Religion Commons^™

This article addresses the question of how responses to the arts and popular culture, as mediated through on-line fan activity, may contribute to the development of religious/spiritual exploration in contemporary Western societies. It offers a critical reading of 40 short essays posted by fans of the rock band U2 on a fan site from the perspective of how respondents expose their personal, critical reflections on their developing selves. The function of the U2 songs reflected upon, the listeners’ responses, the strategies/processes used, and the resources upon which they draw in the task of reflection are noted and examined. The article …

While there is occasional interest in the reconciliation of science and religion, a system for incorporating both rational and intuitive information in making sense of the world and making informed decisions using the integration of this knowledge is generally unavailable in the modern world. Many religions throughout the world record a long ago period of “oneness” with the divine, with nature, with the universe, which is tragically interrupted by estrangement or separation. By delving into what may seem to be a foreign venue to discover “Reality” for a member of modern Western society, what may be discovered are remnants of …