There was certainly a lot of variety in these clips, and we agreed that most of them were geared toward adults, with Veggie Tales being the obvious exclusion, and the Simpsons sitting on the border of child/adult. It also seems that sometimes judging between explicit/implicit/null is not totally concrete and can vary depending on one’s perspective, to a certain extent. Now I’ll focus on each clip.

Clip One: We felt this clip had explicit learning in the point the scholars make that historical fact does not agree with what the Bible says. Implicit learning is similar but starker, asserting that the Bible is wrong, inaccurate, or unreliable. Null learning would be in the way they are using such specific details to ‘prove’ the Bible inaccurate, claiming, even though it isn’t mentioned, that the Bible is meant to function at least partly as a historical treatise. This relates to the stage of learning associated with high school age where one struggles with testing one’s faith out in the world without that foundational support and struggling with what is literal, what is symbolic, and what matters most.

Clip Two: Explicit lessons would be moral ones, related to not taking things from others, especially when you have plenty. Another explicit message is that the Bible’s messages are good and true. An implicit message would be not to judge others before you look at yourself, and also could be of guilt. Or maybe one or both of those is null, sorry I am not sure it’s totally clear there. This clip was easiest, it seemed, to classify with a stage, because it is obviously geared toward children. The use of simplified language and humor, the slower pace of the whole thing, caters perfectly to the developmental levels of young children.

Clip Three: An explicit lesson is for people to stand up for what they believe in, even if they are the only one. An implicit lesson is leaving the church rather than fixing it. A null lesson is that everyone can be bought, even pastors. In terms of stages this clip has a sense of justice, from the 7-8 year old range, and from the 11-12 year old range we see Lisa trying to define herself over and against authority and convention.

Clip Four: Explicit learning is in the idea that it is okay and acceptable to sing religious songs in a secular environment. Implicit learning is in the appearance that worship songs must be sung by a group, and should include robed gospel choirs. Null learning might be that even singing worship songs in a secular setting is ok if it is done by the ‘right’ people or ‘cool’ people. The learning stage this most reflects is the junior high stage, where life is about cliques and being in with the right people and making fun of the ‘wrong’ crowd.

Clip Five: This one I think had the most disagreement. One person saw explicit learning as Christians have to watch what they say. Another saw explicit denouncement of ‘right-wing’ evangelical Christianity. One person saw implicit learning as Christians are full of hate and judgmental and that we can pick and choose scripture to fit our own agenda. Another saw ‘all Christians are like James Dobson’ as implicit. Another saw implicit support for a more ‘reasoned’ for of Christianity (or at least not outright denouncement of it). Null learning was related to lack of endorsement for Christianity by one, and that Christians don’t really know what they’re talking about so do what you want by another. The stage of development associated with this one is high school/young adult because there is a challenge to beliefs and opinions that are often formed in those years.

Clip Six: Explicit learning is present when the man tells River that the Bible is about faith and believing in God. Implicit learning is that the Bible doesn’t always make rational sense, and holding onto the pages marks that struggle. Null learning here is when someone doesn’t understand the Bible or is struggling with faith one should take it from them and show them how they are wrong. This clip also represents the high school stage, as River is about that age and she is struggling with concrete vs. symbolic and how to fit faith and reason together.

Clip Seven: Explicit learning is about faith trusting God’s promise. Implicit learning is that faith often means persecution and difficulty, and Christians in other countries have more experience with that. A null lesson could be that someone such as the President can have a say on one’s faithfulness and depth of Christian nature. The stage here begins in the teen years but really extends through the rest of our life. It involves “the growth of our personal consciousness out of both the memorization of fact into true belief, and the growth of our self absorption into communion with our peers.”

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