An Implicit Theology of Mad Men

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" An Implicit Theology of Mad Men "
Scott Hubbard

Document Type	:	AL
Record Number	:	1081967
Doc. No	:	LA125596
Call No	:	‭10.1163/15685292-02404004‬
Language of Document	:	English
Main Entry	:	Scott Hubbard
Title & Author	:	An Implicit Theology of Mad Men [Article]\ Scott Hubbard
Publication Statement	:	Leiden: Brill
Title of Periodical	:	Religion and the Arts
Date	:	2020
Volume/ Issue Number	:	24/4
Page No	:	415–430
Abstract	:	One of the most striking sites of secular-religious encounter in narrative fiction of the decade has been the baptismal imagery of the television serial drama Mad Men. Set in an era which may be said to be the high-water mark of the secularization of American culture, Mad Men’s encoding of meaning in symbolic representation in effect re-sacralizes the secular world into which those symbols are transplanted. The symbolism’s divergences from Christian doctrine and ritual that give Mad Men its distinct theological significance. This paper will explore the literary implications of Paul Ricoeur’s theory of religious symbolism. This paper conducts several close readings of key moments in the show’s use of baptismal symbolism, and offers thoughts about how Mad Men’s constellation of originally religious symbols to convey narrative significance empowers the show to perform a religious function for its audience. One of the most striking sites of secular-religious encounter in narrative fiction of the decade has been the baptismal imagery of the television serial drama Mad Men. Set in an era which may be said to be the high-water mark of the secularization of American culture, Mad Men’s encoding of meaning in symbolic representation in effect re-sacralizes the secular world into which those symbols are transplanted. The symbolism’s divergences from Christian doctrine and ritual that give Mad Men its distinct theological significance. This paper will explore the literary implications of Paul Ricoeur’s theory of religious symbolism. This paper conducts several close readings of key moments in the show’s use of baptismal symbolism, and offers thoughts about how Mad Men’s constellation of originally religious symbols to convey narrative significance empowers the show to perform a religious function for its audience.
Descriptor	:	baptism
Descriptor	:	Christian theology
Descriptor	:	Mad Men
Descriptor	:	popular culture
Descriptor	:	television
Location & Call number	:	‭10.1163/15685292-02404004‬