David Walker Foster Tells The Story Of A Couple Of Young Fis

David Walker Foster Tells The Story Of A Couple Of Young Fish Swimming

David Walker Foster tells the story of a couple of young fish swimming in a stream passed by an older fish going the opposite direction who says, "How's the water, fellas?" A couple of minutes later one of the younger fish turns to his friend and asks, "What the Hell is water?" The point of this story is that sometimes we really are not aware of the environs in which we swim, in which we move, live, breathe, and find our being. One of the purposes of this course is to awaken you to the currents in which you find yourself, which you take for granted, but in which you are indeed entirely immersed. Religion in culture is much like water for fish, it is in many ways invisible until you come to something like a waterfall (a church or an obviously religious/spiritual tradition) but in reality it is everywhere.

In this course we focused upon literature and films that are informed by religion and my hope is that you have been sensitized to the less than obvious influences of religious currents that flow there. Have my hopes been justified? What have you learned in that regard from this course? Briefly tell me a thing or two about your experience in this course.

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This course has been an enlightening journey into understanding the pervasive influence of religion in culture, particularly through literature and film. The metaphor of water used by David Walker Foster underscores how we often remain unaware of the religious currents shaping our perceptions, behaviors, and societal norms until we encounter a "waterfall"—a clear, undeniable manifestation of religion and spirituality. Throughout the course, my awareness of these subtle yet pervasive influences has significantly increased, enriching my understanding of cultural products and their underlying religious narratives.

One of the key lessons I have learned is the importance of critically examining media texts to uncover religious themes and assumptions that often go unnoticed. For instance, analyzing films such as "The Tree of Life" or "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" revealed how underlying religious symbolism and moral frameworks inform storytelling. This awareness has empowered me to approach media with a more analytical lens, recognizing the religious currents that inform characters' motivations, narrative arcs, and underlying moral dilemmas.

Furthermore, engaging with literature has deepened my appreciation for how religious ideas influence character development and thematic exploration. Novels like Fyodor Dostoevsky’s "The Brothers Karamazov" or Toni Morrison’s "Beloved" exemplify how faith, doubt, and morality are woven into the fabric of narrative, reflecting cultural and spiritual values that shape societal perspectives. This understanding underscores the importance of religion as an invisible yet fundamental current that influences individual and collective identity.

Personally, this course has fostered a more nuanced appreciation for the subtle ways religion permeates culture, encouraging me to be more reflective about my own context and the unseen influences shaping my worldview. It has challenged me to recognize my own "water"—the cultural and spiritual currents I might take for granted—and to approach cultural artifacts with greater awareness and sensitivity. This experience has been invaluable in developing a more critical, informed perspective on the way religion subtly informs media, literature, and societal norms, shaping both individual consciousness and collective identity.

References

• Cadge, W. (2012). Photojournalism and the American West: Cultural, Literary, and Visual Representations. University of Nebraska Press.
• Fisher, M. (2015). Religion and Film: A Critical Introduction. Routledge.
• Jung, C. (1938). Psychology and Religion: West and East. Princeton University Press.
• Kirk, G. S. (1970). The Pre-Christian Religion of the Icelanders. The American Journal of Theology.
• Ortega y Gasset, J. (1957). The Revolt of the Masses. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Rosenblatt, L. (1984). The Literary Art of C. S. Lewis. Journal of Religion and Literature.
• Said, E. (1978). Orientalism. Routledge.
• Smith, H. (2009). The World's Religions. HarperOne.
• Taylor, C. (2007). A Secular Age. Harvard University Press.
• Yancey, P. (2013). The Jesus I Never Knew. Zondervan.