resource center for media, religion and culture > sites & people to know in media, religion and culture

Please note: Mention of these links in no way constitutes endorsement of views represented on those pages. The links are provided as a resource for those interested in obtaining a variety of views on the topic.

Research Sites
Journals
Syllabus Sites
Film Critic Sites
Service Organizations
News Organizations
General Info
Advocacy Organizations

Research sites:

Media, Culture, and Meaning
Managed by Lynn Schofield Clark at the University of Denver, this site offers resources for cultural studies and qualitative methodologies as well as in-depth research reports and publications on media, youth, and civic engagement; teens and media (old and new) in the home; teens and the Supernatural, and religion, media, and the marketplace research projects.
http://www.mediameaning.org

The Center for Religion and Civic Culture
An academic research unit and a community partner for faith-based organizations. Conducts research on the civic role of religion, helps to build the capacity of faith-based organizations to address significant social issues, and communicates findings to scholars, legislators, community leaders, media, and funders.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/religion_online/

The Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication
A comprehensive site on Catholic leadership's efforts in communication and human rights issues throughout Asia. Contains statements, a comprehensive listing of all Catholic churches in Asia as well as population and statisstical tables, and research resources including advice on how Asians can successfully attain grants for study.
http://www.stjohn.ac.th/arc/

New York University's new Center for Religion and Media
The Center for Religion and Media is one of 10 "Centers of Excellence" funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts to bring nuance to the discussion of the role of religion in the public square. The mandate of its journal, The Revealer, is to pursue this goal by offering a daily critique of religion in the press -- the best, the worst, the most overlooked, and the most over reported. Drawing on the expertise of working journalists and scholars from across the disciplines, the Center offers an accessible selection of the day's most interesting stories. It also publishes original stories, along with interviews with scholars and journalists (and religious figures), analysis of religious content within photojournalism, and moderated forum discussions.
http://www.therevealer.org/

Angels on the Web
A comprehensive guide to researching angels on the web, this site boasts more than 800 resources on the topic, including more than 550 images of angels. Images are organized by time period and by religious tradition, and the general introduction section includes a number of links to scholars studying the phenomenon of angels.
http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/angels/

Religion and Media Interest Group of AEJMC
http://aejmc.org/orgs/

The Media and Theology Project in the University of Edinburgh
http://www.div.ed.ac.uk/research/com/com.htm

The Center for Christian Communication in St. John's College, Durham, UK
http://ds.dial.pipex.com/town/plaza/yjb97/index2.shtml

Center for the Study of Religion and Society
http://puffin.creighton.edu/human/csrs/centerhome.html

Centre for Studies in Religion and Society
http://web.uvic.ca/csrs/

Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture
http://www.ic.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/

Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture
http://www.iupui.edu/~raac/

Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals
http://www.wheaton.edu/isae/Index.html

The Material History of American Religion Project
http://www.materialreligion.org/

Religious Broadcasting Site
Includes bibliography and extensive information on current efforts in televangelism.
http://religiousbroadcasting.lib.virginia.edu/biblio.html

Journals:

Journal of Media and Religion
Edited by respected U.S. scholars in religion and media Daniel Stourt and Judith Buddenbaum, this journal, which premiered in 2002, promises to be a landmark in the study of media, religion, and culture, examinig a full range of religious traditions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Eastern religious philosophies, and new/alternative spiritual movements, While its emphasis is primarily social scientific, the journal publishes articles from humanistic traditions, as well.
http://www.catchword.com/erlbaum/15348423/contp1-1.htm

Journal of Religion and Film
This site offers full articles as well as film reviews, many of which are written by North American scholars in the fields of religious studies, theology, and film studies. Articles feature textual, psychological, and ideological analyses of films that range from the popular to the obscure.
http://www.unomaha.edu/~wwwjrf/

Journal of Religion and Popular Culture
The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture is a web-based, peer-reviewed journal committed to the academic exploration, analysis and interpretation, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, of the interrelations and interactions between religion and religious expression and popular culture, broadly defined as the products of contemporary mass culture. Funded by a grant from the University of Saskatchewan Publications Fund.
http://www.usask.ca/relst/jrpc/

Online teaching and syllabi sites and resources:

Religion and Media Course, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
This course considers some of the many combinations and connections between religion and media in contemporary U.S. culture.

Film critic sites:

Each of the following are from a Christian perspective although they differ in liberal/conservative orientations:

Hollywood Jesus
http://www.HollywoodJesus.com/

Christian Critic
http://www.christiancritic.com/

Decent Films
http://www.decentfilms.com/

Service Organizations:

World Association for Christian Communication
WACC is a worldwide membership organization working on media reform and communication for development. WACC supports the development of communication for community, that is participatory, leads to liberation, supports and develops culture and is prophetic. WACC has also been an advocate of the right to communicate, believing that people have a right to media accountability, media reform and independent media.
http://www.wacc.org.uk

FaithandValues.com
Inspiration, counsel, readings, resources, news, and faith-based multimedia information.
http://www.faithandvalues.com

Beliefnet.org
Features regularly updated commentary on current events, written by recognized scholars and public leaders, as well as a plethora of chat rooms on various religious traditions.
http://www.Beliefnet.org

Ahavat Israel
Offers resources about the Jewish religion, culture, and values including a discussion forum, classifieds, and entertainment.
http://www.ahavat-israel.com/ahavat/

synagogues.com
Searchable directory by country and state Jewish Entertainment Resources - a place to find Jewish performers and where they are performing.
http://www.synagogues.com

Islamicity
The global Muslim e-community.
http://www.islamicity.com

News organizations:

Covering the War on Terrorism
Information and suggestions for reporters writing on the religious dimensions of the conflict.
http://www.facsnet.org/issues/specials/terrorism/cultureindex.php3

religionwriters.com
The official web site of the Religion Newswriters Association and its foundation.
http://www.religionwriters.com/

ACFnewsource
A nonprofit organization specializing in research, development and production of news stories on substantive issues, including religion, for commercial radio and television.
http://www.acfnewsource.org/religion/index.html

BBC Online: Religion and Ethics
Information about the UK's main religions, daily religion news, audio on demand and the BBC's religious programming.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/

Buzzle Dot Com: Philosophy and Religion
Offers resources, information, and articles related to Philosophy and Religion.
http://www.buzzle.com/chapters/philosophy-and-religion.asp

News releases from Worldwide Faith News
A searchable, browsable database of full text official news releases and other documents, including policy statements, from the news offices of national and world faith groups.
http://www.wfn.org/

NewsSynthesis Religion News
Draws headlines with a religious angle from across the net.
http://www.newssynthesis.com

onReligion.com
Subscription-based service providing summaries and links to selected news stories about religion. Updated each weekday. Based on articles from 40 - 45 English-language newspapers in the United States and several other countries.
http://www.onReligion.com

Religion News - Moreover.com
Headline links from a variety of online news sources from Moreover.com. Spiritual Spectrum TV Series - Topics from meditation to medicide, from love to capital punishment, from atheism to Christianity, from vegetarianism to life after death. RealVideo files of 14 years of programming.
http://www.moreover.com/cgi-local/page?o=portal&c=Religion%20news

Spiritual World
Overviews and dialogs about many world religions.
http://www.spiritualworld.org/

Zondervan's Religion News Links
A comprehensive listing of outlets that publish articles on religion, including information on reporting on religion.
http://www.zondervan.com/desk/newslink.asp

Muslim Culture, Religion Misrepresented by Media
An article on misrepresentation of Islam, with links to other information on the Muslim traditions.
http://saif_w.tripod.com/explore/stereo/misrepresentation_by_media.htm

Religion Newswriters Association
The Religion Newswriters Association is a non-profit trade association founded in 1949 to advance the professional standards of religion reporting in the general circulation news media as well as to create a support network for religion reporters.
http://www.religionwriters.com/

General info:

Interfaith Calendar (world religious feasts)
http://www.interfaithcalendar.org

Population (world population figures)
http://www.popnet.org

Religious statistics (estimated membership of different faiths)
http://www.adherents.com

Religious studies (academic information about different faiths)
http://www.academicinfo.net/Religion.html

Vatican web site
http://www.vatican.va

Advocacy Organizations:

Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies

Center for Holocaust, Genocide, and Peace Studies
http://www.unr.edu/chgps/blank.htm

InterReligious Federation for World Peace
http://www.ifwp.org

Moral Re-Armament Initiatives for Change
http://www.mra.org.uk/

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