Table of Contents

Contents

Chapter One: Introduction—Religion, Mass Media, and Supernatural

Chapter Two: Plurality of Religion

Chapter Three: Hegemony of Religion

Chapter Four: Horsemen and Homilies

Chapter Five: A Divinely Ordained Civil Religion

Chapter Six: Conclusion

References

About the Author

Erika Engstrom is professor of communication studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is the author of The Bride Factory: Mass Media Portrayals of Women and Weddings.

Joseph M. Valenzano, III, is assistant professor and basic course director at the University of Dayton. He has co-authored two public speaking textbooks, The Speaker: The Tradition and Practice of Public Speaking and The Speaker’s Primer.

Reviews

In summary, Engstrom and Valenzano provide a thorough and interesting investigation of this fan favorite that regularly draws two to three million viewers on the CW network. They clearly identify their methodologies and define their terms. Their knowledge of the show is extensive and many of their conclusions persuasive, though occasionally repetitive. For those researching the relationship between television and the supernatural, the book provides helpful context and information for comparison.... Engstrom and Valenzano demonstrate the value of Supernatural as a resource for teaching about religion, popular culture, media, and representations of the Apocalypse.
*Nova Religio: The Journal Of Alternative And Emergent Religions*

The combination of analyses based on concepts from hegemony theory, homiletics and civil religion make Engstrom and Valenzano’s Television, Religion, and Supernatural: Hunting Monsters, Finding Gods a fascinating addition to the burgeoning literature examining the cultural and religious implications of ostensibly secular media.
*Judith M. Buddenbaum, Colorado State University*

This is without a doubt one of the best books on television and religion. Timely, intricately researched, a pleasure to read. It is a cleverly written, multi-layered explanation of how religion and popular culture are very similar phenomena.
*Daniel Stout, Brigham Young University–Hawaii*