An Implicit Theology of Mad Men

One of the most striking sites of secular-religious encounter in narrative fiction of the decade has been the baptismal imagery of the television serial drama Mad Men. Set in an era which may be said to be the high-water mark of the secularization of American culture, Mad Men’s encoding of meaning i...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hubbard, Scott (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Brill [2020]
In: Religion and the arts
Year: 2020, Volume: 24, Issue: 4, Pages: 415-430
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Mad Men / Secularism / Popular culture / Christianity / Symbolism
IxTheo Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
CH Christianity and Society
KBQ North America
Further subjects:B Mad Men
B Baptism
B Christian Theology
B Television
B Popular Culture
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:One of the most striking sites of secular-religious encounter in narrative fiction of the decade has been the baptismal imagery of the television serial drama Mad Men. Set in an era which may be said to be the high-water mark of the secularization of American culture, Mad Men’s encoding of meaning in symbolic representation in effect re-sacralizes the secular world into which those symbols are transplanted. The symbolism’s divergences from Christian doctrine and ritual that give Mad Men its distinct theological significance. This paper will explore the literary implications of Paul Ricoeur’s theory of religious symbolism. This paper conducts several close readings of key moments in the show’s use of baptismal symbolism, and offers thoughts about how Mad Men’s constellation of originally religious symbols to convey narrative significance empowers the show to perform a religious function for its audience.
ISSN:1568-5292
Contains:Enthalten in: Religion and the arts
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15685292-02404004