| The first decade of the twenty-first century produced a new type of religious drama on secular television that put religious themes and characters at the center of conflict. This set of programs mirrors a shift in American religious practice from "dwelling" in a single faith one's entire life, toward an open marketplace of religious ideas filled with religious "seekers" who might change faiths over their lifetimes, or pick and choose the elements of various religions that appeal to them. This dissertation explores the representations of religion in this subset of shows as well as how their religious themes and characters interact with aspects of television such as genre, celebrity satire, race representations, gender and cable. |
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