Week 10- Response to Brett's blog:

I appreciated Brett's response to the in-class conversation about subcultures, but more specifically the subculture of sci-fi individuals. It is interesting to see and hear of individuals who are currently in certain subcultures and how that relates to them specifically. Studies that have been done for this particular subculture and subcultures similar to this one have always been fascinating to me, because it gives you a better appreciation to the efforts, movements, and languages happening within these sorts of groups. I agree with Brett as he notes Professor Bolger's thoughts in that the church can work in these subcultures in a similar fashion in regards to being relevant in their text and their context. 

Week 10-Revised outline of final paper

Moving forward in this project, I will take a closer look at each model for this project (the synthetic and transcendental models). I think both of these models will be useful to appropriately identify the youth culture today in the midst of the influence of popular culture. The synthetic model will guide my thoughts and my writings because the model gives us a better idea of the conversations and movements that occur within human beings and will give me a better understanding of those conversations with this model. The transcendental model will also guide me in this project because the model exists to bring authenticity and transparency with the parties involved. I think this model gives appropriate examples that will enable me to have a better understanding of this model and how it relates to youth culture and the influence of popular culture. 

I will also continue to use other conversations and movements from my experiences with students currently to portray a better grasp on the texts from Bevans, but texts from Barker as well.

This is a very sensitive subject and I want to do my best to portray the influences of the popular culture on the jr high student (youth) culture today. Where will this take me? We'll see.

For the purposes of this project I will focus my energy on the student culture, specifically the jr. high student culture, and pop culture. The setting of this project will be in Los Angeles, California.

I. Examine an aspect of culture: Popular Culture in the students (further examination will come from Barker)

A. Popular Culture in Los Angeles, CA.

B. Popular Culture in the local church

C. Develop and examine a better understanding of popular culture and how it relates to the student culture.

II. Use the Bevans' "transcendental and synthetic model"

III. The church community

A. How will they acknowledge and address the student culture

a. family influence with students

b. internet communities 

B. Focus on "hyper-reality" of local communities and students

C. Global focus on student culture

D. Any movements in support of the student culture?

Week 10-Wednesday

As our class comes to a close I would like to give a brief overview of my experiences, thoughts, and pose some questions. As we move forward in our lives, we need to always remember that it is because of Christ that we live. To live for others, to be a servant, to act justly, to love one another, to put others before ourselves, focus on the Scriptures, and love God. Go to the fragmos, the outsider, the fragmented. Put yourself in their space. Do your best to understand other cultures, ethnicities, societies, listen, and watch the movements there. What is language? Language is more than words. It is movements in space (no, not outer-space). Movements of people, art, music, trends, clothing, and much more. Watch carefully. Do you believe in myths? You may believe in them after you begin to reflect on many of the myths you live in everyday. Just wait, you'll figure it out. How has the media shaped your life? How have you shaped the media? Should we be agents of change? Can we be agents of change? Why? How? What can we do as followers of Christ in this world? 2 things. Love God and love people. 

Week 10-Monday

We continued our conversation in class about The Merchants of Cool episodes and discussed the rock/punk culture. Is it rebellion? Expression of emotions? What is it with this culture that students are attracted to it? Who is really understanding the youth culture today? As we have discussed in class the last several days, is it: the producers, the audience, everyday life, or texts? All four of these elements are unique, yet have huge implications on the youth culture. Ultimately I think the audience (being the youth) has the largest impact on trends, fashion, and music. They are the ones who are setting the standard almost. Counter to that suggestion, some would say its the producers who have the greatest impact on the youth culture. What they produce, distribute, and sell has huge implications as well. So what is really going on? Who is doing what? Many of these questions and more should be asked and talked about.

Week 9-Revised Outline of Final Paper

This section of my revised outline was accidentally not included on my previous post. The models that I have chosen for the paper will give the audience and myself a better understanding of jr high student culture alongside popular culture. The focus will be the movements of jr high student culture influenced by popular culture and the churches response to this culture.

Since the setting is in Southern California, the student culture is heavily influenced by Hollywood, music, art, film, sex, and so forth. Further, one of the examples I will focus with will include the student culture and the popular show, Wicked. This is a heavy influence that I observe in many of my jr highers and it is interesting to see a connection with them and this show. I actually just saw the show and I am looking forward to conversations with my students. 

For the purposes of this project I will focus my energy on the student culture, specifically the jr. high student culture, and pop culture. The setting of this project will be in Los Angeles, California.

I. Examine an aspect of culture: Popular Culture in the students (further examination will come from Barker)

A. Popular Culture in Los Angeles, CA.

B. Popular Culture in the local church

C. Develop and examine a better understanding of popular culture and how it      relates to the student culture.

II. Use the Bevans' "transcendental and synthetic model"

III. The church community

A. How will they acknowledge and address the student culture

a. family influence with students

b. internet communities 

B. Focus on "hyper-reality" of local communities and students

C. Global focus on student culture

D. Any movements in support of the student culture?

Week 9-Response to Michael's Blog:

It is interesting to note that it seems the American culture lacks a sense of depth to their traditional and spiritual practices, as expressed by Michael. I agree that the Western Culture almost seems tainted in a sense. That we have a very narrow view of spirituality and spiritual expressions. I loved the Magnolia quote. I couldn't have chosen a better quote that fits with life everlasting. It's true, we may "think" we're done with the past, but the reality of it is the past isn't finished with us. We constantly live in a posture that is positioned around the movements of the past rather than moving forward in the present. We must come to the reality that we are all hurting and suffering in some way, so let's not run away from that thought. It is real and we must acknowledge that! We can reflect upon things from the past, let's learn from them, let's those experiences shape us and challenge us to be people of change for change.

Week 9-Cobb, Chapter 9 (Life Everlasting)

"What we do in life, echoes in eternity." This coined quote from the movie Gladiator, speaks volumes and brings us back to the reality of this life. We are people living here on Earth, in pursuit of love, a career, peace, wealth, paradise, or whatever one may be pursuing and through these pursuits we make decisions, hopefully decisions that are focused on Christ. So life is precious and valuable. How does one want to reflect back and celebrate when one passes away? As Cobb described, much of the Christian faith, and many religions, is based on alpha and omega myths. These myths or even thoughts are intentionally giving us visualizations and experiences in order to prepare us for death. So what are we doing with our lives? Are we merely just wasting away? Pursuing Christ? Pursuing individualistic desires? Community desires? Many of these questions one may ask as they live life and think about making changes if necessary.

Week 9-Bevans, Chapter 9 (The Countercultural Model)

To some individuals, this model may seem like an anticultural model, however I think this model is interested in the conversations within the human context and the context within building community with others. The countercultural model exists to specifically engage human beings with the specific intention of proclaiming the gospel of truth and continuing to understand the culture and it's context. Bevans stated it right when he said the gospel encounters or engages the human context, by its concretization or incarnation in the Christian community, the church. We must be a people of God who desires deeply to engage in any culture and seek the heart of the King and live such lives that people see Christ being proclaimed. Newbigin states in this chapter that the priesthood of all believers has to be exercised in the world. It is in the ordinary secular business of the world that the sacrifices of love and obedience are to be offered to God. We must be willing to be challenged by God and by the culture, but in turn to challenge culture with purpose and excitement for Christ. 

Week 9-Wednesday

How has media influenced the youth culture? As we viewed today during class, "The Merchants of Cool," episodes of getting into the minds of the youth culture, brought some very upsetting and interesting views of this culture to my mind. As a person called into student ministry, I was taken back by these episodes. Because these marketing and research organizations do their research and try to "understand the youth culture," when really all they're doing is trying to find ways to make more money. They don't want to really understand this culture, rather they are planning ways to cash-in. Identity, self-concept, self-image, are all part of the youth culture and these three elements are applicable to the development of all students. Instead of trying to "cash-in" on their "coolness" or "likes" let's listen to them, feel their pain, help them find true identity. That identity being in Christ.

Week 9-Monday

As we continued in our conversation of Derrida, we talked about differance and then we discussed thoughts from Michel Foucault and power-knowledge. As we talked about power, we discussed that power as Marx would described is when some individuals have it and others didn't, but Foucault describes it as power not only constrained people, but enabled people. That power is in every relationship, any structure (neighborhood, relationship, company, etc) and that each entity at some level limits people. One main source of power is knowledge. Power brings knowledge and knowledge brings power! Are these thoughts just through the lens of Western institutions? Some may suggest this thought is very influenced by Western Culture. Some find their true identity in the amount of power they have and then ones with "knowledge" consider themselves to be ones with "legitimate" power and authority. 

Week 8-Response to Aaron's Blog:

I was pleased to read that he noted the part of the African experience of slavery and how that manifested in spirituals then in gospel music and hymns. I think we have the natural tendency to think of salvation as a Western Culture phenomenon when in reality salvation has been seen through the lens of years and years of cultural practices, musicians, and certainly art. Salvation as Cobb describes is therapeutic to the human soul. It is something we all long to have and we even desire it for other people, don't we? Further, we even see salvation through the lens of redemptive violence as Aaron notes as well. Movies and music both paint this picture for all to see redemptive violence bring salvation. 

Week 8-Final Paper Outline

For the purposes of this project I will focus my energy on the student culture, specifically the jr. high student culture, and pop culture. The setting of this project will be in Los Angeles, California.

I. Examine an aspect of culture: Popular Culture in the students (further examination will come from Barker)

A. Popular Culture in Los Angeles, CA.

B. Popular Culture in the local church

C. Develop and examine a better understanding of popular culture and how it     relates to the student culture.

II. Use the Bevans' "transcendental and synthetic model"

III. The church community

A. How will they acknowledge and address the student culture

a. family influence with students

b. internet communities 

B. Focus on "hyper-reality" of local communities and students

C. Global focus on student culture

D. Any movements in support of the student culture?

Week 8- Bevans, Chapter 8 (The Transcendental Model)

Continuing to think contextually with our theology, we look to the transcendental model and we come to the realization that this model brings out true authenticity in individuals. Within the transcendental model Lonergan writes, "Genuine objectivity is the fruit of authentic subjectivity." Objective knowledge, knowledge of the real, can only be achieved "by attaining authentic subjectivity. When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to others, we essentially give a piece of ourselves to others, and allow others to know our deepest, darkest, in-most being. To some this will never happen due to the fear involved and to others this is a long process of opening up and becoming vulnerable. The process of becoming vulnerable to others is asking questions and lots of questions. A follower of Christ must ask questions. I think this is essential to the transcendental model! Asking questions is part of the experience, part of the journey, part of the movement towards Christ, and part of knowing who God is. I think this is a sign of true authenticity is asking these types of questions to yourself, but to others as well. You should have these types of conversations for your own growth and development. Cobb also expresses that the transcendental model easily admits the fact that any Christian who authentically tries to appropriate his or her faith is participating in the theologizing process and is doing genuine contextual theology. 

Week 8- Cobb, Chapter 8 (Salvation)

As many followers of Christ would suggest, "Salvation is the beginning of new life with a relationship with Jesus Christ, full of obedience, trust, and love," but Cobb suggests that salvation is also sought in popular culture through the aid of traditional symbols and icons, although they are lifted from their original texts. Further, salvation can also be expressed through art, music, poetry, and other forms of religious activities. Have you ever thought of salvation through the entertainment industry? Initially you would think probably not, however every 30-second commercial, as Walter Davis explains it, "portrays a minidrama of sin and salvation: depicting evil, its source, who we must do to be saved." Television and the internet convince us of our need to be saved and seek salvation. Also, music has a large influence of our need of salvation. Further, Cobb suggests that we seek grace and self-transcendence through music, drugs, strenuous exercise, art, and the redemptive violence of our matinee heroes. As we see, salvation can be expressed and interpreted in many different ways and even through movies we see salvation expressions.