Nothing screams for the Theology of the Cross like The Bachelor, The Kardashians, and Teen Mom. In this workshop, Romantic Reality and the Theology of the Cross for a Postmodern Generation, we will look at today’s uniquely postmodern youth culture through the lens of reality television and romantic comedies. Then we will examine how Martin Luther’s Theology of the Cross outlines the crucial approach for ministering to this generation and communicating the gospel of grace. Whether it is the description of sin, the engagement of suffering, or simply the overall obsession with romantic love (and failure to achieve it in any lasting way) Luther’s theological insights provide the best tools for connecting with postmodern youth. This workshop will be particularly useful for people working with youth or college students, parents trying to understand their adolescent child, or folks whose guilty pleasure is watching reality television and romantic comedies. Don’t miss your chance to register today.
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3 responses to “Conference Preview: Romantic Reality and the Theology of the Cross for a Postmodern Generation”
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A very interesting footnote to what you're talking about Cam:
http://www.utne.com/Science-Technology/Romantic-Comedies-Are-Making-Kids-Miserable.aspx
"Hollywood’s romantic comedies aren’t just innocuous cinematic tripe. They’re actually warping children’s minds (pdf), according to new research from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The films, including Notting Hill and You’ve Got Mail are skewed portrayals of relationships with “both highly idealistic and undesirable qualities,” the researchers write, where romantic problems or transgressions “have no real negative long-term impact on relationship functioning.” The films tend to focus on the early stages of relationships, but the characters displayed emotions that generally develop over time, including deep feelings of love and emotional support. Adolescents sometimes use these films as models for their own relationships, which could lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment."
More: http://www.attachmentresearch.org/pdfs/Johnson%20&%20Holmes%20Comm%20Quarterly%20draft.pdf
Interesting link, Dave. One thing I often see in the "research" of social scientists is that they treat their conclusion as if it were the fruits of cutting edge tools only available to 21st century psychologists or sociologists — when in fact some essayist from the humanities already hit upon their idea (and wrote about it with a much better prose style) several decades before.
In this case, C.S. Lewis saw this pattern in the pop culture of the 40s and 50s and predicted it would lead to a sharply high divorce rate. That is, people would enter marriage thinking that it was supposed to be about being "in love" (meaning the state of romantic infatuation one has in a love's first stage). And that when (inevitably) that particular feeling went away, they'd conclude that they were "no longer in love" and would look for someone else that could make them feel that way again.
PS. On a different note, the opening sentence of that piece bothered me a bit:
"Hollywood’s romantic comedies aren’t just innocuous cinematic tripe."
For one thing, I feel like NO movie that's really tripe — i.e. a really bad movie — is innocuous. All badly made movies dull and blunt the sensibilities of the audience and in that sense do harm.
And secondly that remark implies that all "romantic comedies" are tripe. Which is such a sad thing to tell somebody. The genre has produced some of the most delightful films of all time: City Lights, Bringing Up Baby, Annie Hall, etc.