Theology, Religion, and The Office: Beauty in Ordinary Things

by Daniel J. Cameron; Carolyn Beard; Mark Brians; Johanna DeHaven

and

9 more

Publisher:

Fortress Academic

, 2024

Overview

Theology, Religion, and The Office: Beauty in Ordinary Things explores the enduring impact of the hit NBC series The Office, which, seven years after its official end, remained the number one streamed TV show with a staggering 57 billion viewing minutes, outpacing its closest competitor by 45%. The Office has made an indelible mark on popular culture, paving the way for beloved series like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, and The Good Place. Beyond its witty humor and memorable characters, this book questions whether the show’s value extends beyond mere comedy, and delves into the deeper lessons and insights it offers. As an addition to the Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture series, the book invites readers to consider the theological and philosophical dimensions hidden within the ordinary settings of this fictional Pennsylvania paper company. This volume has gathered a diverse group of scholars from theology, religion, and related fields providing a unique theological and religious perspectives on The Office.

Contents

Introduction: The Office, the Ordinary, and the Otherwise Theological
Daniel J. Cameron
Part One: The Office and the Christian Life
Chapter One: A Little Slower in Scranton: The Notion of True Progress in The Office
James Spencer
Chapter Two: There is No Such Thing as an Appropriate Joke, That is Why It Is A Joke: An Exploration of Diversity Day and Sexual Harassment.
Manon Ceridwen James
Chapter Three: Bring Your Faith to Work: The Constructive Possibilities of Pluralism in The Office
Amar D. Peterman
Chapter Four: Confessions in The Office: Honesty in the Dishonest World of Branch Plant America
Robert Grant Price
Chapter Five: We Have Wasted Too Much of Our Time Ignoring the Fact That We Belong Together: The Office, Belonging, and the Body of Christ
Daniel Rempel
Chapter Six: That’s What She Said: On the Hidden and Underestimated Power of Women in The Office and in the Church
Jennifer Wotochek
Chapter Seven: An Office is a Place to Live Life to the Fullest: Michael Scott as a Prophet of Hope
Mary Dance Berry
Chapter Eight: Patron Saints of Bears, Beets, and Battlestar Galactica: Towards The Office’s Unlikely Communion of Saints
Carolyn Elizabeth Beard
Part Two: The Office and Christian Thought
Chapter Nine: What is Wrong With Everybody: The Office and the Christian Doctrine of Sin
Thomas H. McCall andIsaac T. McCall
Chapter Ten: God Chose the Awkward Things to Confound the Wisdom of the Management
Mark Brians
Chapter Eleven: The Mind of the Maker and The Office: An Application of Dorothy Sayers’ Analogy of the Trinity
Johanna De Haven
Chapter Twelve: He Can Heal Leopards: Barth and Bonhoeffer on Michael Scott’s View of Redemption
Corey Tuttle
Chapter Thirteen: Beauty in Ordinary Things: The Theological and Religious World of a Pennsylvania Paper Company
Daniel J. Cameron

Praise for Theology, Religion, and The Office

On one level, The Office is simply a workplace comedy, a mockumentary along the lines of This is Spinal Tap. As David Cameronrsquo;s edited collection shows, though, through exploring the normally banal routine of unsatisfying and often undignified work at a failing paper company, viewers catch glimpses of deep human meaning making, the fostering of unlikely and significant relationships, and the abiding value of finding ldquo;beauty in ordinary things.rdquo; Whatrsquo;s seen through these glimpses are key ingredients embedded in religious cultures and ripe for theological examination. In this volume, the reader is treated to a conference room meeting in which such theological ideas like sin, redemption, and community are examined, as well as perhaps unexpected issues such as workplace diversity, womenrsquo;s power, and the prophetic activity of Michael Scott. Fans of The Office who are interested in how the series can be mined for theological explorations, as well as how it depicts and treats religious identities and practices, will find much to enjoy here.

Product Details

• Title: Theology, Religion, and The Office: Beauty in Ordinary Things
• Authors: Daniel J. Cameron, Carolyn Beard, Mark Brians, Johanna DeHaven, Manon Ceridwen James, Thomas McCall, Isaac T. McCall, Amar D. Peterman, Robert Grant Price, Daniel Rempel, James Spencer, Corey Tuttle, Jen Wotochek
• Series: Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture
• Publisher: Fortress Academic
• Print Publication Date: 2024
• Logos Release Date: 2025
• Pages: 258
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9781978715943, 9781978715936, 1978715935, 1978715943
• Resource ID: LLS:9781978715943
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-05-21T01:57:32Z

About the Authors

Daniel J. Cameron serves as the Bible Department Head and Director of Spiritual Life at Chicago Hope Academy (IL, USA).