The Life of a Youth Pastor

I was extremely excited to get the book Christianity Today – Faith and Pop Culture, but unfortunately I felt a bit let down.  The content and articles written by Christianity Today writers are rich in detail, and very informative, however I feel they would lack the ability to capture the interest of a teenage or elder audience.  I do however think that it would serve as a great resource for a young adult / college small group study.  The book is primarily about finding balance and spiritual encouragement in the entertainment world, while at the same time learning what Scripture has to say about it.  Questions such as:  Is TV watching just harmless fun? Should we indulge in hours upon hours of “mindless” entertainment?  Should we only watch clean, uplifting friendly shows? Is the solution simply to take a sledgehammer to the TV screen and then toss it out in next week’s recycling bin?  (pg. 55 of Faith and Pop Culture)

I am pleased to say that the book does cover a wide variety of entertainment topics from art, books, sports, television, violence, and so on. It also contains everything you would need for an effective small group such as: openers, activities, discussion forums, and even an in-depth Biblical study of each topic.  I guess when I really think about it, the book really isn’t designed for individual study, but more for a group setting and that is probably why I felt left hanging after I finished.  Overall, if you are looking to do a study on entertainment I wouldn’t recommend this book for a Jr. High class, but I would highly recommend it for a group study with members being in the 18-35 year old range.

Another aspect to keep in mind while reading my review is that I am not easily caught up in society’s form of entertainment, unlike the majority of those who might read this book.  I don’t find pleasure in watching TV, looking at art, or being addicted to a sporting event.  I would much rather watch a nice Christian documentary or listen to one of my favorite radio preachers.  I just thought you should be aware of that.  In closing I would recommend you read multiple reviews before forming a decision on purchasing this book.