William G. Doty

Mark's Story of Jesus

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The book is a very noble achievement of haut vulgarisation—that marvelous type of work 'for hearers of all faculties' that can be utilized in college work immediately and without hesitation. It is clear as a bell, interesting, not confessionally slanted, and the underlying scholarship, which never intrudes, is evident in the toughness and strength of the arguments.”

The Myth of the American Superhero

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“A major interpretive resource for several disciplines, including American studies, religious studies, literature, popular culture, and film studies, The Myth of the American Superhero covers an astonishing array of expressions of the heroic in American culture. I have used the authors' approach to popular mythology for many years and appreciate this rich, up-to-date (right up to the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, and the films The Matrix and Fight Club) work. Monomythic expressions now include highly violent video games and worldwide terrorism. John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett provide a framework for critiquing a wide range of movies and literature, including the Disneyfication of the nation and the lethal patriotism of Timothy McVeigh and the Unabomber, Theodore Kaczynski. The dangers of fascist elements in Star Wars are confronted as well as the dangerous apocalypticism of the Left Behind books and films. Ultimately, the authors are sincerely worried about the shape of Western democracy as it is threatened by cheap resolutions of complex political and theological issues. This book will be a major component in my honors course on the heroic model in life, literature, and film. As a tool for understanding the dangers of the traditional hero model, The Myth of the American Superhero has no competition. It is the sort of book that educates one for a lifetime.”