Playful, Glad, and Free: Karl Barth and a Theology of Popular Culture

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Playful, Glad, and Free DeCou Religion / Theology Freedom, culture, and the theology of Karl Barth— Playful, Glad, and Free offers a critical analysis and reinterpretation of Karl Barth’s theology of culture, which is the least studied aspect of his work. DeCou uncovers the significance of Barth for contemporary work in theology of culture by applying his approach to the study of popular culture and entertainment. Grounding the study in Barth’s eschatology, which proves more amenable to secular culture than other models, the book demonstrates how Barth’s approach recognizes that the freedom of theology is qualified by the freedom of the Word and the freedom of secular culture. Barth therefore offers a “middle way” for evaluating and analyzing culture and religious forms. This project thus opens up a new avenue of interpretation of Barth and applies the insights of Barth’s work in fresh ways to the structures of contemporary culture and its products. Praise for Playful, Glad, and Free “Eberhard Jüngel once described Karl Barth as the happiest theologian of our age. But the playfulness of Barth’s theology has never fully been explored—until now. In this wonderfully alert and exuberant study, Jessica DeCou develops a full-blown Barthian theology of popular culture. Drawing on Barth’s understanding of work and play, she argues that the theologian’s job is to play with popular culture in a way that respects the proper freedom and limits of cultural production. This is not only a creative and exciting new reading of Barth, but also an invitation to a more rigorous and more generous engagement with the everyday materials of popular culture.” Benjamin Myers | Charles Sturt University, Sydney, Australia “Jessica DeCou’s work is a rare combination of sustained theological ingenuity, a discerning eye for pop culture illustration, and an engaging appreciation for comedy. Serious yet highly readable, for scholars and for students.” Tom Beaudoin | Fordham University Jessica DeCou is visiting lecturer in theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She earned her Ph.D. in theology at the University of Chicago and is a former Lilly Teaching Fellow there. This volume is a revised version of a dissertation completed under the direction of Kathryn Tanner. e m e r g i n g s c h o l a r s Playful, Glad, and Free Karl Barth and a Theology of Popular Culture Jessica DeCou ...