Quoting God: How Media Shape Ideas about Religion and Culture [Paperback]

Claire H. Badaracco (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2004

Quoting God charts the many ways in which media report religion news, how media use the quoted word to describe lived faith, and how media themselves influence--and are influenced by--religion in the public square. The volume intentionally brings together the work of academics, who study religion as a crucial factor in the construction of identity, and the work of professional journalists, who regularly report on religion in an age of instant and competitive news. This book clearly demonstrates that the relationship between media culture and spiritual culture is foundational and multi-directional; that the relationship between news values and religion in political life is influential; and that the relationship among modernity, belief, and journalism is pivotal.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Billed as an examination of world religions' influence on culture and the media's impact on religions, this collection also illustrates the worldview behind mainstream journalism. Eleven chapters, each by a different journalist or scholar, relate case studies, essays and personal life. Subjects range from the exotic (the Falun Gong) to the familiar (science and religion). Two treatments—one of the press's role in Arab nations, and the other of Muslim identity in American media—illuminate today's headlines. In the foreword, prominent religion reporter John Dart defines secular news organizations as "religiously neutral" and religion scholars as "nonpartisan," which some readers may dispute. The book hits occasional sour notes, such as conflating Jehovah's Witnesses with Christian fundamentalists and harshly critiquing President Bush's public expressions of faith. But there are strong contributions; Paul Boyer's essay on biblical prophecy and foreign policy points out the potential complications of having a premillennial dispensationalist in the White House, and Richard Gardner builds a case for "complicated and ambiguous narratives" in the reportage of the 1995 Aum Shinrikyo sarin gas attack in Japan while linking coverage of the story with Japan's history and mores. This anthology will find its biggest audience in journalism classes, but it also can help the average reader understand the pitfalls and possibilities of religion reporting.
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Review

Quoting God is a testament to the stunning diversity and complexity of what Gus Niebuhr calls the "religion-media encounter." Of the many significant contributions this book makes, one of the most important is to remind us that religion intersects with almost every conceivable journalistic "beat." This book illustrates the kind of fresh and informative stories that can result when journalists recognize these intersections. --Melissa Rogers, Visiting Professor of Religion and Public Policy, Wake Forest University Divinity School

Badaracco has assembled an impressive collection of essays by leading scholars and journalism professionals... Those who have, or will have, the responsibility for analyzing and reporting on religion should have access to this timely volume... Highly recommended. --CHOICE

There is rarely any news today, whether national or international, that is not freighted with a religious component or a religious underpinning. The scholars and journalists in this volume know the importance religion plays in almost every dimension of life. Covering a wide array of topics, the essays in this book each make a unique contribution on a subject much discussed but little understood. It will serve as a valuable resource for students and journalists alike. --Michael Cromartie, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington

For better and for worse, we are all connected as people shaped by media. This rich and multi-faceted reader shows how the need to tell each other stories affects the shapers and the shaped. --Kenneth L. Woodward, Contributing Editor, Newsweek

There is rarely any news today, whether national or international, that is not freighted with a religious component or a religious underpinning. The scholars and journalists in this volume know the importance religion plays in almost every dimension of life. Covering a wide array of topics, the essays in this book each make a unique contribution on a subject much discussed but little understood. It will serve as a valuable resource for students and journalists alike. --Michael Cromartie, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington

Quoting God is a testament to the stunning diversity and complexity of what Gus Niebuhr calls the "religion-media encounter." Of the many significant contributions this book makes, one of the most important is to remind us that religion intersects with almost every conceivable journalistic "beat." This book illustrates the kind of fresh and informative stories that can result when journalists recognize these intersections. --Melissa Rogers, Visiting Professor of Religion and Public Policy, Wake Forest University Divinity School

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: Baylor University Press (November 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932792066
• ISBN-13: 978-1932792065
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)