"Witnessing Suburbia" is a lively cultural analysis of the conservative shift in national politics that transformed the United States during the Reagan-Bush era. Eileen Luhr focuses on two fundamental aspects of this shift: the suburbanization of evangelicalism and the rise of Christian popular culture, especially popular music. Taking us from the Jesus Freaks of the late 1960s to Christian heavy metal music to Christian rock festivals and beyond, she shows how evangelicals succeeded in 'witnessing' to America's suburbs in a consumer idiom. Luhr argues that the emergence of a politicized evangelical youth culture in fact ranks as one of the major achievements of 'third wave' conservatism in the late twentieth century.

About the Author
Eileen Luhr is Assistant Professor in the Department of History at California State University, Long Beach.

Reviews
"A diligent and informative ... exploration of the ways mainstream evangelicals' attitudes toward popular culture have evolved in the past forty years." -- Maud Newton Bookforum "Luhr's work fills a significant gap within histories of conservative Christianity and popular culture." Practical Matters "Describes a moment and a movement that has had tremendous influence in American life." Believer "Thoroughly researched and well written, this book should interest scholars of 20th-century Christianity and popular culture... Highly recommended." Choice



Book Information
ISBN 9780520255968
Author Eileen Luhr
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 363g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 20mm