The Faithful Citizen

A sophisticated and provocative rhetorical critique. From careful analyses of The Passion of the Christ to The Da Vinci Code, Maddux builds an impressive case that religious faith, even in the context of media entertainment, necessarily informs politics and civic life. She nimbly navigates the two combustible themes of religion and gender without succumbing to predictable partisanship. Formidable topic. Fascinating critique.

~Susan Schultz Huxman, Director, Elliott School of Communication, Wichita State University

[Maddux] presents an interesting reading of contemporary culture and offers a methodology for a more careful consideration of the interaction between media and religion.

~Paul A. Soukup, Santa Clara University, Communication Research Trends

Maddux is a clear writer doing bread-and-butter analysis of important works that obviously have had an influence on public life.

~Brian Jackson, Brigham Young University, Rhetoric Review

The historical, political, social, and theoretical contexts [Maddux] intertwines throughout each chapter connect material and discursive realities in ways that either capture important debates or speak back to them in important ways. And Maddux cogently depicts how ideas about Christian civic participation, gender, and popular media are woven together to create a story about what kinds of bodies and behaviours make someone a true 'citizen.'

~Amanda Rossie, The Ohio State University, Journal of Religion and Popular Culture