Matt Rawle has plunged into a series of small group studies that most of the people in my church would simply shake their heads at (of course, the average age of my little church is probably about 65-years-old, and that’s with me bringing down the average!). The “Pop in Culture” series seeks to show how Christ can be found anywhere – even in pop culture. The series includes such titles as Hollywood Jesus and The Faith of a Mockingbird.
As a Whovian (big fan of the extremely long-running BBC television series Doctor Who, for those of you who may not know the term), I could not resist the draw of a Bible study based on one of my favorite diversions. The Salvation of Doctor Who begins with a “quick refresher” on the TV series before launching into topics that Whovians will recognize, like “The Oldest Question in the Universe” and “Bigger on the Inside.”
There were some things I really liked about this study, but I must admit there were a few things I found troubling as well. Rawle comes up with some fairly astute insights (such as his explanation of the Trinity), but he’s also rather Laodicean about certain topics (such as Creation vs evolution – he wouldn’t say what he believed, as if he was afraid to alienate those who don’t agree with him. Man, you can’t be lukewarm; God will spit you out!)
I’m terribly intrigued by the idea of this series, of employing pop culture as a medium for understanding our faith. Yet at the same time I feel it is very important to remember that God tells us there is a dividing line between the sacred and the carnal (I think of Romans 1 and Galatians 5 right away). We, as Christians, need to be discerning and filter everything through the Word of God, not twist the Word to fit the carnal things we fancy.
Overall, however, I did enjoy this study. Rawle pulled some great quotes out of Doctor Who to help highlight different sections, he provided some very interesting observations, and, if nothing else, he made me continually refer back to and filter his information through the Word, which is ultimately what a small group study should be all about.
Many thanks to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for the free copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own!
Coming Up Roses 