What is it about?
This article is arguing that those who are concerned with how theology can contribute to public debates and conversations (public theologians), can learn a lot by listening to popular music and the theological ideas found there. A range of examples is given in the article, but Lady Gaga is the primary focus, with her work having used theology to argue for equality, particularly in the context of sexuality. As well as thinking a bit about how theologians might engage with popular music, in order to explain the significance of this work I spend some time developing a conception of the public sphere using the work of German philosopher, Jürgen Habermas.
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Why is it important?
The contemporary context is increasingly being described as 'post-secular'. The belief that religion was somehow on the way out has been recognised as false, especially when considered from a global perspective. But even in the apparently secular world of popular music, religious ideas abound: not only religion, but theology is alive and well, contributing to our public conversations.
Perspectives
I wrote this article because I was fascinated by the overt theology in Lady Gaga's 'Judas' which I first saw her perform on the Graham Norton show. In my PhD I had written about inter-religious dialogue and the public sphere and I wanted to consider how popular culture contributed to that dialogue. It still surprises me that there has not been a huge amount of theological interest in Lady Gaga, whereas she has received a lot of attention in other fields such as popular music studies, cultural studies and gender studies. I have tried to redress the balance by offering this contribution.
Stephen Roberts
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Beyond the Classic: Lady Gaga and Theology in the Wild Public Sphere, International Journal of Public Theology, June 2017, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/15697320-12341481.
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