{"product_id":"dogs-save-stories-of-canine-redemption-in-us-culture-paperback","title":"Dogs Save: Stories of Canine Redemption in Us Culture - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eKatharine Mershon\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStories about people and dogs saving one another are everywhere in US culture--on TV, in Hollywood movies, on social media, and even on bumper stickers. Yet these seemingly heartwarming stories of mutual rescue revolve around redemption through suffering, a narrative profoundly interwoven with Christian beliefs, white racial anxieties, and US national myths.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKatharine Mershon examines the unacknowledged religious underpinnings of stories about dogs, revealing deeply rooted cultural assumptions about who can be saved and how redemption ought to occur. She identifies the \"canine redemption narrative\" as the defining cultural script for the stories people in the United States tell about dogs and, in turn, the nation. Exposing unexamined assumptions about the relationships between people and dogs, Mershon sheds light on the central place of animals and religion in defining racial boundaries.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDogs Save\u003c\/em\u003e considers examples including the Michael Vick dogfighting case; Samuel Fuller's controversial B-movie \u003cem\u003eWhite Dog\u003c\/em\u003e; the TV show \u003cem\u003eThe Dog Whisperer\u003c\/em\u003e, from the celebrity dog trainer Cesar Millan; Laurie Anderson's film \u003cem\u003eHeart of a Dog\u003c\/em\u003e; and Eileen Myles's \u003cem\u003eAfterglow (a dog memoir)\u003c\/em\u003e. Bringing together religious studies and animal studies, this book shows that redemption narratives shape who is allowed to survive and thrive in US society.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eKatharine Mershon is assistant professor of philosophy and religion at Western Carolina University.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 256\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.58 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 21, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45646127497318,"sku":"9780231206976","price":63.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0599\/7255\/0758\/files\/Xri4uQFbaF9780231206976.webp?v=1779407419","url":"https:\/\/infinitylightwa.com\/products\/dogs-save-stories-of-canine-redemption-in-us-culture-paperback","provider":"Infinity Light","version":"1.0","type":"link"}