Arts and Popular Culture

It would be hard to overstate the influence of America’s entertainment media industry domestically and around-the-world. Regardless of their quality, the stories told through this massive industry shape how people understand religion, respond to religious people and organizations, and address the pressing social issues of our day. Whether through thematic content, the depiction of rituals, the portrayal of certain characters, or deeper narrative threads, film and television may well be the primary site where Americans encounter other religions. As a result, we must consider how people’s understanding of religions is conditioned by their media experiences and how media may function to improve or hinder the religious literacy of the public in service of just peace. By partnering with script writers, media producers and executives, and others involved in the media entertainment industry, we develop tools and resources to help these professionals ensure their portrayals of religions reflect their complexity, disrupt assumptions, and advance just peace.