Religion, Spirituality, and Popular Culture: Where College Students Learn About Religion and Spirituality

by Ofstein, Jennifer Beth

This study aims to assess if students are learning about religion and spirituality from popular culture, and if it subsequently affects their understanding of their own religious or spiritual identity, or the religious and spiritual identities of others. Utilizing the theoretical frameworks of Perry?s (1970) scheme of Intellectual and Ethical Development, Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule?s (1986) theory of Women?s Ways of Knowing, and Gerbner?s et al. (1978) Cultivation Theory, I assessed whether students are affected by participating in popular media and if they identify the media as an authority in their own understanding of religion and spirituality.