American Religion and Mass Media

Are mass media “tools of Satan” that will corrupt morals? Are they part of the divine plan to cultivate a moral community? Focusing on the 20th century, we will explore the interplay of religious individuals and groups and developing media technologies. What were the historical contexts evoking varied responses and uses of print and electronic media? Does the consumption of religious media privatize religion, or does it require new ways of envisioning community? In discussing these and other questions we will discover the ways in which American religion was shaped by media and how media was shaped by religion.