RELIGION, ART AND THE MEDIA
FICTION INFOPACK
This infopack concerns the ‘Fiction’ half of Module 3: Religion and Pop
Culture.
It contains:
o An introduction to how religion is used in fiction (Page 1)
o A worksheet for answering exam questions (Page 2)
o A focus on ‘WATCHMEN’ (Page 7)
o A focus on ‘FRANNY AND ZOOEY’ (Page 15)
o Further discussion: absolute truth or wholly fiction? (Page 37)
o Religious responses to the use of religion in fiction. (Page 39)
o Secular responses to the use of religion in fiction. (Page 42)
o
INTRODUCTION TO MOD 3 RELIGION AND POPCULTURE: ‘FICTION’
Previous (A) questions on ‘fiction’, worth 30 marks, have asked:
o
o
‘With reference to two works of fiction, explain why religion is a popular theme in fiction today.’
‘Examine, with reference to two works of fiction, the presentation of religious themes in fiction.’
Hence you studied ‘Franny and Zooey’ and ‘Watchmen’ so that you can write at least four paragraphs (two
for each novel) that answers the question in depth using such two works of fiction.
o
‘Explain why religion is popular in fiction today.’
This is a more general question, and you were shown two more pieces of fiction – the films ‘Bill and Ted’s
Bogus Journey’ and ‘Dogma’ before xmas, so you can broaden your range of examples for this question.
You can draw on ANY example of fiction, as long as you write your answer in the correct format of:
o Point: Raise a point relating to the question.
o Evidence: Describe a relevant scene from a piece of fiction.
o Explain: how that scene demonstrates your original point.
WHY IS RELIGION USED IN FICTION?
We will explore two main reasons as to why religion is used in fiction (its curiosity value, and because it
resonates with human experience) as well as alternative purposes such as education, propaganda, humour
and to critique religion.
1. THE CURIOSITY VALUE OF RELIGION
Fictional works may use religion because of its curiosity value. What this means is that fiction writers will
draw on the fantastical, mystical, or intriguing elements of religion in order to interest and excite the
audience.
This can be anything from the Jesus Prayer – weird and unique compared to our usual concept of praying –
in ‘Franny and Zooey’, to the way a Christian cross can reduce a vampire to cinders in a TV show like ‘Buffy
the Vampire Slayer’. There’s nothing in the Bible about vampires, but they are representative of evil and so
the cross is used as a symbol of goodness and purity. The curiosity value of religion here is the battle
between ultimate good and ultimate evil.
2. RELIGION RESONATES WITH HUMAN EXPERIENCE
Fictional works might also use religion because religious issues and themes also resonate with our wider
human experience. Why are we here? How did we get here? How should we live? What is the right thing to
do? These general metaphysical and moral questions can be secular but have a strong basis in religion,
which is why religion can be used to explore such issues fully.
3. EDUCATION: Fictional works might use religion in order to educate audiences about little known
religions or religions that people have a lot of misconceptions of.
4. PROPAGANDA: Fictional works may have been written in order to subversively (secretly) embed
religious beliefs in the audience. However, the religious beliefs might be obviously presented in a film,
such as ‘Passion of the Christ’, but is then used by other organisations for purposes of propaganda. E.g.
churches booking whole cinemas and giving away tickets to random people in the hope of conversion.
5. HUMOUR: As will be fully explored in the other half of Module 3, religious can be both a source of and a
target of humour. This can be both positive and negative.
6. TO CRITIQUE RELIGION: Some fictional works are written in a way that challenges or critiques
aspects of religious beliefs or religious organisations. This can be done in a way that is obvious and
outright attacks certain aspects of religion, or it can be done thematically in a way that raises challenging
questions about religion.
FICTION EXAMPLES RELEVANT TO THE EXAM
Fill in the following tables so that you have practiced how to write answers for the ‘Fiction’ question
in the exam.
‘WATCHMEN’ AS AN EXAMPLE OF FICTION DRAWING ON
THE CURIOSITY VALUE OF RELIGION
POINT: Identify an aspect of
religion used by ‘Watchmen’ that
raises curiosity in the reader
EVIDENCE: Cite evidence from the text
(refer to a scene in the graphic novel
which brings out the point)
EXPLAIN: Explain how this
evidence demonstrates
your point
The theme of apocalypse.
The graphic novel ‘Watchmen’
draws on the curiosity value of
religion by adopting the Biblical
theme of apocalypse. Apocalypse
concerns the end of the world, which
is something that audiences find
very intriguing, hence its use in
fiction.
‘Watchmen’ communicates the apocalypse
theme by having the story build towards a
climatic tragedy that occurs on November 2nd.
This is the Day of the Dead (a Catholic / Aztec
festival) in Mexico and is also All Souls Day,
which commemorates the dead.
By including such explicit
Biblical references and by
adopting an apocalyptic theme
throughout the novel, a sense
of impending doom is created
which makes the story more
exciting for the readers.
The use of Biblical narratives
(explain what a Biblical narrative
involves and why it is part of the
curiosity value of religion)
(Describe how the Tales of the Black Freighter
story-within-the-story uses a Biblical aesthetic)
The novel shows the bloody aftermath of the
tragedy by depicting hundreds of dead bodies
at a concert by a band called ‘Pale Horse’. Pale
Horse is also a biblical reference to one of the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as found in
the Book of Revelations. The Pale Horse is
named ‘Death’.
(Explain how the Black
Freighter example draws on
the curiosity value of religion to
make the story more interesting
to the reader)
‘WATCHMEN’ AS AN EXAMPLE OF FICTION THAT DRAWS ON THE WAY
RELIGION RESONATES WITH HUMAN EXPERIENCE
POINT: Identify an aspect of
religion used by ‘Watchmen’ that
resonates with human experience
Our uncertainty of God’s nature
and His relation to us.
(Summarise here why Dr. M is
symbolic of God, and how the novel
questions God’s relation to us)
The question of free will under an
all-knowing God.
(Summarise here how the symbolic
God of Dr. M views time, and how
this is problematic for free will)
How we use religion in society.
(Summarise here how the symbolic
God of Dr. M views time, and how
he is treated by the government and
the public)
EVIDENCE: Cite evidence from the text
(refer to a scene in the graphic novel
which brings out the point)
EXPLAIN: Explain how this
evidence demonstrates
your point
‘FRANNY AND ZOOEY’ AS AN EXAMPLE OF FICTION DRAWING ON
THE CURIOSITY VALUE OF RELIGION
POINT: Identify an aspect of
the curiosity value of religion
used by ‘Franny and Zooey’
Drawing on little known religions.
(Explain why this creates curiosity in
the reader)
EVIDENCE: Cite evidence from the text
(refer to a scene in the graphic novel
which brings out the point)
Describe what obscure religions Salinger uses
in his novel, and how they are presented.
Drawing on the more mystical,
fantastical aspects of religion.
(Explain why this creates curiosity in
the reader)
Describe what mystical, fantastical, aspects of
religion Salinger uses.
Drawing on the idea of an
extreme religious education.
(Explain why this creates curiosity in
the reader)
Describe what kind of religious education both
Franny and Zooey had, the consequence of it.
Drawing on the obscure religious
artefacts.
(Explain why this creates curiosity in
the reader)
Describe how the ‘Way of the Pilgrim’ book is
presented to the reader and used by Salinger.
EXPLAIN: Explain how this
evidence demonstrates
your point
‘FRANNY AND ZOOEY’ AS AN EXAMPLE OF FICTION THAT DRAWS ON THE WAY
RELIGION RESONATES WITH HUMAN EXPERIENCE
POINT: Identify an aspect of
religion used by ‘Franny…’ that
resonates with human experience
The multiple sources of faith and
knowledge of religion.
(Explain what is meant by this,
giving some general examples from
reality)
EVIDENCE: Cite evidence from the text
(refer to a scene in the graphic novel
which brings out the point)
Give examples from the novel that show how
Franny and Zooey gained awareness of
religion, and the consequence of this.
Modern replacements for religion.
(Explain what is meant by this,
giving some general examples from
reality)
Give the two examples from the novel of
psychoanalysis and post-war economic society
Teenage angst as a mirror to
spiritual conflict.
(Explain what is meant by teenage
angst, giving some general
examples from reality)
Explain how teen angst is exhibited by both
Franny and Zooey, and how it mirrors their
spiritual conflicts.
EXPLAIN: Explain how this
evidence demonstrates
your point
OTHER USES OF RELIGION IN FICTION:
Remember, you can use any example of fiction that is relevant, just make sure you use this format.
POINT
Religion is sometimes used in fiction
for the purpose of EDUCATION.
Fiction is a good educational tool as
the storyline makes difficult
concepts more interesting to learn
about, and also more accessible.
EVIDENCE
‘Franny and Zooey’ by JD Salinger is a novel
that educated readers about Eastern religions
like Buddhism and more obscure aspects of
Christianity. Salinger communicated Eastern
religious concepts through Christian ideas in
order to make the concepts of the former
religion more accessible. For example, the
character Zooey talks about the Jesus Prayer –
a special form of incessant praying where you
have to recite the same phrase over and over
again, until the prayer becomes automatic in
your heart and you gain enlightenment. He then
explains how this is the same as mantras found
in Eastern mysticism, referring to ‘japam’ the
recitation of the various human names for God.
EXPLAIN
By using Christian ideas as a
platform, Salinger manages to
educate the reader about
Eastern religious concepts that
they may not have been aware
of. Such religions were
unknown in mainstream
culture, particularly back when
the novel was first published in
1961.
Religion is sometimes used in fiction
for the purpose of PROPAGANDA.
This can be because the work of
fiction was written as a subversive
way to embed religious beliefs in the
audience, or because the work of
fiction can educate audiences of
religion beliefs but is used by other
organisations as a tool of
propaganda.
An example of this are the ‘Chronicles of
Narnia’ books by C.S. Lewis. This contains
many allusions to the Bible with Azlan as
Jesus, Edmund as Judas and the White Witch
as Satan who tempts him. Another author,
Philip Pullman claims it is Christian propaganda
aimed at embedding Christian beliefs in
children at a young age, without them knowing
it.
This example shows how
fiction can be both written as
propaganda, but also used as
propaganda by other people
who are not associated with the
work’s creator. Fiction is a
popular medium and so it can
be a great tool to spread
religious ideas.
When the book was made into a film, it was
used as a propaganda tool by right-wing
Christian groups in America who created study
courses for children around its release and who
block-booked cinemas to give tickets away to
non-Christians in the hope of conversion.
Fiction might also employ certain
themes in order TO CRITIQUE
RELIGION. This can be done in an
obvious way that outright attacks a
religious organisation, or it can be
done thematically.
‘Watchmen’ by Alan Moore works on various
thematic levels. It revolves around a group of
vigilantes who are meant to be the
‘superheroes’ of the real world. What Moore
points out is that they end up being rejected by
society as the superhero morality is rooted in
the nineteen-fifties and is no longer relevant as
times change – this is seen by references to
the rise of hippie culture and drug culture
finding the vigilantes out of public favour. The
vigilantes are analogous to organised religions,
who also hold on to absolute moral-truths, even
though secular society does not.
This example shows how
religion can be critiqued
thematically, using metaphor,
rather than being criticised
directly.
Religion can also be used FOR
HUMOUR. There are many
examples of this and the humour
can range from satire – ridiculing
religious organisations, to irony –
finding humour in the what is not
expected from religious types, to
black comedy – that draws on
aspects of religion that might be
morbid or inappropriate, such as
death.
NOTE: You can use any of the examples
taught in the next part of Module 3: Religion
and Humour.
This example shows two ways
in which religion can be dealt
with using different types of
humour. In this case the
humour is used to challenge
religion in a way that is not
meant to be an outright attack
– the humour softens the
critique.
‘Dogma’ by Kevin Smith is an example of a
movie that satirises the religious organisation of
the Catholic church. It pokes fun at their
attempts at modernisation, by using the figure
of ‘Buddy Christ’ – a new statue of Jesus giving
a thumbs-up and a wink. And uses irony to
challenge the way Catholics treat women by
making the main character, the descendent of
Jesus, a female abortion doctor.
AN EXAMPLE FOR RELIGION AND FICTION:
How and Why does ‘Watchmen’ use Religion?
The following pages are infosheets that will help you explore how the graphic novel
‘Watchmen’ uses religion for the following reasons:
1. THE CURIOSITY VALUE OF RELIGION
o The theme of apocalypse
o Adopting Biblical narratives
2. RELIGION RESONATES WITH HUMAN EXPERIENCE
o Our uncertainty of God’s nature and His relation to us.
o The question of free will under an all-knowing God.
o How we use religion in society.
‘WATCHMEN’
AS AN EXAMPLE OF FICTION THAT DRAWS ON THE
CURIOSITY VALUE OF RELIGION
>>> 1. THE RELIGIOUS THEME OF THE APOCALYPSE<<<
Apocalypse is a Biblical theme concerning the end of the world. ‘Watchmen’
builds suspense and a sense of danger by employing an apocalyptic theme in its story
telling. The main characters are aware of a catastrophe of an unknown nature that
they aim to avert. The notion of apocalypse is closely tied to religion, the end-ofthe-world signifying Judgement Day for Christians and Muslims. Below are some of
the ways in which the apocalyptic theme is used in ‘Watchmen’.
Specific Religious references (use these in the exam):

The explosion in New York that constitutes the climax / apocalyptic moment of the graphic novel occurs
on November 2nd. In Christianity, this is the Day of the Dead and All Souls Day – both days
commemorate the dead.

Throughout the graphic novel, a concert is being advertised for the band ‘Pale Horse’. When the
apocalypse occurs, this concert is turned into a massacre as everyone attending is caught up in the
explosion. Pale Horse is a Biblical reference, it is one of the ‘Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ as
found in Chapter 6 of the Book of Revelations:
When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and
see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and
Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword,
with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. [Revelation 6:7-8]
7
The four horsemen are traditionally named after what the verses describe them bringing: Pestilence, War,
Famine and Death; only Death (the fourth Horseman), however, is directly named in the Bible.
Context: The fourth horseman, on the pale horse, is explicitly named Death. The horse is sometimes
translated as "pale," "pale green," or "green." The pale greenish color of the fourth horse could mean fear,
sickness, and/or decay. He may represent death as in the reaper of souls or more commonly known as the
grim reaper.
>>> 2. DRAWING ON BIBLICAL NARRATIVES<<<
The writers of scripture (holy books) use narrative devices in their own teachings (particularly in the Old
Testament), here we will look at how and why fiction writers draw on similar story-telling techniques.
‘WATCHMEN’ - TALES OF THE BLACK FREIGHTER (FICTION)
A story-within-a-story, this tale – a pirate comic read by one of the characters in ‘Watchmen’ – parallels the main
narrative of the graphic novel. What is interesting for us on this course, is that it takes a Biblical aesthetic in its
story-telling approach (particularly the stories of the Old Testament, that we will look at today).
The basic plot of the ‘Tales of the Black Freighter’ is as follows:
-
-
Our protagonist (main character) wakes up marooned, surrounded by his shipmates’
dead carcasses being picked off by birds, after having been massacred by the
mythical Black Freighter pirate ship.
He is desperate to get back to Davidstown to warn the people there of the B.F's
approach, and to save his wife and kids from the terror
He makes a boat out of his dead shipmates’ inflated bodies
On the sea he is attacked by sharks and ends up killing, riding and eating a dead
shark to shore (!)
He arrives on shore of Davidstown and recognises the bank teller and a girl both on
horseback. He thinks theyre collaborators and so he savagely kills them
He props up the girl on her horse, nicks the teller's clothes and rides into town.
He ends up at his home and starts beating on one of the potential villains - who turns
out to be his wife
He runs away, aware of his savagery / insanity
At the shore he sees the Black Freighter waiting for him - he swims over to it. They’d
got what they were looking for all along.
Q1. WHAT BIBLICAL STORIES DOES THIS TALE REMIND YOU OF, AND WHY?
EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR NARRATIVES / STORY-TELLING IN RELIGION
These examples are from the Old Testament of the Bible, think about how the story-telling mirrors that used
in the ‘Tales of the Black Freighter’ story:
The Book of Job offers perhaps a mirror model of someone who is tempted to go beyond his own limits and take
responsibility for all the things that go on in his life (either by admitting his sins before God or judging God and cursing
'Him' - which at face value seems OK since God is presenting as inflicting all this stuff on Job for the sake of a cheap
bet). At the end of the narrative, Job is claimed to be more righteous than the counsel of those who claimed that he
should ask God for forgiveness, and there is a stream of questions from God insisting on how humans cannot fathom
the depths of God's ways.
 The reverse parallel is therefore that the protagonist (main character) of the Black Freighter story tried to take
unlimited responsibility for events and caused devastation, whereas Job remained at the level of honesty and a
trust in God's goodness, and he was seen to be the one blessed by God.
There's the Tower of Babel in which human pride leads to disaster and confusion. Up until this point in the Bible,
the whole world had one language - one common speech for all people. The people of the earth became skilled in
construction and decided to build a city with a tower that would reach to heaven. By building the tower they wanted to
make a name for themselves and also prevent their city from being scattered. God came to see their city and the tower
they were building. He perceived their intentions, and in His infinite wisdom, He knew this "stairway to heaven" would
only lead the people away from God. He noted the powerful force within their unity of purpose. As a result, God
confused their language, causing them to speak different languages so they would not understand each other. By doing
this, God thwarted their plans. He also scattered the people of the city all over the face of the earth.
Perhaps the best parallel to the Black Freighter story is Jonah and the Whale, in which fear of following God leads
to a form of escapism, leading to a ship disaster, being eaten by a huge fish in which he lives for three days and
finally doing God's will. See the next page for a full version of the story from the Old Testament.
Q2. WHAT ASPECTS OF STORY TELLING ARE SIMILAR BETWEEN THESE RELIGIOUS STORIES AND
FICTIONAL ONES LIKE ‘THE TALES OF THE BLACK FREIGHTER’?
‘JONAH AND THE WHALE’ in detail
Jonah 1
1Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a
ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the
presence of the LORD.
4But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like
to be broken.
5Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into
the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
6So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be
that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
7And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon
us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
8Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and
whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
9And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the
dry land.
10Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled
from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and
was tempestuous.
12And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know
that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was
tempestuous against them.
14Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for
this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
15So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
17Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and
three nights.
Jonah 2
1Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
2And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou
heardest my voice.
3For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and
thy waves passed over me.
4Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about
my head.
6I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up
my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
10And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Jonah 3
1And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great
city of three days' journey.
4And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown.
5So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even
to the least of them.
6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered
him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying,
Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil
way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he
would do unto them; and he did it not.
‘WATCHMEN’:
AS AN EXAMPLE OF FICTION THAT DRAWS ON HOW
RELIGION RESONATES WITH HUMAN EXPERIENCE
The graphic novel ‘Watchmen’ draws on those aspects of religion that deal with some of the fundamental
questions of human existence and experience. In particular it looks at:
o
o
o
Our uncertainty of God’s nature and His relation to us.
The question of free will under an all-knowing God.
How we use religion in society.
.
The following four concepts are important background knowledge for discussion of the novel:
1. THE NATURE OF THE GOD OF CLASSICAL THEISM
The God of Classical Theism is the monotheistic God of Christianity, Judaism and Islam (the religions that
believe in one god). This God has various attributes, all of which are meant to show why God is perfect.
These attributes include:




Omnipotent – all-powerful; God can do anything that is logically possible.
Omniscience – all-knowing; God knows everything that is true, nothing that is false.
Omnipresent – in all places at the same time; ties in with omniscience.
Omnibenevolence – all-loving, wholly good; moral perfection.
In ‘Watchmen’, Dr. Manhattan is the only character that has any actual super
powers. And the way he is presented in the graphic novel is as symbolic of God.
Dr. Manhattan is symbolic of God because he is:



Omnipotent – all-powerful; he can control and shape things on an atomic
level, from destroying a tank without physically touching it, to
re-forming a body for himself after his human form was blow apart.
Omniscience – all-knowing; he appears to know everything that is
happening in the world at any given moment, as well as what will occur
in the future.
Omnipresent – in all places at the same time; he can transport himself,
divide himself and appears to be aware of changes in nature across the
universe.
But is he all-loving? The omnibenevolence of God is the key question raised by ‘Watchmen’,
and explored through the character of Dr. Manhattan.
2. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
This question of God’s omnibenevolence is demonstrated through the problem of evil. In general, the
theological problem of evil is the question as to:
 If God knows that we suffer (omniscience), doesn’t want us to suffer (omnibenevolence) and has the
power to stop evil (omnipotence) – why doesn’t he stop evil in the world?
There are various scenes in ‘Watchmen’ in which the actions of Dr. Manhattan are questioned in the same
manner as God’s actions with the problem of evil.
3. DEISM





In England a loosely connected group of people, including Thomas Sherlock, referred to
themselves as ‘Deists’.
The Deists were not atheists, but following the ‘Enlightenment’ period, they sought to base their
belief in the existence of God only in natural reason, without reference to revelation.
They dismissed the notion of there being an interventionist God as they sought to exclude religion
from the management of human affairs.
God, they said, was a distant figure who had created the world and then left it to its own
devices, a watchmaker who had wound up the watch and then left it to run according to its
own laws.
They attacked the Bible, partly because it contained stories of divine interference with the
operation of the physical (‘natural’) laws of the universe; and partly because it sought to impose a
supposedly divinely instituted system of laws which were contrary to natural morality.
4.
FREE WILL vs FATALISM
FREE WILL: Most of us humans prefer to think we have free will. That is, we prefer to think we are able to
make choices or decisions based upon our own unique volitions. That we have autonomy and a selfdetermination greater than any other form of being on Earth due to our ability to reflect on our choices.
However, Watchmen raises the question as to whether we have free will, through the perspective on
time provided by the symbolic God of Doctor Manhattan…
FATALISM: The fatalist contends that human actions and decisions have no influence on the future. Your
behaviour today no more shapes events tomorrow than it shapes events yesterday.
 Instead, in a seemingly backward way (almost like causality in reverse), the fatalist says it is how
things are in the future that uniquely constrains what happens right now.
 What might seem like an open possibility subject to human choice — say, whether you fire a handgun
— is already either impossible or absolutely necessary. You are merely going with some cosmic flow.
The fatalist argues that this doctrine can be established by mere reflection on the simple logic of propositions
about the future.
 If I fire my handgun, one second from now its barrel will be hot; if I do not fire, one second from now
the barrel will not be hot; but the proposition one second from now the barrel will be hot is right now
either true or false.
 If the proposition is true, then it is the case that I will fire the gun; if it’s false, then it is the case that I
won’t.
 Either way, it’s the state of affairs in the future that dictates what I will or won’t do now.
This seems to be the world presented in ‘Watchmen’, with Doc M’s perspective of time.
The implications of fatalism:
 What does it mean for ethics? Are we right to punish someone for breaking the law?
 What is the point of making an effort in life? Any motivated act, as well as the act of being lazy, has
already been decided, so what’s the point in anything?
Does this explain Dr. Manhattan’s attitude towards humans? Could this be God’s attitude too?
DISCUSSION POINTS AND PAGE REFERENCES FOR RELEVANT SCENES:
Below are page references relevant to the key discussion points of how ‘Watchmen’ draws on
how religion resonates with human experience. The discussion points are in bold.
Concerning our uncertainty of God’s nature
Does God care about us?
Chpt 1 p. 21 – Doc M. says: ‘A live body and a dead body contain the same number of
particles. Structurally there’s no discernible difference. Life and death are
unquantifiable abstracts. Why should I be concerned?’
Chpt 3 p. 9 – Laurie says of Doc M: ‘The way he looks at things, like he cant remember
what they are and
doesn’t particularly care… this world, the real world, to him its like walking
through mist, and all the people are like shadows…’
Chpt 4 (Most of it, but in particular…)
p. 13 – Doc. M: ‘Sometimes I feel as if I’ve been here all the time’.
p. 14 – Doc. M: ‘The morality of my activities escapes me.’
p. 17 – Doc. M: ‘It’s true. She’s aging more notably everyday… while I’m standing still.’
p. 19 – Doc. M on amorality: ‘As I come to understand Vietnam and what it implies about the human
condition, I also realise that few humans will permit themselves such an understanding. Blake’s
different. He understands perfectly… and he doesn’t care.’
Chpt 9 p. 10 – Doc M. on the imminent destruction of human life: ‘All that pain and conflict done with? All that
needless suffering over at last? No… No, that doesn’t bother me. All those generations of struggle, what
purpose did they ever achieve? All that effort, and what did it ever lead to?’
p. 18 – Doc. M: ‘I read atoms, Laurie. I see the ancient spectacle that birthed the rubble. Beside this,
human life is brief and mundane.’
p. 23 – Doc M.: ‘If only you’d relax enough to see the whole continuum, life’s pattern or lack of one,
then you’d understand my perspective. You’re deliberately shutting out understanding, as if you’re
afraid; as if you’re too delicate.’
However…
Chpt 9 P. 27 – Laurie’s discovery that her father was the Comedian gives Doc. M a regained interest in human
life: ‘To distil so specific a form from that chaos of improbability, like turning air into gold… that is the
crowning unlikelihood. The thermodynamic miracle. [T]he world is so full of people, so crowded with
these miracles that they become commonplace and we forget… I forget.’
Chpt 12 p. 27 – Doc. M.’s renewed perspective on the value of human life, which leads him to consider creating
some.
The problem of evil
Chpt 2 p. 15 – The Comedian says to Doc M.: ‘Yeah, that’s right. Pregnant woman. Gunned her down. Bang.
And y’know what? You watched me. You coulda changed the gun into steam or the bullets into mercury
or the bottle into snowflakes! You coulda teleported either of us to goddamn Australia... but you didn’t life
a finger! You really don’t give a damn about human beings. I’ve watched you.’
Chpt 3 p. 5 – Janey Slater says of Doc. M: ‘I remember soon after he failed to prevent J.F.K.’s assassination,
we argued. I said, “Jon, you know how every damn thing in this world fits together but people!”’
p. 15 – A reporter asks Doc. M.: ‘How does it feel to know you may have doomed hundreds of people?’
The position of Deism – did God create the world and then leave?
Chpt 3 p. 21 – The narration of the “Black Freighter” comic coincides with Doc. M. leaving earth and asks: ‘That
night, I slept badly beneath the cold, distant stars, pondering upon the cold, distant God in whose hands
the fate of Davidstown rested. Was he really there? Had he been there once, but now departed?’
Chpt 6 p. 26 – Rorschach explains: ‘Looked at sky through smoke heavy with human fat and God was not
there. The cold, suffocating dark goes on forever. And we are alone. […] This rudderless world is not
shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It is not God who kills the children. Not fate that butchers them or
destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It is us. Only us.’
The problem of intervention / is God bound by the laws he created?
Chpt 4 – p. 16 – Concerning JFK being assassinated, Doc. M says: ‘I can’t prevent the future. To me, it’s
already happening.’
p. 22 – The problem of intervention is explicitly raised when Doc. M. transports a raging mob of
protestors back to their homes, he says of this incident: ‘The next day, I am reading in the paper of two
people who suffered heart attacks upon suddenly finding themselves indoors. More would have suffered
during a riot, I’m certain.’
The question of Free Will for humans, under an all-knowing God
Most of both Chpt 4 and 9 raise questions of free will in a world where time – past, present and future – is instant, or, in
a sense, static.
Chpt 4 p. 22 – Doc. M suggests the future is already set: ‘Through my blue fingers, pink grains are falling,
haphazard, random. A disorganized stream of silicone that seems pregnant with the possibility of every
conceivable shape… but this is illusion. Things have their shape in time, not space alone. Some marble
blocks have statues within them, embedded in their future.’
Chpt 9 p. 5 – Doc. M. says: ‘Everything is preordained. Even my responses. We’re all puppets, Laurie. I’m just
a puppet who can see the strings.‘
p. 6 – ‘There is no future. There is no past. Do you see? Time is simultaneous, an intricately structured
jewel that humans insist on viewing one edge at a time, when the whole design is visible in every
facet.’
Concerning how we use religion:
Chpt 3 p.15 – A reporter asks Doc. M.: ‘How does it feel to know you may have doomed hundreds of
people?’
p.19 – Doc M. leaves for Mars, has our attitude to religion pushed God away? Or in more secular
terms, has atheism pushed religion out of society?
p. 23 – The U.S. has lost its superiority in the Cold War: ‘The linchpin of America’s strategic superiority
has apparently gone to Mars! But you’re right… I am in big trouble… and you’re in big trouble…’
p. 26 – Military strategists comment on the prospect of nuclear annihilation: ‘If he wanted to live on a
red planet, he should have stayed home.’
p.30 – They also note: ‘After that, humanity is in the hands of a higher authority then mine. Let’s just
hope he’s on our side.’
Chpt 4 P. 13 – The U.S. government presents Doc. M. as a superweapon: ‘The superman exists, and he’s
American. […] There has been no response from the Kremlin as of this time…’
p. 23 – Doc M. notes: ‘I am exempt from the law. They can hardly outlaw me when their country’s
defence rests in my hands.’
Prose pg II – Milton Glass notes: ‘the idea of a world run by an omnipotent God-King owing allegiance
to the United States seems eminently desirable. By placing our superhuman benefactor in the position of
a walking nuclear deterrent, it is assumed we have finally guaranteed lasting peace on Earth.’
Chpt 8 p. 12 – An appeal for clemency to allow masked vigilantes to operate once again is made by the rightwing press (New Frontiersman). The right-wing in America often associate religion with politics.
AN EXAMPLE FOR RELIGION AND FICTION:
How and Why does ‘Franny and Zooey’ use Religion?
The following pages contain an infosheet that relates to ‘human experience’ and
photocopies of major scenes within the novel to help you explore how the novel
‘Franny and Zooey’ uses religion for the following reasons:
3. THE CURIOSITY VALUE OF RELIGION
o The use of little known religions
o The mysticism of the Jesus Prayer
o Radical religious education
o Obscure religious artefacts.
4. RELIGION RESONATES WITH HUMAN EXPERIENCE
o The multiple sources of faith and knowledge of religions.
o Modern life’s replacements for religion.
o Teenage angst as a mirror to spiritual conflict.
A FOCUS ON HOW ‘FRANNY AND ZOOEY’ DRAWS ON THE WAY
RELIGION RESONATES WITH HUMAN EXPERIENCE
>>> MODERN REPLACEMENTS FOR RELIGION<<<
REPLACEMENT FOR RELIGION # 1: MUSIC
JOHN LENNON – ‘Imagine’ (1971)
JOHN LENNON – ‘God’ (1970)
God is a concept,
By which we measure our pain.
I'll say it again,
God is a concept,
By which we measure our pain.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
I don't believe in magic.
I don't believe in I-ching.
I don't believe in Bible.
I don't believe in tarot.
I don't believe in Hitler.
I don't believe in Jesus.
You may say that I'm a dreamer
I don't believe in Kennedy.
But I'm not the only one
I don't believe in Buddha.
I hope someday you'll join us
I don't believe in mantra.
And the world will be as one
I don't believe in Gita.
I don't believe in yoga.
Imagine no possessions
I don't believe in kings.
I wonder if you can
I don't believe in Elvis.
No need for greed or hunger
I don't believe in Zimmerman.
A brotherhood of man
I don't believe in Beatles.
Imagine all the people
I just believe in me.
Sharing all the world
Yoko and me,
And that's reality.
You may say that I'm a dreamer
The dream is over,
But I'm not the only one
What can I say?
I hope someday you'll join us
The dream is over,
And the world will live as one
Yesterday,
I was a dream weaver,
CONTEXT: John Lennon had already run into trouble in the 1960s when his claim
But now I'm reborn.
that: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right
I was the walrus,
and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now. I don't know which
But now I'm John.
will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick
and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."
And so dear friends,
You just have to carry on,
The dream is over.
This claim that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus found his band’s records under
steam-rollers across America – but then that’s the question we’re discussing today.
These songs were written after Lennon had failed to find solace for his inner turmoil in
various spiritual retreats (most famously the trip to India where he met the Maharishi)
and had turned to psychoanalysis instead…
‘God’ was composed after Lennon had been through a course of Primal Scream
Therapy. Primal therapy is a trauma-based psychotherapy where the idea is that by
re-experiencing traumas and expressing long-buried painful feelings, permanent
resolution of neurotic symptoms will be achieved. After undergoing this therapy we
find Lennon here in a state of self-understanding.
‘Imagine’ is interesting in that despite being an atheist anthem many people lobbied
for it to be Number One in the charts at the last Xmas of the Millennium (though this
might have been out of spite towards the other contenders of Westlife and Cliff
Richard). Lennon commented that the song was "an anti-religious, antinationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic song, but because it's sugarcoated, it's accepted." He also said it is "virtually the Communist Manifesto."
NIRVANA – ‘Lithium’ (1991)
I'm so happy, cause today I found my friends.
They're in my head.
I'm so ugly, but that's ok
'Cause so are you.
We've broke our mirrors.
Sunday morning is everyday
For all I care,
And I'm not scared.
Light my candles
In a daze cause I've found god.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
YEAH!
THE REPLACEMENTS – ‘Bastards of Young’ (1985)
God, what a mess, on the ladder of success
Where you take one step and miss the whole first rung
Dreams unfulfilled, graduate unskilled
It beats pickin' cotton and waitin' to be forgotten
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
The daughters and the sons
I'm so lonely
That's ok, I shaved my head.
And I'm not sad.
And just maybe, I'm to blame
For all I've heard.
I'm not sure.
I'm so excited,
I can't wait to meet you there.
But I don't care.
I'm so horny,
That's ok, my will is good.
Clean your baby womb, trash that baby boom
Elvis in the ground, there ain't no beer tonight
Income tax deduction, what a hell of a function
It beats pickin' cotton and waitin' to be forgotten
Yeah, yeah, yeah
YEAH!
The ones who love us best are the ones we'll lay to rest
And visit their graves on holidays at best.
The ones who love us least are the ones we'll die to please.
If it's any consolation, I don't begin to understand.
I like it
I'm not gonna crack
I miss you
I'm not gonna crack
I love you
I'm not gonna crack
I’ll kill you
I'm not gonna crack
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
The daughters and the sons
Unwillingness to claim us,
We’ve got no one to name us
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
The daughters and the sons
Take it, its yours…
I'm so happy, cause today I found my friends.
They're in my head.
I'm so ugly, but that's ok
'Cause so are you.
We've broke our mirrors.
Sunday morning is everyday
For all I care,
And I'm not scared.
Light my candles
In a daze cause I've found god.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
YEAH!
CONTEXT: Kurt Cobain’s songs struck a real chord with youth across the world. The themes of
alienation from the consumer society and the excesses of the 1980s (see The Replacements
song above as a precursor) led to a hang over in the early 1990s, and the creation of what the
media referred to as ‘Generation X’. Also known as apathetic teenagers and early-twentysomethings i.e. slackers…
Cobain’s suicide by shotgun in 1994 led to mass mourning and even incidents of teenagers
shooting themselves in the head in ‘tribute’ to the icon.
OASIS – ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ (1994)
Is it my imagination
Or have I finally found something worth living for?
I was looking for some action
But all I found was cigarettes and alcohol
You could wait for a lifetime
To spend your days in the sunshine
You might as well do the white line
Cos when it comes on top . . .
You gotta make it happen!
CONTEXT: A band that might just look like mouthy dinosaurs
today, Oasis had a very real impact on Britain in the midnineties. 15 years of Conservative party leadership had found
the working class crushed by the smashing of trade unions
and mass-privatisation, and in the years leading up to 1994
there was recession and high unemployment.
Brit-pop was a reaction to this dead-end and offered a shiny
new idealistic view on the country, one that Tony Blair and
New Labour would draw upon to mass euphoria in the 1997
elections. Oasis were the ‘band of the people’, the biggest
band since the Beatles, and offered an escapism from the
droll life of mid-nineties Britain.
Is it worth the aggravation
To find yourself a job when there's nothing worth working for?
It's a crazy situation
But all I need are cigarettes and alcohol
You could wait for a lifetime
To spend your days in the sunshine
You might as well do the white line
Cos when it comes on top . . .
You gotta make it happen!
Some religious views on secular rock n roll:

In November, semi-official Vatican newspaper
L'Osservatore Romano ran an article forgiving the late
Beatle John Lennon for claiming that his band were
"more popular than Jesus". The article in the newspaper,
which normally reports on the comings and goings of the
Pope, said that Lennon had just been showing off and
praised the band. The article said that Lennon's
comments had been "showing off, bragging by a young
English working-class musician who had grown up in the
age of Elvis Presley and rock and roll and had enjoyed
unexpected success".

Though, in an acknowledgement of the displacement of
importance from religion to pop culture, Pope Benedict
recently deplored the tendency to depict the Catholic
Church's ‘World Youth Day’, which he attended in
Sydney earlier this year, as mere spectacle. He stressed
that the event should not be considered a "variant of
modern youth culture, as a kind of ecclesiastical rock
festival with the Pope as the star," but as the fruition of a
"long exterior and interior path".
You're not down with who I am
Look at you now, you're all in my hands
Tonight

Israel invited Paul McCartney to play recently despite
having previously banned the Beatles for fear of
corrupting youth.
Tonight, I'm a rock 'n' roll star
Tonight, I'm a rock 'n' roll star
Tonight, I'm a rock 'n' roll star

The band Queen was the first rock band to be given
official approval by the Iranian government in 2004 –
though while songs with social themes were allowed
release, many of their love songs were not
(homosexuality is considered a crime in Iran).

Across the Middle East, for some reason heavy metal is
a much loved form of music from which young people
often improve their English, and in some cases are first
exposed to it.
OASIS – ‘Rock n Roll Star’ (1994)
I live my life in the city
There's no easy way out
The day's moving just too fast for me
I need some time in the sunshine
I've gotta slow it right down
The day's moving just too fast for me
I live my life for the stars that shine
People say it's just a waste of time
When they said I should feed my head
That to me was just a day in bed
I'll take my car and drive real far
You're not concerned about the way we are
In my mind my dreams are real
Now you're concerned about the way I feel
Tonight, I'm a rock 'n' roll star
It's just rock 'n' roll
REPLACEMENT FOR RELIGION # 2: SCIENCE
Science is an obvious modern replacement for religion, even though, for example, the Catholic Church
provisionally accepts the Big Bang theory for the reason that it acknowledges that the universe has a beginning,
there are many areas in which science has challenged and, in effect, replaced religion in society. We live in
scientific world where many religious believers are merely nominal (meaning they attend places of worship on
specific days of the year out of cultural obligation rather than pure faith), or for the most part apply reasoning to
their faith in an attempt to reconcile their religious beliefs with scientific evidence concerning the universe.
However, in America, over the past two decades, there has been an increasing move towards fundamentalism
with the promotion of Creationism in science lessons (the idea that the Genesis account of creation is ‘fact’) and
the banning of evolution theory. And last year the Pope declared genetic experimentation an official ‘mortal sin’
(which means it is as forbidden as anything in the Ten Commandments). So perhaps the battle between religion
and science over the cultural dominance of the West isn’t over just yet…
REPLACEMENT FOR RELIGION # 3: GENDER THEORY
In his 2008 end-of-year address, Pope Benedict emphasised his rejection of gender theory. He warned that it
blurred the distinction between male & female and thus could lead to the "self-destruction" of the human race.
Gender theory explores sexual orientation, the roles assigned by society to individuals according to their gender,
and how people perceive their biological identity. Gay and transsexual groups, particularly in the United States,
promote it as a key to understanding and tolerance, but the Pope disagreed.
When the Roman Catholic Church defends God's Creation, "it does not only defend the earth, water and the air...
but (it) also protects man from his own destruction," he said. "Rainforests deserve, yes, our protection, but the
human being ... does not deserve it less." It is not "out-of-date metaphysics" to "speak of human nature as 'man' or
woman'. We need something like human ecology, meant in the right way."
A recent example of contemporary gender issues concerned the athlete Caster Semenya:
Of course, some will say only men were created in God’s image; “male and female
created He them” refers to women being created separately as “lesser than,” and not in
His image. But, is that really the case? Did the first humans created by God, both in
the image of God, possess qualities of both genders, in what we currently call
“intersex,” previously known as “hermaphroditism?” Is that the reason for a second
Biblical creation narrative where gender-specific humans were created separately?
Whether true or not, why do some Christians consider such questions regarding
sexuality, gender identity, and God, to be blasphemous?
I bring all this up because the world’s mis-and pre-conceptions regarding gender are
currently being thrown into a tizzy at the expense of one innocent young woman, Caster
Semanya, who, through no fault of her own, is having her entire identity as a human
being questioned, and intimately examined, on the world stage at arguably the most
vulnerable time of her life. Why? Because she runs too fast for a girl.
She and her family swear she’s female, but that’s not enough for those upset that she
clocks times like a guy. There must be something wrong with her. Let’s face it, running
fast is just not feminine.
From: http://cinie.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/male-and-female-made-he-them/
EXAMPLES OF MODERN REPLACEMENTS FOR RELIGION
FOUND IN ‘FRANNY AND ZOOEY’ (For use in the exam)
REPLACEMENT FOR RELIGION # 4: PSYCHONALYSIS
On the ‘Philosophy of Religion’ side of this course you will go into the challenges posed to faith by Freud and
Jung’s psychological interpretations of religion. Here what is important is the social impact of their theories.
Psychoanalysis is the conscious, piece-by-piece analysis of the causes of neurotic behaviour in an individual, with
a view to breaking down the complex. In other words, it examines the mental states of an individual for reasons
why we act in the way we do, often in order to ward off mental illness.
For Freud, religion is a neurosis, a form of mental illness. While for Jung, religion – as an image of wholeness,
helps us to deal with neurosis. While neither offered any real theory to challenge the existence of God, both put
forward the notion that religion is a psychological factor of human beings rather than a metaphysical concern.
Perhaps more so in America than in England, psychoanalysis is considered by many to have usurped religion in
the role it serves to people. Those who use the most blunt language argue that psychoanalysis is a ‘new religion’
in itself (though Freud, an atheist, would most definitely disagree with such terminology). Do more people visit
counsellors and therapists today than they do priests or imams? Are they for matters that would have once been
resolved by the latter? Should we turn to God when we face inner turmoil or should we examine our states of mind
to figure out why we feel the way we do? It seems a secular approach is more prevalent today.
In Franny and Zooey (pages 70-72): Zooey’s argument against psychoanalysis focuses on the kinds of
people he thinks it can help – those who wish to, but are struggling to, conform to modern society. He
claims that psychoanalysts are only there for ‘adjusting people to the joys of television, and Life magazine
[…] and European travel, and the H-Bomb […] and God knows what else that’d gloriously normal’. Note
that at the time of the novel’s publication these were all new things relating to a culture that arose after
World War Two. Psychoanalysts have replaced religion in people’s lives because modern culture has
replaced religion in people’s lives. Franny’s issue is at odds with modern society, being a religious
concern, and so psychoanalysts can’t help Franny, Zooey reckons, instead they’ll only lead to ‘a nut ward
or she’ll be wandering off into some goddam desert with a burning cross in her hands.’
REPLACEMENT FOR RELIGION # 5: POST-WAR ECONOMIC SOCIETY
Modern life as we know it today was essentially born after World War Two. Along with an inclination towards
consumerism, youth culture arose in the fifties, young adults freed themselves from traditional moral constraints in
the sixties, though arguably the conservative view prevailed from the seventies onward. What is important here is
that two main economic systems arose from the War: capitalism and communism (anarchism was made
redundant as a serious political force by the end of the conflict).
Communism replaced religion with its self-contained ideology and work ethic. But so too did capitalism begin
to usurp religion in its influence of daily life. The ‘9 to 5’ work day was created, imposing limitations on how we
spend our time, the stable infrastructure creating the ground for consumerism and a materialistic emphasis on
life arose while spirituality declined. Which might be why New Age philosophies and Buddhism later grew to be so
popular in the West; such spirituality requires no formal liturgical obligations (as found in organised religion e.g.
going to mass in Christianity, or Friday prayers in Islam) but can be explored in one’s own time.
In Franny and Zooey (pages 60-61, 69, 76): Salinger spends much time giving a detailed description of
Zooey’s bathroom routine. This in itself represents a replacement of religion by a structured work ethic
and routine given to us by the post-WWII economic system of 9 to 5 living. Zooey, who is rebelling
against his radical religious upbringing, throws himself right into such a routine. Salinger acknowledges
this replacement of religion by employing religious terms in the bathroom sequence, referring to its ‘preshaving ritual’, having Zooey refer to ‘visitors at our little chapel’ (p.60-61) and his ‘goddam ablutions’
(which means spiritual cleansing; p.69), and referring to Bessie’s ‘blatantly martyred chore’ in cleaning up
after her son (p.69).
FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ‘FICTION’:
CAN WRITING ABOUT REAL RELIGIONS BE
CONSIDERED ‘WHOLLY FICTION’?
Many religions carry ‘ABSOLUTE TRUTH’’ claims:
o This means that that many religions, or at least their believers, claim that only their faith is
correct.
o The only way to reach God and heaven, the only true account of creation, the only true
morality.
THE ARGUMENT THAT FICTION SUPPORTS
THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH CLAIMS OF RELIGION
Some argue that fictional works that deal with real religions are
representations of divine truths. An example would be ‘The Passion of
the Christ’ (2004) by Mel Gibson. The narrative structure is based on the
Stations of the Cross, the languages spoken by the actors are the same as
those that would have been spoken at the time and theological advisers
were at hand throughout filming.
However, even in this example, there are various examples of departures
from the Gospels, where a more general attitude of fiction towards religion is
found. The film draws on the curiosity value of religion by employing demons
e.g. Jesus converses with the devil and crushes a serpent beneath his heel.
Though the most notable departure from traditional depictions of the Passion
is probably the amount of gore used in the movie. Whereas Christ is usually
depicted in grace and glory on the cross, Gibson focuses on the human
suffering of Christ (the kind of things iconoclasts feared way back in the 8th
century!). Though, bonus points to Gibson for having the crucified thief who
taunts Jesus having his eye pecked out by a crow – a nice touch also not
found in the Gospels!
Other examples could be found in genres that could be
seen as completely removed from religious scripture. In
the genre of horror, we find many movies and novels (from
‘The Lost Boys’ to ‘From Dusk till Dawn’ to ‘Buffy the
Vampire Slayer’) that feature vampires. In such fiction it is a
Christian cross and blessed Holy Water that defeats the
evil creatures – and for the inner logic of such stories to
work, an absolute truth claim must be made: Christianity
must be the only true religion, and hence the ultimate good
that defeats such evil.
THE ARGUMENT THAT FICTION CHALLENGES
THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH CLAIMS OF RELIGION:
Rather than taking a proselytising role (attempting to convert), religion can be used in fiction
with sincerity whilst still challenging absolute truth claims of faith.
‘FRANNY AND ZOOEY’ BY JD SALINGER: challenges the absolute truth claims of religion by
showing how many religions – often radically different in theology and practice – share the same ideas and
concepts, and are therefore universal rather than singular. A great example is found on page 74, where
Zooey explains the concept of the Jesus Prayer (an Eastern Orthodox practice) to his mother Bessie. He
explains how it is not just a Christian method of meditation but is also found in Eastern religions, explaining
how enlightenment occurs through the prayer in those terms (e.g. anahata, ajna, japam etc.) and explaining
how such theology has been found in India for centuries.
‘WATCHMEN’ BY ALAN MOORE: The prose excerpts from ‘Under the Hood’ bring out a challenge to
the absolute morality of religion. Taking ‘superheroes’ as analogous to religious institutions, we find that
their sense of morality is anchored firmly in the traditional values of 1940s America.
The fictional author of ‘Under the Hood’, Hollis Mason, explains how:
o His father’s patriotism and love of God provided him with ‘basic notions of decency’ at odds with the
social evils of city life. Moore’s comment on the roots of the traditional comic book heroes he is
challenging with ‘Watchmen’, Hollis describes Superman as presenting the ‘basic morality of the
pulps without all their darkness and ambiguity’ (CHPT 2, p. 4-6)
o ‘The Silhouette’ is kicked out of the Minutemen crime fighting team after being revealed to be a
lesbian. (CHPT 1, p. 16)
o Hollis talks of the Comedian being ‘groomed into some sort of patriotic symbol’ and about how the
McCarthy communist witch hunts found fellow crime fighter ‘Hooded Justice’ quitting (CHPT 3, p. 11)
o The superheroes found their prominence fading in the mid-1950s with the ‘beatniks, the jazz
musicians and the poets openly condemning American values whenever they opened their mouths.
Partly it was Elvis Presley and the whole rock ‘n’ roll boom.’ (CHPT 3, p.13)
What we see is the absolute morality of superheroes clashing with changing times. Adrian Veidt points out:
o ‘Yes, I’ve busted drug rings and have been accused of being an establishment pawn for doing so…
that happened a lot in the sixties.’ (CHPT 11, pg. 9)
The culmination of the absolute, unchanging moral outlook of superheroes, is of course the protests in CHPT
2 of the main text, with the public demanding an end to vigilante activity – ‘Who watches the Watchmen?’
What gives them the right to enforce their aged morality on a public that has moved on?
This can be seen as analogous to the traditional morality provided by religion, increasingly
rejected as the 20th century became more secular and traditional taboos became accepted.
RELIGIOUS RESPONSES TO THE USE OF RELIGION IN FICTION
POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM RELIGION
‘THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST’ (2004) DIR. MEL GIBSON
In spite of the accusations of anti-Semitism, and the criticisms for excessive violence, many churches have
made block bookings to view the film, and Christian groups see it as a major opportunity to reach out to
their friends, neighbours, and work colleagues. Tony Whittaker of 'SOON' in the UK writes:
An opening like Mel Gibson's PASSION film comes only rarely. Here is a high-profile
mainstream movie release, not directly produced by a 'Christian' company, with the credibility of
Gibson's name. The controversy it has already stirred up will do it no harm at all. With a release
date of February in the US..., now is the time for both web evangelists and churches to plan an
integrated approach to this unique challenge.
Tony continues:
The potential to integrate both church and online evangelism with this film is enormous. Church
and evangelistic websites can use links to materials featured here. Church programs can be
built around this film in many ways. Check out SharetheLife and PassionToolbox, and be
envisioned by hearing what others are planning.
Realistically, the film will only play in cinemas for a few weeks. After that time, churches wishing
to use it will have to hire it for their own showings, and will have lost the great advantage of
people seeing it in secular, neutral, familiar surroundings.
‘The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ (2005) dir. Andrew Adamson
Similarly. when the film adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia came out many U.S. right-wing Christians
saw the educational, and propaganda, value offered by the story: The Mission America Coalition was
‘inviting church leaders around the country to consider the fantastic ministry opportunity presented by the
release of this film’. The president's brother, Jeb Bush, the governor of Florida, organized a scheme for every
child in his state to read the book. While Walden Media, co-producer of the movie, offered a ‘17-week Narnia
Bible study for children’.
‘THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN’ (2005) DIR. JUDD APATOW
A positive review from the movie section of www.christianitytoday.com
Full disclosure: I got married six months ago at the age of 34—not quite as old as
Andy, but close enough—and over the years I have written a few articles on media
portrayals of virginity and, in the process, "outed" myself as an adult virgin. I would like
to be able to express some indignation and say this film gets us (ex-) virgins wrong
and it doesn't match my experience, etc., except, well, I do have boxes filled with
comic books, and I used to collect some toys, too. (Fortunately, my wife is also a
comics buff.) And, while this film's raunchy humor goes way over the top, some
moments do have the ring of truth.
Of course, we expect Andy to "lose it" by the end of the movie; but the striking thing is that he and Trish
actually get married first—and the scene brought back happy, and funny, memories of my own wedding
night. Instead of mocking my own personal choice to wait until marriage, as it were, it felt like the film was
affirming it.
There is an awful lot of foul language and raunchy humor in this film, and it needs tighter editing, so I can't say I
recommend it. But is intriguing to see how, even in its most off-color moments, Hollywood turns to traditional virtues
for its happy endings.
NEGATIVE RESPONSES FROM RELIGION
‘Dogma’ (1999) dir. Kevin Smith: This film revolves around an abortion clinic doctor who turns out to be the
descendent of Jesus (meaning he had kids) with a foul-mouthed thirteenth Apostle (who suggests Jesus was black),
two drug dealers as modern day prophets and two fallen angels bent on breaking back into heaven (questioning God’s
justice for their eternal punishment of being stuck on Earth). Also, God is a woman (Alanis Morrisette in particular).
See www.viewaskew.com/dogma/hate/ for a link to the hate mail Miramax, the production company, received before
the films release. Smith, a practicing Catholic, actually joined one of the protests against his movie and had this to say:
The head count (including us) was twenty. We held our signs and quietly prayed the Rosary with
the group for about an hour (well, I prayed the rosary; Jen and Bryan are relative heathens when
it comes to the Mysteries and the Memorare'). I was even interviewed by a local newscrew, not
as myself, during which I maintained that I was mad about the movie, and that I would not
patronize it (although I couldn't help but mention that I liked the director's first film a little). A
woman told me my sign wasn't appropriate (the 'Dogma is Dog-Shit' one), and I apologized,
offering that the movie wasn't appropriate, from what I'd been told. We agreed that it'd be better if
I removed the offending word, so I did as much, rendering my sign a neutered 'Dogma is Dog'.
After the Rosary I got a chance to talk to some of the people in attendance (again, not wanting to
ruin their night, I didn't say "Hi - I made 'Dogma'.") They told me that they were disappointed in
the showing, but were glad to see someone young there (the average age of the group, excluding
our trio, was about sixty). I was told some nasty things about my parents, and some nastier
things about myself (or rather, the director). Jen - who's much more disturbed by these goings-on
- asked if anyone had actually seen the film. Some mentioned reading a review, but that was
about as close as they got.
In all fairness, these were nice, decent people who don't like what they heard about the flick. In
truth, if they did see the movie, it wouldn't alter their opinion. I didn't feel negative toward them in
the least (in fact, I admired the fact that they were outside in the cold, too far from the theatre to
really be effective, but willing to take a stand regardless). At the end of the day, we're not that
different - we two groups of Catholics. They just have a different set of values from me, and a
lot more reverence for the Church itself than for the words of our Lord. They seemed nice
enough, though. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that they didn't have any
donuts or coffee out there.
‘The Satanic Verses’ (1988) by Salman Rushdie:
Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses was the subject of great controversy. The novel's alleged blasphemy led to
the 1989 fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie. Four days after Rushdie
received the fatwa he issued an apology: "I profoundly regret the distress that publication has occasioned to sincere
followers of Islam." At first the apology was rejected then accepted in Iran, before Khomeini stated that even if Rushdie
repented and "became the most pious man of all time" it was still incumbent on every Muslim to "employ everything he
has got" to kill him.
There are various perspectives on the overwhelmingly negative response to the novel. What the mixed responses
pointed to was that, right from the start, The Satanic Verses affair was less a theological dispute than an opportunity
to exert political leverage:
o Some argue that this controversy had conversely brought out the positive aspect of giving British Muslims a
voice, in that this was the first time British born Muslims had organised themselves and asserted their presence
in society. Though, perhaps the negative form of expression in calling the book to be banned and burning
copies has still left a stereotype of British Muslims that still lingers today.
o Others see the Ayatollah playing political games with a writer’s life: That the background to the controversy was
the struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran to be the standard bearer of global Islam. The Saudis had spent a
great deal of money exporting the fundamentalist or Salafi version of Sunni Islam, while Shiite Iran, still smarting
from a calamitous war with Iraq, was keen to reassert its credentials as the vanguard of the Islamic revolution.
Both the Saudis and Iranians saw a new constituency, ripe for exploitation, in the small British protest groups
that initially responded to The Satanic Verses with book-burning demonstrations.
The controversy was notable for being the first time in modern times a government had publicly called for the killing of a
private individual in a foreign country; and the first time that a book, or calls for a book's censorship, caused an
international diplomatic crisis.
A SHIFT IN RELIGIOUS RESPONSE TO CHALLENGING / CONTROVERSIAL MOVIES
From: http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/news/christiansdavinci.html
Concerning: ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ (1998) dir. Martin Scorcese and ‘The Da Vinci Code’
(2006) dir. Ron Howard
Two decades ago, Christians took a stand against Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of
Christ. When a draft of the script was made public, protestors compelled Paramount to
abandon the project, and when Universal produced the movie a few years later, in 1988,
Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright offered the studio some $10 million to buy the
movie and destroy it. And then, when the film was released, Christians staged a number of
boycotts and pickets outside theatres—a noisy tactic some believers now regret.
But today, churches are taking a different approach to controversial films, including The Da
Vinci Code, Ron Howard's film adaptation of the Dan Brown bestseller, which releases May
19. Pastors, scholars and teachers are writing books, preparing sermon series and Sunday
school lessons, and creating websites devoted to "engaging" this pop-cultural artefact as
part of an ongoing "dialogue."
Michael Licona, director of apologetics and interfaith evangelism for the Southern Baptist Convention's North American
Mission Board, created a 65-minute video lecture to foster discussion about some of the book's claims. He remembers
telling people to avoid The Last Temptation, but he says he would definitely not take that approach now.
"I think we made a mistake back then," Licona says. "I think we communicated that we're not interested in having
critical discussions—that if you mention Jesus in a negative way we're just going to pick up our ball and go
home—and I think that has hurt us as Christians. If you look at Acts 17, Paul was very familiar with the secular
poets, because he quoted them. When he spoke to the philosophers at Athens, he never quoted the Scriptures, he
quoted their own poets. And if we're going to relate to non-believers as Christians, we need to be familiar with what's
coming out, movies and books."
Darrell Bock, a professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and a contributor to the The Da
Vinci Dialogue site, once advised people to avoid The Last Temptation, and he would do the same with The Da Vinci
Code if the public had not already "embraced" the book and its ideas to such a large degree. But because the novel has
"penetrated the cultural consciousness," he says a completely different response is called for today.
"I have a very strong feeling that we should read the book," he says. "If we're going to engage the culture and interact
with a point of view, we need to read the point of view that we are interacting with. It undermines our credibility to say
that we have never read the point of view or seen it."
However, some observers take a dimmer view of the opportunities for "dialogue" created by the upcoming movie and
the book on which it is based. Barbara Nicolosi, executive director of the Act One screenwriting program in Los Angeles,
says Christians have become so concerned about appearing "hip" and not being rejected by the secular world that they
have allowed themselves to be co-opted by the corporate forces behind the movie.
"Is slander an opportunity for dialogue?" she asks. "Everything is an opportunity for
dialogue, but the question is, are we framing the dialogue? And the answer is no, and
anybody who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. The dialogue is completely being
framed by Sony Pictures and Dan Brown."
Nicolosi says she is concerned that pastors and teachers are sending their fellow Christians
to a spiritually harmful movie without ensuring first that they know enough history and
theology to counter the story's erroneous claims about the divinity of Christ, the formation of
the New Testament, and the church's treatment of women. She also takes issue with the
notion that the people attracted to this story are "seeking the truth," as the movie poster
claims. "If people were seeking the truth, they would be buying the Catechism and enrolling in
theology courses," she says.
Q. What do you think of such responses? Think back to the lessons we did on freedom
of speech last term…
SECULAR RESPONSES TO RELIGION IN FICTION
The example of ‘WATCHMEN’: a secular APPROACH to using religion in fiction:
‘WATCHMEN’ could be seen as a secular work of fiction and an interesting
example of a secular approach to the employment of religion in a piece of
fiction.
Alan Moore’s interest in mysticism did not appear prevalent in his work until
the mid-1990s, and he has always seemed adverse to organised / corporate
religion is documented across his work e.g. ‘V for Vendetta’ with the
paedophile priest working for the corrupt totalitarian government, ‘From Hell’
with its conspiracy involving the Church.
As opposed to ‘Franny and Zooey’, written by an author who had a genuine
interest in the practice and theology (religious issues) of Eastern
Religions discussed by the characters in the novel, ‘Watchmen’ tends to
tackle questions and themes (religious themes) raised by religion. For
the most part, the novel questions the authority and use of religion – the
questions we discussed in class. What would the existence of God really
mean for us? For our relationship with Him, for our sense of moral
responsibility (e.g. free will vs fatalism). How do we use religion in society?
E.g. fundamentalist political rhetoric across the world.
Other examples of a secular APPROACH to using religion in fiction:
Writer James Frey has pitched his next fiction book as being written in Chapter and Verse, in the same
format as the Bible: "It's the third book of the Bible, called The Final Testament of the Holy Bible. My idea of
what the Messiah would be like if he were walking the streets of New York today. What would he believe?
What would he preach? How would he live? With who?" Frey said his version would see Jesus living with a
prostitute. "It doesn't matter how or who you love. I don't believe the messiah would condemn gay men and
women," he said. Judas, meanwhile, would be the "same as he was two thousand years ago", a "selfish man
who thinks of himself before the good of humanity, who values money more than love".
While the format is original, the content perhaps isn’t. Scorcese’s ‘Mean Streets’ (1973) drew from the
same inspiration – Jesus walking through the streets of contemporary New York. However, he made his
characters regular young Italian-Americans after the director saw ‘The Gospel According to St. Matthew’
(1964) by Italian neo-realist director Pasolini which many perceive as pitching Jesus as a communist. As a
reputed atheist, the reverential (lovingly respectful) nature of his film was surprising, but Pasolini himself said
"If you know that I am an unbeliever, then you know me better than I do myself. I may be an unbeliever, but I
am an unbeliever who has a nostalgia for a belief."
Furthermore, Frey's latest choice of subject matter sees him following in the footsteps of Jeffrey Archer,
who last year penned ‘The Gospel According to Judas’, which told the story of Jesus through the eyes of
Judas. Earlier this year author Michel Faber published ‘The Fire Gospel’, in which a scholar discovers a
fifth gospel in a bombed Iraqi museum which reveals that Jesus' last words were "please, somebody, please
finish me".
As you can see from this range of examples, many secular responses to religion in fiction draw
on the curiosity value of religion. How strange it would be for Jesus to be in the contemporary
world we know of today (as in the earlier examples), and how perverse would it be if a lost piece
of scripture shook our foundations of belief by challenging the canonised text (the Bible).
Examples of a secular REACTION to religion being used in contemporary fiction:
NEGATIVE reaction from secular critics: the influence of fiction, and therefore religious views
within fiction, on a secular society
Fiction is a popular and influential medium, and groups from across the political spectrum have reacted
negatively to certain works due to the possible impact on society. Conservative (usually representative of
traditional religious organisations) groups – as pointed out earlier on this sheet, and on this course – can be
wary of popular culture, from the Beatles being banned from Israel for corrupting youth to films like Larry
Clarke’s ‘Kids’ (1995) with its depiction of teenagers having casual sex on an hourly basis.
However, liberal groups can be wary of the use of religion, or religious moral ideals, in fiction. For example,
the following article ‘Just don’t say the A-word’ (a link can be found on Blackboard) from the Guardian is wary
of Hollywood’s depiction of abortion over the last couple of years (remember, pro-life campaigners usually
believe in ensoulment at conception):
America's landmark abortion ruling, Roe v Wade, turns 35 next January. The future of a
woman's right to abortion in the US is far from certain. And cinema has become a key
frontline in the battle of ideas. Hollywood's female stars, from Scarlett Johansson to
Julianne Moore, are proudly pro-choice. During the fiercest anti-abortion violence of the
early 90s, when clinics were being bombed and their staff attacked, Alexander Payne
made a comedy (‘Citizen Ruth’) sending up both sides of the debate. Today, Hollywood is
often derided for its liberal agenda, but is it switching sides on abortion?
Judd Apatow's summer hit ‘Knocked Up’ [took] a great deal of heat, and it raged into a
firestorm on the internet. A pair of twentysomethings get pregnant on a drunken one-night
stand and decide to keep the baby. What so infuriated many was its omission of abortion
- "the A-word", as it was coyly referred to by the prospective father's stoner housemates as a serious option. Los Angeles-based sociologist Lisa Wade, posting on the prominent
news site The Huffington Post, called the film "pro-life ideology disguised by dick jokes".
A Christian website called it "the family values comedy of the year" (albeit with caveats
warning against racy language and use of soft drugs).
POSITIVE reaction from secular critics:
For the most part, though, many secular critics feel the battle over culture has been won, and find any
proselytising (converting) agenda in fiction to be a pointless and humorous endeavour. For example,
here is the ‘Metro’ newspaper review of the teen vampire movie ‘Twilight’ which appears to be proabstinence:
Adapted from the first of Mormon writer Stephenie Meyer's mega-millionselling series, the
story is essentially anti-sex propaganda on heat. When 17-year-old Isabella Swann
(Kristen Stewart) moves to a new town, she falls for pale, crimsonlipped classmate Edward
Cullen (Robert Pattinson, aka Cedric 'the hottie' Diggory from Harry Potter), a moody
dreampants with an unfeasibly large quiff and troubled brow like he's forever hearing a
distant mobile.
Immediately, she is 'absolutely positive' about three things: 'First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him – and I didn't know how dominant that part might be…'
[snigger] '- that thirsted for my blood. And third, that I was unconditionally and irrevocably in
love with him.'
Hey, all the girls love a bad boy, eh? Particularly one this PG-safe. Director Catherine
Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords Of Dogtown) does her best to sex things up, brilliantly wringing
the deep intensity of first love and lust from Meyer's soggy Mills & Boon scenarios. Plus her
film is beautiful – its moist forests deliciously evoking the dewy state of young Bella's
intimate… emotions.
But it's way too long. Clearly worried Meyer's obsessive readers would stake her otherwise,
Hardwicke remains slavishly faithful to the book. But then, why not? Horror fans will find
little to sink their teeth into, but it'll get tweenage hearts fluttering like orgasmic bats.