Gods and Rollercoasters - by Crispin Paine (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This worldwide study examines how religion gets into theme parks - as mission, as an aspect of culture, as fable, and by chance. Gods and Rollercoasters analyses religion in theme parks, looking at how it relates to modernism, popular culture, right-wing politics, nationalism, and the rise of the global middle class.

Crispin Paine argues that religion has discovered a major new means of expression through theme parks. From the reconstruction of Biblical Jerusalem at the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, through the world of Chinese mythology at Haw Par Villa in Singapore, to the great temple/theme park Akshardham in New Delhi, this book shows how people are encountering and experiencing religion in the context of fun, thrills and leisure time.

Drawing on examples from six of the seven continents, and exploring religious traditions including Christianity, Daoism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, Gods and Rollercoasters provides a significant contribution to the study of religion, sociology, anthropology, and popular culture.

Review Quotes

"Scholars interested in material culture and popular religious expression will find this book a valuable starting point, as will general readers interested in the intersections of family entertainment, pop culture, manufactured nostalgia, reactionary politics, and religious sentiment." --Nova Religio

"This engaging and accessible comparative study offers valuable insight into how contemporary religious practices are being redefined, shaped, and deployed in the modern world." --Jill Stevenson, Professor of Theatre Arts, Marymount Manhattan College, USA and Author of Sensational Devotion: Evangelical Performance in Twenty-First-Century America

"This is an extraordinarily wide-ranging and thought-provoking book, dealing engagingly with significant issues such as authenticity, heritage and (literally) the place of religion in the 21st century. It shows that reading about immensely serious and far-reaching religious and cultural issues can also be fun!" --Marion Bowman, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies, The Open University, UK

"Crispin Paine's latest adventure takes us around the globe to a dizzying number of Islamic, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Daoist, and even multifaith theme-parks that combine entertainment and religious reflection and practice. Along the way, he delves deeply into the theoretical, cultural, affective, and sociological reasons and ramifications behind these sacred leisure spaces." --Justin McDaniel, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania, USA

About the Author