[.ca] Eyes Wide Open: Looking For God In Popular Culture (ISBN 1587432013)

Solid treatise on Christianity and culture:
Christians are not that much different than non-Christians when it comes to consumption of popular culture. All but the most legalistic watch many of the same movies, listen to the same music, and watch the same TV shows as everyone else. Romanowski realizes this, and with this book (along with others he has written) he analyzes the culture from a Christian perspective and gives the Christian, who is in the world but (hopefully) not of it, valuable tools for being a cultural critic. I would have rated this book higher, but for me it doesn't break a lot of new ground, and the appendices concerning an analysis of the movie "Titanic" could have been better utilized on a movie with more depth and meaning (even though I do admit that, like everyone else, I cried at the end of the movie). On the other hand, you've got to love a book with a chapter entitled "Christians Who Drink Beer" (even though, personally, I don't). Others who haven't read widely in this field like I have would surely give it a higher rating, because it is a very competent, easy to read book on an important subject.

Eyes Wide Open:
Romanowski is skillful at paring down his previous work, Pop Culture Wars, and enhancing the practical aspects of interacting with Popular Culture as an evangelical Christian. He Gives the necessary background and history to contextualize his position, while providing the reader with good tools for thinking critically about popular art. One note of critique would be that, though it is obvious that he has a commanding knowledge of film, it would be beneficial to explore other popular artforms and give current expamples. Along the same lines, the examples that he used to prove some critical comments directed to the evangelical Christian popular art (particularly the Christian Contemporary Music) community were a bit dated. But overall, this is a book that I have and will continue to use in a classroom and small group setting because it packs a punch in a small space.

A practical, analytical & Christian-based approach to movies:
Eyes Wide Open: Looking For God In Popular Culture is an easy-to-read, highly engaging guide for interpreting and evaluating popular culture from a Christian perspective and framework. William Romanowski (professor of communication arts and sciences at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan) offers a practical, analytical, and Christian-based approach to movies, music, and television programs, enabling the reader to engage the media that so saturates modern life. Romanowski's illuminating examples range from Casablanca to Titanic, from The Simpsons to ER, from Bruce Springsteen to Amy Grant. Eyes Wide Open is informative, rewarding, insightful, and strongly recommended reading for parents, pastors, teachers, and teens.