The Gospel according to Disney: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

FROM OUR EDITORS

In the spirit of his popular The Gospel According to The Simpsons, religion journalist Mark Pinsky explores the role of Disney animated features on the moral life and spiritual development of American children. Examining the themes of 30 famous Disney films, he shows how the Disney gospel of goodwill, trust in yourself, and "a little bit of something magical" have been imprinted in our moral and religious norms. Pinsky also discusses recent Disney developments, including the 1990s Southern Baptist Convention boycott and the impact of theme parks on American culture.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this follow-up to his best-selling The Gospel According to The Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Animated Family, religion journalist Mark Pinsky explores the role that the animated features of The Walt Disney Company have played in the moral and spiritual development of generations of children. Pinsky explores the religious, moral, and theological themes in 31 of the most popular Disney films, including Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and the Lion King, and discovers what he calls the Disney Gospel: faith that good will prevail, trust in yourself and your friends, and a little bit of something magical. Pinsky also looks at recent Disney developments, including the 1990s boycott of Disney by the Southern Baptist Convention, the impact of the theme parks on American culture, and the role that CEO Michael Eisner has played in the resurgence of the company since the mid-1980s.

Mark Pinsky is religion reporter for the Orlando Sentinel and the author of the best-selling book The Gospel According to The Simpsons, and co-author of the companion study guide. His writing has appeared in Christianity Today, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Nation. He is a sought-after speaker at colleges, universities, and churches on the topic of religion and popular culture

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Pinsky, Orlando journalist and author of The Gospel According to the Simpsons, sets his sights on a larger, yet more elusive target: the Magic Kingdom. As Pinsky argues, Disney's cultural influence is enormous: "millions of children around the world know much of what they do about the practical application of right and wrong from Disney." The "Disney gospel" is simple enough in outline: believe in yourself, never give up, good will be rewarded and evil punished. Unfortunately, the book bogs down amidst the massive Disney canon; and organizing it in "episode guide" format, rather than thematically, does not help. There are sparkles of marvelous, irreverent wit: "Tinker Bell, it is immediately apparent, has undergone some alterations over the decades, including breast reduction surgery and liposuction on her derriere." But for long stretches, the critical tone turns sober, even snarky, as Pinsky picks off obvious targets such as Snow White's passivity or Mowgli's haircut rather than surfacing the hidden spiritual gems he found so often in The Simpsons. Even considering the variety of Disney creations, he seems torn between admiring "Walt's dream, to communicate lessons to children across cultures," and debunking its "uplifting, family-friendly fare" as "a sentimental notion-na ve at best and disingenuous at worst." Still, readers will be struck by Pinsky's cogent observations about Disney classics. (Aug.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

This is a comprehensive and quite readable account of the Disney Corporation in its entirety how the company began (including a brief history of Walt and Roy Disney's family), its later and current leaders (Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg), and critiques of 31 individual Disney films. Pinsky (The Gospel According to the Simpsons) also discusses how Disney, both the man and the corporation, influenced American culture and offers opinions from many political and religious leaders on whether Disney truly reflects America's widespread Judeo-Christian background and the current political and cultural clout of the Bible Belt. Pinsky, who draws on his up-close-and-personal knowledge of religious opinion from a range of Jews, Protestants, and Catholics, seems to feel that Disney really espouses no specific religious or cultural stances, although groups on both the left and the right would presumably beg to differ. Each reader can decide. The chapter titled "The Baptist Boycott" is particularly well done and contains enough fodder for another entire book. For public libraries. Mary Prokop, Savannah Country Day Sch., GA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Harvey Cox

God is not dead, and Mickey is very much alive. Religion is everywhere in secular America, especially where you least expect it, like in Disney films. Mark Pinsky decodes these epics with a skillful and amusing flair. — Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard Divinity School, and author of the forthcoming When Jesus Came to Harvard

Martin Marty

I think you have a winner here....[Pinsky] helped refresh my memory and taught much. — professor emeritus, University of Chicago Divinity School, and author of Modern American Religion, in a review for the publisher

Tony Campolo

Mark Pinsky has done it again. He has analyzed in depth the religious messages that are often ignored in the 'pop' culture of our time. The success of Disney productions is that its people know how to tap into the folk religion that lies behind the sophisticated theological formula of professional religionists. Mark Pinsky helps us to see the religious themes in Disney with clarity and in the end helps us to get a better grasp of the real religion of most Americans. — professor emeritus, Eastern University, and author of Speaking My Mind

Ted Baehr

Mark Pinsky has done it again, a highly readable, entertaining and important look at a major media icon. Bravo. This is must reading. — chair of the Christian Film and Television Commission and publisher of Movieguide

Connie Neal

Parents and grandparents who want to share biblical values and memorable lessons with their children will find a wealth of opportunity in Disney animated features-with the help of Mark Pinsky's new book. This easy-to-read book will get you started talking with your kids about good messages behind the movies. Pop some popcorn and let pop culture work for you for a change! — author of The Gospel according to Harry Potter

Robert K. Johnston

Here is both an entertaining tour and an educational read through Disney's world of animation. Disney's 'reel' faith is engagingly documented, as is the varying response of both church and synagogue to it. — co-author of Finding God in the Movies and professor of theology and culture, Fuller Theological Seminary

David Bruce