As far as my research interests go, I am a NT scholar at heart. Over the last few years, my approach to the NT has primarily been a social one (e.g. social-sciences, anthropology, etc.). I love social experiments, case studies and researching cultural backgrounds. That is also why I love--odd as it may sound--the television show Wife Swap. Contrary to stigmas, this is not a hokey, homemaker's show; this is a telvision series that dabbles in social and cultural tests. The premise of the show is to take two families, mix them up and see how they deal with one another. It is quite ingenious really.
This week, the two families were both Christian. One of the families was fundamentalist and the other was liberal. As you might expect, there were times when the fundamentalist family viewed the liberals as satan but there were also times when the liberals just couldn't tolerate the ultra-conservatives. If you missed the episode, I would encourage you to find it somehow; it is a great experiment and is quite telling. Check out the clip below and see for yourself.
This week, the two families were both Christian. One of the families was fundamentalist and the other was liberal. As you might expect, there were times when the fundamentalist family viewed the liberals as satan but there were also times when the liberals just couldn't tolerate the ultra-conservatives. If you missed the episode, I would encourage you to find it somehow; it is a great experiment and is quite telling. Check out the clip below and see for yourself.
steph says: I don't know what to do with this blogger thing and then she says: 'Wife swop' "ingenious"?! It is grotesque. (only of course IMHO) And they do it for the money. Guinea pigs in a cage on the world stage. And real people, real families, real screwed up kids. Gives me the creeps - like all reality tv. I don't see the point. Purely icky entertainment. And just because one reacts in one way in given situation it doesn't mean another will act the same given same situation.
ReplyDelete"...there were times when the fundamentalist family viewed the liberals as satan but there were also times when the liberals just couldn't tolerate the ultra-conservatives." Perhaps this is a good example demonstrating that neither extreme guarantees that one is walking in the way of Jesus.
ReplyDelete-Alan
Surely most people can work out that intolerance and extreme (anti-social) behaviour are less than ideal life styles - which is why most people don't live that way - without creating a circus out of two none the wiser simple minded screwed up families to satisfy public entertainment. Properly conducted scientific research, with different motives and off-screen, is different. -steph
ReplyDeletealan, you're probably right.
ReplyDeletesteph, you're probably wrong. ever heard of political science?
Haha very clever. But this isn't for the benefit of political science is it? It's more social anthropology.
ReplyDelete