Page - 108 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/01

the former being a massive constituency regulating political, economic and ecclesial life and structures, and the latter indicative of an ongoing phase of modernization, in which nothing is fixed and everything is characterized by movement.14 Practical theologian Kees de Groot elaborates on Bauman’s thesis of a “liquid society” in a provocative book in which he sets the concept in a wider context.15 Deploying the concept of “liquidation”, De Groot contends that institutional religion is not simply coming to an end in Western societies, for religion and church are crossing bounda- ries. He uses the liquidation metaphor to describe the changing function and role of faith, religion and Christian institutions. Religion is liquefying, he suggests, as many elements that compose the church (counseling, education, assistance and care, for example) become part of leisure activities, health care or contemporary culture. Re- ligious capital was once a solid asset, but in liquid modernity, such solid institutions lose power and influence. Church, class and family are eroded, and networks become key to social participation. This typical Baumanian view downplays the options for religion and community. Even more, if religion is included in the series of institutions that have lost their influence, there is no more serious space for religion and thus, as a consequence we would need to talk about its liquidation. I agree with De Groot that Bauman’s views of community and the role of religion are limited, for religion continues, if under different conditions. These conditions are strongly influenced by a context in which consumption, individual choice, networks, communities “lite” and various spiritualities are central, with the liquidation metaphor therefore again rele- vant. De Groot characterizes the slow but inevitable process that leads to the sale of the church’s capital as liquidation, not just liquefaction. Religious products appear in these different social contexts, with the church no longer the sole provider. The framework for this examination of Vikings is provided by both the idea of film as the embodiment of religion and the concept of the liquefaction of meaning. To ad- dress the meaning of film from a practical-theological perspective, I first examine the general filmic content of this series and look into its storylines and narratives, cultural and religious contexts and style. Here I take up Melanie Wright’s proposal to ensure that crucial aspects of the television series get the attention they deserve and not just their message.16 I believe this approach also does justice to the development of the series. The initial general analysis will be followed by analysis of a selection of fragments in which the relevant tensions and clashes occur. These fragments contain • specific (constructed) dialogues about religious and/or theological themes • specific references to clashes of religious or theological views. 14 Bauman 2000. 15 De Groot 2018. 16 Wright 2007, 11–30. “Someday Our Gods Will be Friends” | 107www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/1, 103–126