Where did popular culture come from? Why is it the way it is? How does it influence Americans in general and Christians in particular? Ken Myers offers fascinating answers. He sees pop culture as a culture of diversion, preventing people from asking questions about their origin and destiny and about the meaning of life. Two aspects stand out: a quest for novelty and a desire for instant gratification. In addition, this culture offers something very appealing: the illusion that we set our own standards, are the master of our fate, deserve a break, and are worth it.
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"Very helpful analysis of pop culture and its far-reaching effects. John and I both read this, then read most of it out loud to our kids. "
— Wendy (4 out of 5 stars)
“A magnificent and timely book. Fresh, witty, informative, trenchant, and eminently sane, Ken Myers’ book is a must for thoughtful evangelicals…I only hope there are enough of them left to read it.”
— Os Guinness, cofounder, the Trinity Forum; author, The Dust of Death and The Last Christian on Earth“Ken Myers has made an excellent contribution here, dealing not only with the roots of popular culture in social history and philosophy but also with its ultimate impact on character.”
— Dick Keyes, L’Abri Fellowship“In All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes Ken Myers looks at the entire phenomenon of popular culture–its roots, assumptions, practices, and effects. The result is a provocative book that shows how our thought, communication, and living have all been affected by popular culture's omnipresence. It should make us take a hard look at what we've accepted as harmless entertainment.”
— Ted Prescott, Sculptor, former president of Christians in the Visual Arts“This book is a modern classic on discerning culture from a Christian perspective. Because of its interdisciplinary range, engaging style, and sophisticated analysis, All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes is a needed antidote to worldliness, especially in its less detectable and socially acceptable forms. It makes a fine text for sociology, aesthetics, and evangelism courses at the college and graduate levels.”
— Doug Groothuis, Professor of Philosophy, Denver Seminary" An interesting and helpful social analysis - focusing on post-modernism. "
— doug, 9/22/2010" While I might not agree with all of Myers' conclusions, seeing some aspects of culture as amoral preferences, I do think many of his examples of how Christians allow culture to remove the power of the gospel from their lives are right on target. "
— Gerald, 9/11/2008Kenneth A. Myers is the director of Mars Hill Audio, an organization devoted to helping Christians think wisely about modern culture through a variety of audio resources. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He lives in Virginia with his wife and two children.
Jeff Riggenbach (1947-2021) narrated numerous titles for Blackstone Audio and won an AudioFile Earphones Award. An author, contributing editor, and producer, he worked in radio in San Francisco for more than thirty years, earning a Golden Mike Award for journalistic excellence.