The Wondering Years: How Pop Culture Helped Me Answer Life’s Biggest Questions

Written by Knox McCoy

Narrated by Knox McCoy

Yes, you can love God and binge Netflix!

Podcaster Knox McCoy, co-host of The Popcast with Knox and Jamie, tells hilarious stories about how pop culture helped him answer life’s biggest questions in his debut book, The Wondering Years. Through books, television, music and movies, Knox found many of the answers he was searching for about God and why we’re all here.

When you hear the phrase pop culture, you likely think reality television, boy bands or Real Housewives of various cities. While these are elements of popular culture, they aren’t all it has to offer. Pop culture may not cure diseases or make scientific breakthroughs, but it does play a vital role in the story of humanity.

From the first time he was punched in the face to saving dog souls as a canine evangelist, Knox reflects on how pop culture has helped shape his life and carve out the foundation of his faith. While the three cultural tentpoles—the South, the Church, and Sports—defined many aspects of his East Tennessee upbringing, it was pop culture that influenced Knox and his sense of the world at large. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Nov 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9780785220909

Knox McCoy

Knox McCoy loves laughing and making people laugh. Really anything that’s laughter-adjacent, he’s into. He’s also super into the word swashbuckling, and his dream is to one day use it in a bio. Knox began podcasting in 2011 as a way to talk more about popular culture, and to his extreme surprise, he’s still doing via The Popcast with Knox and Jamie and The Bible Binge. As a resident of the South, Knox’s heritage is to enjoy football and barbecue, and he does so with great passion. He also enjoys zombie movies, police procedurals, and a good Netflix binge. Knox lives with his wife and three kids in Birmingham, Alabama, where he works as the swashbuckling cofounder of The Popcast Media Group.

Reviews for The Wondering Years

[angiestahl-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Knox comes across as a funny, clever, and likable guy. Overall, the book and the pop culture references are fun and - even for my Gen X self - relatable. At times, I think it went a little too relentlessly self-aware and jokey. Also, mild side-eye at the assumption that no one over 50 has ever heard of a podcast. This is somewhat of a Christian-lite book. If you're looking for something to better understand faith and Christianity within our cultural context, this is not your best bet. On the plus side, it's entertaining rooted in positive purpose. It's non-threatening, accessible, and may reach people and connect with them in a way that other books wouldn't.For pop- culture loving Christians, it's comforting to know that Knox and others are out there successfully navigating and positively influencing both worlds. That is no small thing - not everyone attempts, can, or does. It seems Knox is using his God-given gifts in exactly the way he's been designed to do. Worth a try for readers who are Christian-curious, but still on the fence.

[lycomayflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Through a combination of memoir and analysis of pop culture, McCoy explores questions about God, his relationship with his evangelical upbringing, and how best to live in the world. Entertaining with the some good insight--especially into what it looks like to be a socially liberal evangelical Christian. While I certainly enjoyed the book and tore right through it, I find myself struggling a bit to remember much from it having finished it.