David Feltmate
Biographic Data
| ID | 300220 |
|---|---|
| NAME | David Feltmate |
| GIVEN NAMES | David |
| FAMILY NAME | Feltmate |
| SIGNATURE | FELTMATE D |
| AFFILIATIONS | Auburn University at Montgomery |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 16 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism: Do You “Seriously Believe That” After 9/11
Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism is a short book that analyzes post-9/11 comedy through the lens of religious satire. Jerry C. Jaffe argues that since the 9/11 attacks, we have seen a new wave of stand-up comedians who do not simply poke fun at religious beliefs but openly criticize religious claims in ways that were previously unimaginable. Tying this to the emergence of the new atheist movement that publicly denounces religious belief…
Peoples Temple
What is the legacy of Peoples Temple? Forty years after the events at Jonestown it seems that “Jonestown” has solidified itself as a landmark moment in American religious history. Jonestown has become synonymous with the problems of charismatic religious leadership and religious violence. Yet, the group who died at Jonestown, Peoples Temple, is largely unknown to people who reference the Jonestown murders/suicides. This article argues that revisi…
Experiencing New Religions
Book Review| May 01 2018 Experiencing New Religions Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies of the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths. By Ann Taves. Princeton University Press, 2016. xviii + 357 pages. $75.00 cloth; $29.95 paper; ebook available. David Feltmate David Feltmate David Feltmate, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography, Auburn University at Montgomery, Clement Hall 219, 7041 Senators Drive, Montgomery, Alabama 36124. Email: d…
Two Days Before the Day Before an Irritating Truth: The Simpsons and South Park’s Environmentalism as a Challenge for Mass Mediating Dark Green Ecological Ethics
Critical scholarship on pro-environmental and dark green religious themes in popular culture must engage more directly with that culture’s means of production. To make this argument, I first draw on Bron Taylor’s theory of ‘dark green religion’ as a foundation for articulating the sacredness underlying the call to deep ecological ethics. Reflecting on the means of mass mediating that message provides us with an opportunity to critically evaluate …
A funny thing happened on the way to sociology: Goffman, Mills, and Berger
This article discusses the merits of a sociology informed by humour, linking these merits to sociological issues of representation and the ways in which humour has pedagogical and epistemological relevance for the depiction and construction of the everyday lifeworld. The works of Erving Goffman, C. Wright Mills, and Peter Berger are treated as exemplifying the use of humour in sociological work. Significantly, while having different perspectives …
Rethinking New Religious Movements beyond a Social Problems Paradigm
This article argues that the field of new religions studies is driven in large part by a paradigm based in the assumption that new religious movements are comparable because they are social problems. It outlines a social problems paradigm drawing upon the work of Joel Best, illustrates how the paradigm is taught in textbooks on new religious movements, shows its value through the recent work of Stuart A. Wright and Susan J. Palmer, and offers a c…
Terry Lindvall, God Mocks: A History of Religious Satire from the Hebrew Prophets to Stephen Colbert
Christian Metal: History, Ideology, Scene by Marcus Moberg
Christian Metal: History, Ideology, Scene by Marcus Moberg." The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 27(3), pp. 250–251
When the Veil is Thin
Researching the paranormal frequently involves the study of how people discuss paranormal phenomena’s significance in popular culture. Using Victor Turner’s concept of the liminoid, in this article I survey The Simpsons’ annual “Treehouse of Horror” episodes and suggest that thinking with these episodes can help scholars re-envision the academic construction of religion and the paranormal. I will argue that scholars should collapse the distinctio…
A Mother's Value Lies in Her Sexuality: The Simpsons,Family Guy, andSouth Parkand the Preservation of Traditional Sex Roles
This article examines the relationship between being a sexual woman and a good mother inThe Simpsons,Family Guy, andSouth Park. Considering the sexual criticisms of women in the 'Mommy Wars' which continue to be fought across the United States, we find that these three programs reproduce conservative assumptions about women's sexuality and motherhood. Through critical constructionist theories of humor and motherhood, mothers from each program are…
Witnessing Suburbia: Conservatives and Christian Youth Culture
Witnessing Suburbia: Conservatives and Christian Youth Culture." The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 25(3), pp. 439–440
The sacred comedy: The problems and possibilities of Peter Berger's Theory of Humor
Peter Berger is one of the world's best known sociologists of religion, having made significant contributions to the theories of the social construction of religious worlds and secularization theory. He is also a lay theologian who has never been shy about putting forth his religious interpretations of modernity and combining his theological concerns with his sociological insights. This article considers the role of humor in Berger's overarching …
It's Funny Because It's True? The Simpsons, Satire, and the Significance of Religious Humor in Popular Culture
The Simpsons ’ depiction of the evangelical Ned Flanders has become a well-known stereotype in contemporary American popular culture which has been discussed in academic and popular circles. This article uses a critical analysis of Flanders to challenge journalist Mark Pinsky’s asser-tion that The Simpsons is “funny because it’s true ” (The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Bigger, and Possibly Even Better! Edition, Louisville, KY: Westminster Jo…
The Humorous Reproduction of Religious Prejudice: "Cults" and Religious Humour in The Simpsons, South Park, and King of the Hill
Through an examination of how generic "cults" are presented in three specific episodes of The Simpsons, South Park , and King of the Hill , this article illustrates how humorous prejudice is reproduced through popular entertainment. It argues that a generic "cult" stereotype has developed over time in mass media and is reproduced in these programs for comedic effect. After demonstrating how specific correlations between historic fears about speci…
The Humorous Reproduction of Religious Prejudice: “Cults” and Religious Humour in The Simpsons , South Park , and King of the Hill
Through an examination of how generic “cults” are presented in three specific episodes of The Simpsons, South Park, and King of the Hill, this article illustrates how humorous prejudice is reproduced through popular entertainment. It argues that a generic “cult” stereotype has developed over time in mass media and is reproduced in these programs for comedic effect. After demonstrating how specific correlations between historic fears about specifi…
New Religious Movements in Animated Adult Sitcoms-A Spectrum of Portrayals
As globally syndicated television programmes that are celebrated for their biting satirical content,The Simpsons,South Park, andFamily Guyare popular culture phenomenons. Furthermore, they are programmes which have consistently featured a wide variety of religious traditions, including a significant selection of new religious movements (NRMs). This article provides an overview of the different movements depicted in the programmes, categorizing th…
You Wince in Agony as the Hot Metal Brands You’: Religious Behavior in an Online Role-Playing Game
Examining the role of religion in the online, text-based fantasy role-playing game Darkmists, this article explores the factors that could lead to a religion existing exclusively online. Interviews with players and primary sources gathered from the game demonstrate that players create a culture in an online environment where religion is an important social element. Building on Erving Goffman's theory of frame analysis, the ways people use offline…
A funny thing happened on the way to sociology: Goffman, Mills, and Berger
This article discusses the merits of a sociology informed by humour, linking these merits to sociological issues of representation and the ways in which humour has pedagogical and epistemological relevance for the depiction and construction of the everyday lifeworld. The works of Erving Goffman, C. Wright Mills, and Peter Berger are treated as exemplifying the use of humour in sociological work. Significantly, while having different perspectives …
The sacred comedy: The problems and possibilities of Peter Berger's Theory of Humor
Peter Berger is one of the world's best known sociologists of religion, having made significant contributions to the theories of the social construction of religious worlds and secularization theory. He is also a lay theologian who has never been shy about putting forth his religious interpretations of modernity and combining his theological concerns with his sociological insights. This article considers the role of humor in Berger's overarching …
It's Funny Because It's True? The Simpsons, Satire, and the Significance of Religious Humor in Popular Culture
The Simpsons ’ depiction of the evangelical Ned Flanders has become a well-known stereotype in contemporary American popular culture which has been discussed in academic and popular circles. This article uses a critical analysis of Flanders to challenge journalist Mark Pinsky’s asser-tion that The Simpsons is “funny because it’s true ” (The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Bigger, and Possibly Even Better! Edition, Louisville, KY: Westminster Jo…
You Wince in Agony as the Hot Metal Brands You’: Religious Behavior in an Online Role-Playing Game
Examining the role of religion in the online, text-based fantasy role-playing game Darkmists, this article explores the factors that could lead to a religion existing exclusively online. Interviews with players and primary sources gathered from the game demonstrate that players create a culture in an online environment where religion is an important social element. Building on Erving Goffman's theory of frame analysis, the ways people use offline…
A Mother's Value Lies in Her Sexuality: The Simpsons,Family Guy, andSouth Parkand the Preservation of Traditional Sex Roles
This article examines the relationship between being a sexual woman and a good mother inThe Simpsons,Family Guy, andSouth Park. Considering the sexual criticisms of women in the 'Mommy Wars' which continue to be fought across the United States, we find that these three programs reproduce conservative assumptions about women's sexuality and motherhood. Through critical constructionist theories of humor and motherhood, mothers from each program are…
The Humorous Reproduction of Religious Prejudice: "Cults" and Religious Humour in The Simpsons, South Park, and King of the Hill
Through an examination of how generic "cults" are presented in three specific episodes of The Simpsons, South Park , and King of the Hill , this article illustrates how humorous prejudice is reproduced through popular entertainment. It argues that a generic "cult" stereotype has developed over time in mass media and is reproduced in these programs for comedic effect. After demonstrating how specific correlations between historic fears about speci…
You Wince in Agony as the Hot Metal Brands You’: Religious Behavior in an Online Role-Playing Game
Examining the role of religion in the online, text-based fantasy role-playing game Darkmists, this article explores the factors that could lead to a religion existing exclusively online. Interviews with players and primary sources gathered from the game demonstrate that players create a culture in an online environment where religion is an important social element. Building on Erving Goffman's theory of frame analysis, the ways people use offline…
New Religious Movements in Animated Adult Sitcoms-A Spectrum of Portrayals
As globally syndicated television programmes that are celebrated for their biting satirical content,The Simpsons,South Park, andFamily Guyare popular culture phenomenons. Furthermore, they are programmes which have consistently featured a wide variety of religious traditions, including a significant selection of new religious movements (NRMs). This article provides an overview of the different movements depicted in the programmes, categorizing th…
The Humorous Reproduction of Religious Prejudice: "Cults" and Religious Humour in The Simpsons, South Park, and King of the Hill
Through an examination of how generic "cults" are presented in three specific episodes of The Simpsons, South Park , and King of the Hill , this article illustrates how humorous prejudice is reproduced through popular entertainment. It argues that a generic "cult" stereotype has developed over time in mass media and is reproduced in these programs for comedic effect. After demonstrating how specific correlations between historic fears about speci…
The Humorous Reproduction of Religious Prejudice: “Cults” and Religious Humour in The Simpsons , South Park , and King of the Hill
Through an examination of how generic “cults” are presented in three specific episodes of The Simpsons, South Park, and King of the Hill, this article illustrates how humorous prejudice is reproduced through popular entertainment. It argues that a generic “cult” stereotype has developed over time in mass media and is reproduced in these programs for comedic effect. After demonstrating how specific correlations between historic fears about specifi…
Witnessing Suburbia: Conservatives and Christian Youth Culture
Witnessing Suburbia: Conservatives and Christian Youth Culture." The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 25(3), pp. 439–440
The sacred comedy: The problems and possibilities of Peter Berger's Theory of Humor
Peter Berger is one of the world's best known sociologists of religion, having made significant contributions to the theories of the social construction of religious worlds and secularization theory. He is also a lay theologian who has never been shy about putting forth his religious interpretations of modernity and combining his theological concerns with his sociological insights. This article considers the role of humor in Berger's overarching …
It's Funny Because It's True? The Simpsons, Satire, and the Significance of Religious Humor in Popular Culture
The Simpsons ’ depiction of the evangelical Ned Flanders has become a well-known stereotype in contemporary American popular culture which has been discussed in academic and popular circles. This article uses a critical analysis of Flanders to challenge journalist Mark Pinsky’s asser-tion that The Simpsons is “funny because it’s true ” (The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Bigger, and Possibly Even Better! Edition, Louisville, KY: Westminster Jo…
When the Veil is Thin
Researching the paranormal frequently involves the study of how people discuss paranormal phenomena’s significance in popular culture. Using Victor Turner’s concept of the liminoid, in this article I survey The Simpsons’ annual “Treehouse of Horror” episodes and suggest that thinking with these episodes can help scholars re-envision the academic construction of religion and the paranormal. I will argue that scholars should collapse the distinctio…
A Mother's Value Lies in Her Sexuality: The Simpsons,Family Guy, andSouth Parkand the Preservation of Traditional Sex Roles
This article examines the relationship between being a sexual woman and a good mother inThe Simpsons,Family Guy, andSouth Park. Considering the sexual criticisms of women in the 'Mommy Wars' which continue to be fought across the United States, we find that these three programs reproduce conservative assumptions about women's sexuality and motherhood. Through critical constructionist theories of humor and motherhood, mothers from each program are…
Christian Metal: History, Ideology, Scene by Marcus Moberg
Christian Metal: History, Ideology, Scene by Marcus Moberg." The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 27(3), pp. 250–251
Rethinking New Religious Movements beyond a Social Problems Paradigm
This article argues that the field of new religions studies is driven in large part by a paradigm based in the assumption that new religious movements are comparable because they are social problems. It outlines a social problems paradigm drawing upon the work of Joel Best, illustrates how the paradigm is taught in textbooks on new religious movements, shows its value through the recent work of Stuart A. Wright and Susan J. Palmer, and offers a c…
Terry Lindvall, God Mocks: A History of Religious Satire from the Hebrew Prophets to Stephen Colbert
A funny thing happened on the way to sociology: Goffman, Mills, and Berger
This article discusses the merits of a sociology informed by humour, linking these merits to sociological issues of representation and the ways in which humour has pedagogical and epistemological relevance for the depiction and construction of the everyday lifeworld. The works of Erving Goffman, C. Wright Mills, and Peter Berger are treated as exemplifying the use of humour in sociological work. Significantly, while having different perspectives …
Peoples Temple
What is the legacy of Peoples Temple? Forty years after the events at Jonestown it seems that “Jonestown” has solidified itself as a landmark moment in American religious history. Jonestown has become synonymous with the problems of charismatic religious leadership and religious violence. Yet, the group who died at Jonestown, Peoples Temple, is largely unknown to people who reference the Jonestown murders/suicides. This article argues that revisi…
Experiencing New Religions
Book Review| May 01 2018 Experiencing New Religions Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies of the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths. By Ann Taves. Princeton University Press, 2016. xviii + 357 pages. $75.00 cloth; $29.95 paper; ebook available. David Feltmate David Feltmate David Feltmate, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography, Auburn University at Montgomery, Clement Hall 219, 7041 Senators Drive, Montgomery, Alabama 36124. Email: d…
Two Days Before the Day Before an Irritating Truth: The Simpsons and South Park’s Environmentalism as a Challenge for Mass Mediating Dark Green Ecological Ethics
Critical scholarship on pro-environmental and dark green religious themes in popular culture must engage more directly with that culture’s means of production. To make this argument, I first draw on Bron Taylor’s theory of ‘dark green religion’ as a foundation for articulating the sacredness underlying the call to deep ecological ethics. Reflecting on the means of mass mediating that message provides us with an opportunity to critically evaluate …
Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism: Do You “Seriously Believe That” After 9/11
Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism is a short book that analyzes post-9/11 comedy through the lens of religious satire. Jerry C. Jaffe argues that since the 9/11 attacks, we have seen a new wave of stand-up comedians who do not simply poke fun at religious beliefs but openly criticize religious claims in ways that were previously unimaginable. Tying this to the emergence of the new atheist movement that publicly denounces religious belief…
Sociology (14 works) · Philosophy (12 works) · Political science (9 works) · Aesthetics (7 works) · Art (7 works) · Humor Studies and Applications (7 works) · Law (7 works) · Psychology (7 works) · Religious studies (7 works) · Social Psychology (6 works)