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In Popologetics, Turnau focused on Christians respond to popular culture in an apologetic way. This takes a deliberate change of focus. There are five questions that can be used to interrogate any piece of popular culture: (1) what the story is, (2) what is the imaginative origin, (3) what grace-filled elements can be found, (4) what is perverse that can be found, and (5) how is the Gospel applied. As we can see, the specific look of the Gospel is last, not first.

One area I would like more clarification on is question two. This is noted as the ‘world’ of the text in which readers and critics should understand the vision of the popular culture element. Personally, I found this to be unclear, apart from figuring out why the author or artist chose a specific medium. 

A memorable quote that I found truly innovative was the fact that as Christians, we need to “expose the lies embedded in the fabrics of popular-cultural worlds” (238). Instead of simply accepting every aspect of popular culture, there is a call to action to simply act upon it instead of sitting and allowing everything to happen. For every action, there is a reaction; a cause results in an effect. We are called to go out into the nation and not conform to the world, but to be fishers of men; not fishers of pop stars and cultural norms.  

In some ways, I found the questions reflective and abstract as well as philosophical. Was that the intent? For critiques and analyses in an apologetic fashion, is there a right or wrong? I love the phrase ‘the gospel is not small’. Regardless of our time, we are still accepted and given grace and mercy after more than two thousand years. In this way, we can present and understand the gospel in all elements of popular culture. The apologetic outlook on culture today starts with us.