Paul Nathanson
Dr. Paul Nathanson has a BA in art history; a BTh (Christian theology); an MLS (library service); an MA in religious studies (Judaism and Islam); and a Ph.D in religious studies (religion and secularity). He is interested in the close but often hidden relation between religion and secularity. The former includes both myths (stories about collective origin, destiny, or identity) and ethics. The latter includes popular culture (especially movies), gender, and ideologies as secular religions. Nathanson’s first book, published in 1989, is called Over the Rainbow: The Wizard of Oz as a Secular Myth of America. He has published articles on other movies (such as Rebel without a Cause) and on culturally significant events (such as public response to the death of Princess Diana). He is now working with Katherine Young on two projects. One has been funded by both the Canadian government and private foundations. The first volume, Spreading Misandry: The Teaching of Contempt for Men in Popular Culture, was published in 2001. The second volume, Legalizing Misandry: From Public Shame to Systemic Discrimination against Men, is in press. The third volume will be called Transcending Misandry: From Feminist Ideology to Intersexual Dialogue. The other project is called Contra: The Case against Redefining Marriage.
