1. Using Pop Culture to Teach Discernment

2. Final Scene of The Truman Show What is happening in this scene? Could this be an allegory? How does it apply to life? Faith? What does it suggest about our relationship to the entertainment industry?

3. Imagine Imagine there’s no heaven It’s easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today… Imagine there’s no countries It isn’t hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace… You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world… © Lenono Music

4. Our Culture: What a Mess!

6. History Ways That Humans Have Viewed the World

7. Greeks Idealist______________ Realist______________

8. Christians

9. Western Historians ___X________________________________________ 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000

10. The Western World Pre 1500’s Post 1500’s Greeks and Romans Medieval Period Feudalism The Magna Carta The Renaissance The Reformation The development of the arts and sciences The Industrial Revolution Secularization Information Explosion

11. Art Through the Ages

12. Medieval

13. Rennaissance

14. Classical

15. Impressionism

16. Cubism

17. A Word On Some Current Ideas: Secularism Materialism Humanism Existentialism Radical Individualism Hedonism Anarchy New-Age Mysticism

18. Overview Ways That Humans Have Viewed the World

19. Greeks Idealist Meaning Without Verification Realist Verification Without Meaning

20. Historic View Based on Modernity Pre-Modernity 0-1600 Modernity 1600’s-1800’s Post- Modernity 1900-Present

21. Popular Philosophic Based on American Popular Existentialism Pre-Existential Through 1950’s Existential 1960’s and 70’s Post-Existential 80’s to Present

22. Breathe Breathe, breathe in the air. Don’t be afraid to care. Leave, but don’t leave me. Look around and choose your own ground. For long you live and high you fly. And smiles you give and tears you’ll cry. And all you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be. Run rabbit run. Dig that hole, forget the sun, And when at last the work is done Don’t sit down it’s time to start another one. For long you live and high you fly But only if you ride the tide And balanced on the biggest wave You race toward an early grave.

23. The Process Introduce examples to get students’ attention Discuss symbolism and how it often reveals a person’s philosophy. Use samples from various media which reveal a philosophical statement or leaning. Have students present and discuss samples of their own (see ground rules) Discuss the biblical basis for discernment

24. The Unit About Three Weeks Long You model discerning meaning out of the barrage of messages Students bring in examples of current thought from various media You challenge them to develop a real biblical worldview and to be discerning in what they hear, read, etc.

25. The Project They create a portfolio of examples –Snippits of current ideas –6 snippits, 4 media, 4 ideas –They write a brief explanation of each idea and how it compares/ contrasts with a Christian worldview

26. Ground Rules Must be philosophical Must be edited –I will help you edit if you need it. Must reveal several current ideas Must be from different media Film Music ArtAdvertising TV Radio –Books (You’ve heard of them, right?)

27. The Biblical Basis for Discernment Romans 12 2 Tim. 3:1-7 Eph 4:17-22, 5:1-17

28. How We Engage the World Fran Sciacca –Resident –Tourist –Alien Bill Brown –Enjoy and Participate –Recoil and Pull Back –Grieve and Engage