the wake of cultural Marxism? This is certainly a relevant question.

All in all, I would recommend this book to parents (and grandparents!) trying to better understand the pervasiveness of mass media, the dangers to our children, and the evil of the "politically-correct" culture we live in.