Violence in Christian Media: Is It Necessary?

There is no doubt that violence in contemporary television shows has always been a prominent feature. In Tuesday's lecture, Professor Harris mentioned popular crime and investigation shows, such as CSI and Criminal Minds. These shows are pervaded by explicit violent acts, including grisly murders, shootings, stabbings, and other wicked acts of violence. But in some way, there is a Christian undertone in these crime and investigation shows, where the protagonists' primary goal is to solve, and ultimately prevent, crimes from recurring, thus reinstating the good within society.

Another show that shares the same concept with said crime and investigation shows but contains more of a Christian-oriented theme is none other than Dog the Bounty Hunter. Duane "Dog" Chapman and his family of bounty hunters capture fugitives for a living, where they would receive monetary awards after each successful capture. The incorporation of violence is mostly attributed to the use of force when a fugitive resisted arrest. Although the portrayal of violence is more seldom in Dog the Bounty Hunter than in CSI or Criminal Minds, the idea is still the same: use violence to stop violence.

However, Christianity is more blatantly depicted in the show. Before they set out to capture a fugitive, Dog and his family would huddle together, hold hands, and pray for their safety and protection. Moreover, after a successful capture of a convicted felon, Dog would sit beside them and have a personal one-on-one talk, where oftentimes he would lecture them about their mistake of committing the crime and he would question them as to why they did it. However, he would always encourage the captured fugitive to become a better person and to change their ways for the better. This concept is quite similar to Criminal Minds; since the show focused more on the criminals rather than the crimes, the Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU) would often go more into depth with the suspects' personality and personal history and how it may have instigated them to commit the crime. Ultimately, this signifies the important Christian characteristics of prudence, understanding, and compassion.

So if the utilization of violence is contradictory to Christian belief and practice, why is it often included and emphasized in contemporary television shows with Christian undertones? Thoughts?

Christian Media: Television

In our recent lecture, Professor Harris talked about the significance of television within the study of religion and popular culture and how Christianity and religious elements are applied in secular TV shows. We were shown various examples of popular shows that depicted Christian-oriented themes and/or characters, which ultimately signifies the integral relationship between secularism and religion, or more specifically, popular culture and Christianity.

Most of the TV shows that Professor Harris presented to us were all Christian-related in some way but also included secular elements. Shows like Joan of Arcadia, Oz, and The West Wing all consist of religious themes and characters: Joan has the ability to communicate with God, Father Ray Mukada serves as the main religious authority of the show as the chaplain of Oz, and the depiction of President Josiah Bartlet as a realistic Christian. These shows were critically acclaimed and positively received by audiences and it is partly due to their incorporation of Christian characteristics.

Professor Harris also provided us with Nothing Sacred, a show that depicts the life of a Jesuit priest in the 1970s. Nothing Sacred, unlike the shows stated earlier, was generally void of any secular elements; it was a realistic and explicit portrayal of Catholic authoritative figures and followers. It is primarily this reason that The Catholic League for Religious Civil Rights decided to boycott the show and eventually, the show was canceled after its first season.

This got me thinking about the significant differences in boundaries and  restrictions between secular TV shows with Christian elements and shows that strictly depicted Christianity. It is clear that secular shows that merely incorporate Christian elements are more free to depict almost anything without severe consequences. Oz portrayed explicit material such as male rape, extreme violence, and male frontal nudity. However, the show still incorporated religious subplots through the character of Father Mukada. Oz managed to garner critical acclaim and aired for six seasons, which exemplifies the leniency of wholly secular shows depicting both explicit and religious material.

In contrast, Nothing Sacred was based solely on the life and experiences of a Jesuit priest; it was a show that centered around Catholicism and Catholic leaders and followers. As a result, it was absent of secularism and was generally regarded as show that strictly depicted Catholicism. This allowed the show to become more vulnerable to criticism and threats from conservative viewers. This certainly brings up the issue of rights and privileges on how religion is portrayed in secular TV shows and how they are portrayed in religious-oriented TV shows and ultimately, how it affects contemporary society.

Thoughts?