Pop Culture as Educational Tool

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During the fall, Azzan Yadin-Israel—an associate professor in the Department of Jewish Studies who is accustomed to teaching courses about early rabbinic literature or perhaps Jewish mysticism—taught “Bruce Springsteen’s Theology."

Two classes introduced in the fall to engage students in an exploration of life’s big subjects—ranging from contemporary male identity to the meaning of stories appearing in the Old Testament—honored two totems of popular culture: HBO’s The Wire and Bruce Springsteen. At Rutgers–Newark, Fran Bartkowski, chair of the Department of English, and Sherri-Ann Butterfield, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology, brought their respective disciplines to bear on a multidisciplinary course to mine the 60 episodes of the award-winning television drama through viewings of episodes as well as lectures and animated student discussions. Some of the themes examined? Questions of masculinity, ethics, race, class, gender, and, yes, sexuality.

At Rutgers–New Brunswick during the fall semester, Azzan Yadin-Israel—an associate professor in the Department of Jewish Studies who is accustomed to teaching courses about early rabbinic literature or perhaps Jewish mysticism—taught “Bruce Springsteen’s Theology,” one of the esteemed Byrne Seminars offered through the School of Arts and Sciences, which considered the theological basis for many of Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics and the songwriter’s take on biblical stories. In looking at all the musician’s albums, from Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. to Wrecking Ball, Yadin-Israel and his students surmised that The Boss, drawing primarily from the Old Testament, is big on the ideas of redemption and the importance of valuing every day.