Rating: 
Summary: Christian?
Review: I cannot imagine anything more fanciful than someone believing that the Simpson's in any way is a positive thing. This book is either a satire on the religiocity of the series or is a sorry work for something that is supposed to be Christian. This is not a book that can please God. For anyone who is Christian to find "Christ Dyed Eggs For Our Sins" funny is beyond belief and underscores the real problem in our Christian culture.
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat amusing but overall uninformative and forgettable
Review: I don't think that this book is really all that worthwhile to read. Although I agree that religion overall is displayed in a positive light in "The Simpsons," this book really doesn't provide any information that one couldn't get elsewhere.Avid watchers of the show will find the meat of Pinsky's book to be an overly detailed laundry list of the plot summaries from a number of episodes dealing with religion. Yes, it is fun to go back and recall the plot details from shows that we've already seen, but what's the difference between reading this book and actually watching the shows again? Almost nothing, since Pinsky does very little in the way of critically analyzing the episodes, and instead just writes down what happens in each show. The "analysis" that comes at the end of the book is little more than a compendium of writings from other people who have already commented on religion in "The Simpsons," and in the end Pinsky provides no new insights of his own on "The Simpsons" as it relates to religion. However, it should be noted that Pinsky aims the book at parents who don't allow their children to watch "The Simpsons" on account of its purported sacrilege, and the point of the book is to argue to these parents that "The Simpsons" isn't so bad. Once again, though, I don't see how these people would specifically benefit from his book. Firstly, as I said above, virtually all of the "analysis" in this book has come from other sources. Moreover, the plot summaries which take up most of the book are so detailed as to bore someone who hasn't seen the episode; also, a number of times I noticed plot details whose humor/significance weren't adequately explained by Pinsky, and could only be understood by actually watching the show itself. Think about what it's like reading a movie review before seeing the movie. For most movies, a full description of all the plot details, along with taking up too much space in the newspaper, would obviously not compare to actually seeing the movie, so for the most part critics just provide a general impression of the movie in their reviews. Pinsky, on the other hand, wastes a lot of space in this short book writing about details which would bore those people who already don't "religiously" watch the show. If you're a watcher of the show, you might get something out of perusing a few chapters of Pinsky's book in your bookstore, while if you're not a watcher, there's no substitute to watching the show if you want to understand the role of religion in "The Simpsons."
Rating:
Summary: Gospel not that great.
Review: I have attempted to collect and read every piece of academic and fan writing on the Simpsons, and this book definitely ranks behind its more noteworthy accomplice "The D'oh of Homer." Pinsky flatly recalls episodes, and does not smoothly connect them to his or our theological concerns. He provides nothing of his own thoughts on the episodes, but instead cites disserations and fan articles. If you are attempting to write anything on religion and animated tv, this book would be a good place to start for ideas, since it does not provide any more critical conclusions then "God exists in the Simpsons." This book would be great for Simpsons classes, because it can serve as a starting point for discussion. I am not sure whether a more non-religious author would have performed a more critical analysis, but I am not holding Pinsky's religion-journalist background against him, just suggesting that it may be his handicap, because this book is supposed to calm parents who view the show as a corrupting force. One has to ask , is Pinsky more invested in his religion or the show--I think it is the former and his book does suffer for readers who would like to ponder the religiosity of the show.
Rating: 
Summary: An amusing look at contemporary theology
Review: I have enjoyed this book and ordered the companion Leader's Guide for Group Study. I am using this book along with the leader's guide with a church youth group. The idea that theology can be found in contemporary entertainment is a breath of fresh air to our teenagers.
Rating:
Summary: A Blatant Attempt to Ride the Coattails of a Popular Show
Review: I have scoured this book for some sort of endorsement by creator Matt Groening, and I cannot find any yet. This leads me to believe that the book is one man's attempt to categorize the show in a way that Groening probably would not agree. "The Simpsons" is, and has always been, a show that pokes fun at religion, its excesses, its contradictions, its pomposity, and its tendancy to use fear as its prime motivating factor. It is not anti-religious, but it certainly casts a critical eye where other shows would dare not express. It's interesting, though, that Mr. Pinsky seems to be ignoring the more scathing indictments of religion shown on the program. Since it does not appear to be endorsed by anyone involved with the show itself, it is about as interesting to me as one of those rushed paperback bios about pop artists like Britney Spears and N'Sync. I'd recommend sticking with the Authorized Books on "The Simpsons," and leaving this one on the rack.
Rating: 
Summary: help me, jebus!
Review: i really enjoyed this book and found it to be well-written and informative. it critiques the way different religions and spiritual issues are portrayed on "the simpsons" sitcom. it is very positively biased toward the show, which kind of surprised me - and pleased me, i should add. i really enjoy reading things that take apart and analyze different aspects of pop culture in an intelligent way and this book definitely qualifies. occasionally, it feels as if he reads a bit too much into the show on certain levels, like finding specific reasons for things that i just think are meant to be funny, but overall i found it entertaining and worth my precious reading time.
Rating:
Summary: Great night reading
Review: I really like this book, but it's so dry! I actually have a list of words to look up! I think this man loves his thesaurus. I'm glad, however, that he also loves The Simpsons. If I can ever finish this book, I'm sure I will be better for it! He makes some wonderful statements, and every example brings a delightful episode to mind. I'd love to take the class where this is the text book!
Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Combination
Review: I received this book as a gift. When my eyes first graced it, they were, of course, first drawn to Bart, sitting idly on a cloud on the front cover, but it was really the title of this book that intrigued me. I read the back cover and I was amazed. This is a book that combines the deep world of The Simpsons with the world of religion, and not just Christianity! Pinsky, a journalist on religion for the Orlando Sentinel, writes this book in the style of a research paper, but at no point does it feel as if you're reading one. Every time you pick up the book, it's as if you're attending your favorite class as Pinsky explains how, although on the surface The Simpsons appears to be offensive, crude, and unfair towards religion, it really is very fair and portrays their world in a way that very much reflects our own. He devotes chapters to Lisa, Ned Flanders, Apu, Krusty, and Reverend Lovejoy as characters that may appear to have been lampooned but, in reality, are very much portrayed in admirable fashions. When Pinsky uses his extensive knowledge of the series' episodes to back up his claims, you'll find yourself laughing out loud. I lost count of how many times I did. If you're a Simpsons fan, a Christian, or just look to be more educated, go pick up this book now!
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Combination
Review: I received this book as a gift. When my eyes first graced it, they were, of course, first drawn to Bart, sitting idly on a cloud on the front cover, but it was really the title of this book that intrigued me. I read the back cover and I was amazed. This is a book that combines the deep world of The Simpsons with the world of religion, and not just Christianity! Pinsky, a journalist on religion for the Orlando Sentinel, writes this book in the style of a research paper, but at no point does it feel as if you're reading one. Every time you pick up the book, it's as if you're attending your favorite class as Pinsky explains how, although on the surface The Simpsons appears to be offensive, crude, and unfair towards religion, it really is very fair and portrays their world in a way that very much reflects our own. He devotes chapters to Lisa, Ned Flanders, Apu, Krusty, and Reverend Lovejoy as characters that may appear to have been lampooned but, in reality, are very much portrayed in admirable fashions. When Pinsky uses his extensive knowledge of the series' episodes to back up his claims, you'll find yourself laughing out loud. I lost count of how many times I did. If you're a Simpsons fan, a Christian, or just look to be more educated, go pick up this book now!
Rating:
Summary: Great for the Simpson fan who has it all....
Review: I'm a Simpsons fan, and bought the book since it seemed pretty intriguing. It was one insightful and funny book! If you're curious about the religious themes brought out in the show, or just love the Simpsons you should buy the book. My only complaint is that the author made a few errors when discussing certain episodes in the book; a more research into episodes should have been made. All in all, though, it's a great read.
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