The description on this blog states that it includes an exploration of archetypes and myths as they relate to fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Before I get too far on posting on this blog it would be a good idea to explain what I mean by this. While I have reflected on various elements related to this for the last several years, an essay for a new religions intensive course provided me with an opportunity to do some additional reading and draw various elements together.
By myths I do not refer to what might be a common understanding as an unhistorical or untrue story. Rather, I draw upon Irving Hexham and Karla Poewe’s definition of “myth” as a “story with culturally formative power.” They elaborate on this and state:
This definition emphasizes that a myth is essentially a story – any story – that affects the way people live. Contrary to many writers, we do not believe that a myth is necessarily unhistorical. In itself a story that becomes a myth can be true or false, historical or unhistorical, fact or fiction. What is important is not the story itself but the function it serves in the life of an individual, a group or a whole story.
Myths are expressed in great abundance in the popular culture of postmodernity. Television programs, motion pictures, animation (especially Japanese anime), video games, comics, and books frequently depict the mythic, both drawing upon previously existing myths and creating new ones for a fantasy hungry culture. Star Trek and The X-Files from television, and the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings motion pictures provide well known examples of this phenomenon, and a plethora of other examples could be provided from video games, comics, and animation which are lesser known by the broader public but which find a large and growing base of consumers. These expressions of popular culture entertainment draw upon various mythic elements (Star Wars and The Matrix explicitly so), and provide a window into the spiritual yearnings of the culture.
This demonstrates not only the importance of myth in postmodern culture, but also the significance of the cinema in shaping cultural ideas, especially in relation to spirituality. The Australian filmmaker George Miller, best known for his film such as the Mad Max trilogy and Babe, came to recognize that his films tapped into something deep and important in people who had viewed them around the world. Miller goes further and states that in his view “the cinema has replaced the church as the arena for storytelling.” Church leaders may wish to take notice of the implications of this if they hope to recapture the Western imagination.
But how are we to explain the existence of these myths? Why do they have such power in touching the psyche of people in various cultures? Why is there great similarity of myths across cultures? And why do many of these myths speak to our need for spiritual transformation and redemption? The answers to these questions may be found in the convergence of three disciplines – that of religious phenomenology, Jungian psychoanalysis, and folklore studies.
Each of these disciplines shed light on the existence of certain motifs, commonly referred to as archetypes. From within religious phenomenology, Mircea Eliade noted that religions draw upon archetypal patterns in their rituals which connect those in the group to the divine and their place in time and the historical process. In the arena of psychoanalysis Carl Jung has been influential in his work which described archetypes as a set of mental principles or cognitive structures that that are universal in the human race and which form the collective unconscious. In folklore studies a review of the Motif-Index of Folk Literature provides evidence of the similarity of mythic motifs from various regions around the world. The result of the convergence of these independent lines of scholarly research is important. As Philip Johnson has stated:
From each of these disciplines some remarkable parallel conclusions have been reached concerning the significance of myth and symbol and their relationship to the human condition of spiritual alienation. Recurrent patterns of mythic motifs include nostalgia for a lost paradise, yearnings for a utopia, and the universal hero slaying monsters.
A few words must be said in critical interaction with Jung and Eliade’s views on archetypes. These ideas must not be accepted uncritically, and critique has been raised both in terms of the individuals who developed the notions of the archetypes, as well as the concepts themselves. It must be acknowledged that Jung and Eliade, as well as the mythologist who’s work provided a popular expression of Jung’s ideas on myth, Joseph Campbell, were “associated with the politics of the extreme right, even, according to some charges, with sympathy for fascism and anti-Semitism” according to Ellwood. Further, Noll has put forward the thesis that Jung “underwent a visionary initiation into the Hellenistic mysteries of Mithras,” and that he later developed his theories as part of “what was essentially a new religious movement.”
While the political and religious views of these individuals must be considered carefully, particularly as they may have a bearing on the development and validity of archetypal motifs, problematic personal views and affiliations do not necessarily invalidate the idea of archetypes themselves. Researchers must be careful to consider the historical and cultural context in which Jung, Eliade, and Campbell developed their views, and we must be careful to avoid the genetic fallacy of rejecting an idea or argument simply because of where it originated.
Beyond the personal considerations and moving to critical interaction with Jungian conceptions of the archetypes, there is no need to accept a strictly Jungian interpretation. These ideas can be reinterpreted, as McKenzie has done in developing an archetypal apologetic for the Resurrection of Christ from ancient pagan myths.
Finally with reference to critical interaction with archetypes, we must remember that the existence of a common collection of archetypal symbols in the human consciousness has been recognized by three independent disciplines of study. This would seem to suggest that a genuine phenomenon exists within the human psyche across cultures and times. This then becomes an important area for Christian interaction, particularly in light of cultural developments in the Western world.
One area where myths and archetypes are most clearly expressed in popular culture is science fiction films dealing with extraterrestrials which provide examples of the existence of alien Messiah figures. Ruppersberg notes that in science fiction films, “underlying the motif of the alien messiah is the mythos of the Christian messiah,” and that several films have drawn on this Christian myth in the construction of their science fiction stories. Examples include Starman, The Last Starfighter, and perhaps most explicitly, The Day the Earth Stood Still. At times the alien Messiah also dies and rises again as in The Last Starfighter and The Day the Earth Stood Still, drawing upon the resurrection archetype and Christian conceptions of a dying and rising Messiah.
We might also discern the archetype of a “yearning for Paradise” and with it hopes for restoration. This myth is closely connected to the idea of salvation from beyond, and hints of it may be discerned in science fiction films dealing with UFOs, such as Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In the climactic final scene a giant alien “mother ship” descends upon an enraptured humanity appearing almost like an alien technology’s version of the Christian hope for the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem.
Other examples could be provided of archetypes and myths that surface in horror films, and the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis provide explicit examples readily recognized by Christians. My hope with this blog is that through my own reflections on these issues as they surface in popular culture, and through interactions with other Christians interested in these topics that we can explore the sigificance of myth, archetypes, popular culture, religion, and what it means to be human.
Kim Paffenroth is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Iona College, New York. He has written on the development of religious ideas in the major world religions, as well as on the Bible and theology, but another interest of his is of particular relevance to this blog, that is the intersection of religion and popular culture. Here Kim has made great contributions as well, including the book The Truth is Out There: Christian Faith and the Classics of TV Science Fiction (Brazos Press, 2006) which he co-autored with Thomas Bertonneau, and his most recent published book Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero’s Visions of Hell on Earth (Baylor University Press, 2006). Kim has made time in his busy academic schedule to discuss religion, popular culture, science fiction, horror, and zombies!
TheoFantastique: Kim, thank you so much for carving out some time in your busy schedule to participate in this interview. Let’s start with a little of your background. What influenced you growing up, and what was your educational background that might have contributed to your current interests in religion and popular culture, particularly in the areas of science fiction and horror?
Paffenroth: Well, growing up, I did get very interested in splatter movies, like many adolescent males. Not all splatter, and this was the early 80s, so nothing was as intense or graphic as it is now, but some splatter fascinated me, especially Romero’s zombies. There just was a hook there, the hook that, besides watching the movies, you could sit for hours and strategize what to do if these things ever struck. And there was also the nagging element that, unlike most other monsters, you might feel a little bit guilty or sad when you killed these things. That gave the movies a really special feel, a fascination, a poignancy, that I never got from most other horror. As for education, I guess what I see in my upbringing and in my subsequent education is a fascination with books and ideas, an instinct that they should be taken seriously and analyzed, and they’re not just escapism or entertainment. It was only a matter of time before I applied that focus or that lens to popular culture, as well as to high culture, and I think it’s a very valuable exercise for all of us. I’m really kind of a throwback when it comes to education and literature: I don’t think people should study Romero instead of Dante, but if I can show them how Romero is addressing some of the same issues and using some of the same images, then they might be tempted to pick Dante up, and at least they’ve started thinking seriously and asking deeper questions.
TheoFantastique: On your blog you have shared your frustrations with Christians who don’t understand your interests, and non-Christians who share your interests but are concerned about your Christian faith. Can you tell us a little more about this curious situation?
Kim Paffenroth: When many people think “horror movie fan” it’s probably half a step above “porn movie aficionado.” They think of an immature, violent, sexually deviant young man dressed all in black and chains, who could hurt or attack them at any moment. And when many people think “Christian” they think Ned Flanders – a well-meaning, naïve, sheltered boob. And that’s probably the best association they have with that word. They probably also think of religious fanaticism, intolerance, a callous disregard for the poor, hatred of homosexuals, hatred of all people who belong to any other religion. How ironic – the religion founded by Jesus, who talked constantly of concern for the poor and love for all human beings, is now equated with the opposite attitudes. On a personal and sad note – this was what my father left this world believing. He cursed me and my religion, because he believed I was somehow judging or condemning or hating him, when nothing of the kind was true. It was all his sad, bitter imagination of what Christianity means.
But besides being very sad sometimes, these attitudes are like any prejudice. It cuts off conversation, it makes us assume the worst of other people, and it keeps us talking only to people who are exactly like us and agree with us on everything. What a disaster for dialogue or understanding or expanding our knowledge. People have to get over it. We’ve gotten sensitized to our racial and gender prejudices. It’s time to be as sensitive and work harder at our ideological or lifestyle prejudices. The next time you see a girl who’s covered in tattoos and piercings, why don’t you try to talk to her like she’s an interesting person who has opinions and ideas you might want to share, rather than assume that she’s a slut who takes drugs? Or how about the next time you see a family hold hands and say grace in a restaurant, why don’t you try to think something positive about them and their faith, rather than assume they’re a bunch of religious fanatics who blow up abortion clinics?
TheoFantastique: Why don’t you think Christians are comfortable with horror, and to a lesser extent, perhaps science fiction and fantasy? And why might some go even further as to label them “unChristian?”
Kim Paffenroth: There are all the associations with the horror fan culture I mentioned. But the actual literature or art itself? The flippant answer would be that sometimes Christians live up (or down) to the stereotype of Flanders – they think that anything dirty or messy or ugly will taint them and make them be or think “bad” thoughts, and the next thing you know, they’ll be taking drugs and going to prostitutes. Well, let’s slow down on the slippery slope there. And the more theoretical background to this, I think, is a deep suspicion of the human imagination. It’s a very dangerous faculty, to be sure: that’s why the Tenth Commandment is perhaps the most important, for it doesn’t forbid any outward, violent, bad behavior – rather it forbids the use of the human imagination, which is the seat of covetousness, imagining what it would be like to have your neighbor’s property, or his spouse. But imagination is what makes all art and literature, and there will always be a dark side both to the imagination and to its products, and that dark side may even have a very positive role to play in appreciating the light, and in understanding how to escape the darkness.
TheoFantastique: Let’s talk about some of your books. Can you summarize the essence of your book on television science fiction, The Truth is Out There?
Kim Paffenroth: Tom, my co-author, and I look at some of the beloved TV series from yesteryear and see what they have to say about some broadly Christian themes – the war between good and evil, original sin, virtue, grace, freedom, revelation, and communicating the Word of God. And it turns out, they’ve addressed these in ways Christians can understand and appreciate.
TheoFantastique: In this book you look at various programs such as Dr.Who, the original Star Trek, The Prisoner, The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, and Babylon 5. What was it about these programs that caused you to explore them as it relates to religion?
Kim Paffenroth: I think we are both pretty disgusted with most of what’s on television, and in theaters, for that matter. And it’s not out of any intrinsic aversion to the media of pop culture: Tom and I hit it off because we both enjoy so many old movies and TV series. Moving pictures on a screen are a perfectly legitimate way to convey messages and explore ideas, and these series do just that, over and over, and completely unapologetically. You’d be hard pressed to think of any art or literature that is more blatantly and self-consciously “preachy” or didactic than these series. And even if the creators are not preaching a specifically Christian gospel, they were telling the truth about human beings, their hopes and fears, and truth is always compatible with the Christian gospel, I believe.
TheoFantastique: In the conclusion of this book you talk about science fiction, contemporary popular culture, and gospel theology. Can you summarize some of this and help people connect the dots between these things for those who might not normally see any connection at all?
Kim Paffenroth: I think it has to do with the distinction between low and high culture, and between religious and secular. It turns out these categories often blur, and they can communicate and blend to good effect. As I tried to answer the previous question, if a work of imagination speaks the truth, then the particular genre is not really relevant. If Harry Potter, or Capt. Kirk, or Number Six, or Mulder and Scully teach truths about human nature and morality, it really would just be prudishness or irrational fear or snobbery to exclude them from our canon of meaningful, ennobling “texts.”
TheoFantastique: Now let’s talk about your latest book to be published, Gospel of the Living Dead. I must admit that I have a long history of watching zombie films, and I remember plenty of sleepless nights as an adolescent watching George Romero’s original Night of the Living Dead and each of the sequels. As I grew older and became a Christian this was an interest that I kept hidden, only to find you making a connection between zombies as portrayed in Romero’s films, Dante’s Inferno and the Christian faith. For those who might be inclined to think this is a stretch, can you sketch this out for us?
Kim Paffenroth: I guess the easiest description would be this. Dante made hell scary to a 14th century audience, but many of the details of his hell are simply incomprehensible to a modern audience. Take a look at any modern edition of The Inferno: for every page of poetry, there’s a page of notes explaining who all these people and places were that he encounters. So along comes a modern storyteller like Romero, and he gives his own little journey through hell, which is now quite eerily familiar to us – it’s our comfy little home, or it’s the mall, or the military bunker, or the gated community where only the rich and beautiful need apply for membership, and the damned who claw at us aren’t Medieval Italian nobles, or characters from the Bible or Homer – they’re cheerleaders and gas-station attendants and little league coaches. That’s a remake for the ages, as far as I’m concerned. But let’s be clear: it’s not all about the outward trappings of damnation, either. Dante has a core set of ideas about sin – most notably, that sin is endless, sterile repetition of one’s bad habits – which come over into Romero’s films, and I believe these are the real cause for these movies resonating with us. They terrify us, not just because the landscape of hell is familiar to us, but because what they say about sin is true.
TheoFantastique: So your basic thesis then is that perhaps Romero’s Roman Catholic background might have contributed, even subconsciously, to his storytelling in these films where zombies can be understood to not only provide cultural critique as in the cases of racism, sexism, and consumerism, but also religious lessons about human depravity?
Kim Paffenroth: Absolutely. Again, I think it has to do with his work being true: he has said something that I believe is true about human nature and sin. That truth is also stated in Christian teaching and in Christian literature like Dante. So, Romero’s depiction of hell on earth is equivalent to and compatible with the Christian idea of hell. But, to be clear: I am not trying to imply anything about Romero’s own faith commitment. His comments seem to be that he is quite disdainful of modern, organized religion. Good for him. Anyone who thinks organized religion is just perfect the way it is, and it can do no wrong – well, I don’t think they’re thinking too clearly. What I’m trying to say to believers is that having a stinging critique of one’s culture and of one’s own life is not a threat to our beliefs – it’s the essence of Christian faith. It’s pretty much the job description of Jesus and of all the Old Testament prophets – angry men who didn’t think much of the rulers and clergy and wealthy people of their day. And how close is that description to Romero, or to most any great artist?
TheoFantastique: After this study, reflection, and writing, what is your opinion of Romero as a storyteller and filmmaker? Is he perhaps underrated due to the genre he works in?
Kim Paffenroth: I’ll be honest. There are different kinds of genius, I think. Shakespeare wrote 39 plays. Almost all of them are at least okay, most of them are good, and maybe ten or so are among the most beautiful things ever written. That’s one kind of genius – broad, wide, all encompassing, eclectic. Dante and Milton, on the other hand, each wrote exactly one thing that has stood the test of time. Just one each. But that one thing each one wrote is as good as anything Shakespeare every penned. That’s the other kind of genius – narrow, deep, laser-like in its focus. And that’s Romero, I think. One kind of film, one kind of lesson, told with a depth and power that few can achieve.
TheoFantastique: How has this book been received by Christians and the general public, and what kind of formal recognition has it received as well?
Kim Paffenroth: Most of the praise has been from horror fans and writers. They appreciate the seriousness with which I approached Romero, when I really regard that as his due: if you produce a serious work, then you deserve to be taken seriously. A very few Christians have said that they can finally admit to watching these movies, but most have admitted that they have never seen one, and may still not brave the ordeal, which I respect – watching disembowelments and decapitations is not for everyone. The book got great reviews in Publishers Weekly, The Midwest Book Review, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. The really thrilling formal recognition that it has received is that it is now being considered for the Bram Stoker Award, a recognition bestowed by the Horror Writers Association.
TheoFantastique: What current projects do you have in the works?
Kim Paffenroth: My first zombie novel will be out in April, from the good folks at Permuted Press, publishers of fine zombie literature in general. I got inspired last summer to pursue fiction writing again, and the words have really flowed. I used to write fiction of a more-or-less horrific nature when I was in high school, but I haven’t done it for twenty years. I guess the ideas had been building up and fermenting, and it was just time. So my zombies and I will be getting out the good word in a new medium for some time to come.
TheoFantastique: Kim, thanks again for your work, your theological reflection, and taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We look forward to your continuing efforts.
Kim Paffenroth: The pleasure is all mine. I think you’ve done so much to open up a dialogue on religion and popular culture that I think many people will find very interesting and enlightening.
Last night I had the privilege of watching a two-hour program on the
Sci Fi Channel called
Sci-Fi Boys. This program interviews a number of leading artists in the entertainment industry who have contributed to various horror, science fiction, and fantasy films and asks them to share the influences that helped shape their imagination and creativity. Those interviewed include Peter Jackson, Dennis Muren, Rick Baker, John Landis, Roger Corman, Steven Spielberg and others. The major portion of the documentary was devoted to the two primary influences in the lives of these men when they were growing up, that of
Forrest J. Ackerman and his
Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, and the stop motion animation of
Ray Harryhausen. Both men were credited with providing a sense of wonder and imagination in young people for several decades that provided the inspiration which eventually translated into a new generation of filmmakers.
It was interesting to note these influences, which I shared as I grew up in northern California in the 1970s. Much like all of the men interviewed, I too saved my money and purchased an 8mm camera with a single frame capacity so that I could create my own crude stop motion animation films, although my efforts stunted rather quickly, and these men went on to create great works of art that has generated millions if not billions of combined dollars.
Some comments at the end of the documentary were especially interesting to me as these men spoke of a sense of wonder and imagination that Ackerman, Harryhausen, and other film craftspeople put onto the silver screen. Given that so many young boys were inspired by science fiction, fantasy, and horror films from at least the 1960s through the 1970s, I wonder what it was that drew our attention and captured our imaginations. Was there a wonder and fantasy void in the culture into which these films rushed? And might a possible fantasy deprivation in popular culture also be seen in expressions of traditional religiosity during this period? This would make for a fascinating exploration in sociology, culture, and film studies.
I also found the comments of several of these men personally applicable when they shared their struggles growing up in finding friends who shared their interests and that others often labeled them “weird” for having this passion. I remember feeling the same thing as an adolescent, a feeling that is perhaps even stronger now as I still enjoy these genres as an adult, and the situation is even worse in the Christian community.
My thanks goes to the Sci Fi Channel and Paul Davids respectively for airing and producing this great documentary.
I did some poking around on the Internet over the weekend and discovered that TheoFantastique has already attracted the interest of several bloggers and has been added to blog rolls. I am surprised and humbled by this. I hope my comments and explorations here are worthy of the interest.
As I looked around the Internet for those exploring similar issues I discovered a couple of thoughtful posts on Christianity and horror. The first comes from the blog Elizaphanian where Rev. Sam comments on the topic with reference to an interview with Scott Derrickson, the director of the film The Exorcism of Emily Rose:
In my opinion, the horror genre is a perfect genre for Christians to be involved with. I think the more compelling question is, Why do so many Christians find it odd that a Christian would be working in this genre? To me, this genre deals more overtly with the supernatural than any other genre, it tackles issues of good and evil more than any other genre, it distinguishes and articulates the essence of good and evil better than any other genre, and my feeling is that a lot of Christians are wary of this genre simply because it’s unpleasant. The genre is not about making you feel good, it is about making you face your fears. And in my experience, that’s something that a lot of Christians don’t want to do, unfortunately.
Steve Hayes also comments on this specific issue on his blog, and includes his comments on horror and Christianity in general from time to time as well.
My mate Matt Stone has also taken the lead in promoting my new blog on his own wonderful blog Journeys In Between. He is a fellow fan in regards to these issues so expect some cross-fertilization and exploration of ideas between our blogs.
I have been interested in comic books for quite a while. I still remember walking home from grammar school and stopping by the local market to read through the latest issue of MAD magazine, and to see if the new issues of my favorite comics had hit the stand yet. My brother is a comic book artist, so I have that connection (I can live vicariously through his creative work in the genre as exemplifed in the cover of one his current series in the image that accompanies this post). As I grew older the interest continued and developed as my work in religious studies and popular culture dovetailed with one another. Several books that look academically at the comic book phenomenon now make up part of my Amazon.com wishlist. While some adults in America might be embrassed by an interest in comics that survives adolescence, I am reminded of the immense popularity of this genre in Japan. Since Americans tend to appreciate the contributions of this society when it comes to electronics and automobile technology, perhaps they are on to something in the area of comics, and it is the Americans who are deficient in recognizing a significant area of popular culture. Hollywood has drawn upon the creative aspects of the comic industry for a number of films, so perhaps I am not as out of step as some might think.
I was reminded recently of the intersection between comics, religion, and theology when I receved the program for the 2007 Rocky Mountain/Great Plains regional meeting of the American Academy of Religion. In the Theology and Popular Culture group two seminars are listed. One by Beth Davies-Stofka from Front Range Community College is titled “Revolution through Revelation: Comic Books as Liberation Theology.” She has written some interesting things on similar topics for Library of Babble: On Comic Book Scholarship, Writing and the Industry. She has also contributed to the Journal of Religion and Popular Culture.
The other presenter at AAR is Jeremy Garber of the University of Denver/Iliff School of Theology. His presentation has the intriguing title “Salvation Also to the Geek: A Comic Book Theology.” I hope I can carve out the time and finances to attend the national meeting of AAR in San Diego this year so I can sit in on the Theology and Popular Culture seminars, as well as the other areas of interest, such as Pagan Studies, New Religions, and Mormon Studies.
Some might be tempted to dismiss the premise of this post, that comic books might provide a signficant expression of theology and religion. But I would urge those so inclined to consider that scholars have addressed this very issue, and it might be worthwhile to explore an article on this topic in the form of a book review of The Gospel According to Superheroes: Religion and Popular Culture (New York: Peter Lang Publications, 2005). And it is not only Christian religion and theology that is being expressed and explored through comics. The current newsletter for the Alternative Religions Educational Network includes an article that discusses a Pagan artist who has created a comic book, The Many Moons of Astra, that attempts to contribute to the construction of a Pagan culture.
Perhaps by ignoring or dismissing comics evangelicals are missing out on a significant aspect of popular culture for understanding theology and religion.
I’ve been thinking about creating another blog for a while now since my best SEO reseller told me it would bring up this sites ranking faster. My first blog, Moreheads Musings, is devoted to issues related to religion, culture, and missions. At times I have also posted comments related to horror, sci fi, fantasy, and pop culture as they relate to religion. This blog will be devoted solely to the exploration of these topics. I may not post as frequently here as I do on my other blog, but at least I have a separate forum for self-expression on these topics, and discussion with people who share these interests.
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I purchase and read a lot of books for my seminary studies and ministry research. As a result, I am on a lot of mailing lists for book publishers. Most of the catalogs don’t include titles that interest me, but today I received a promotional postcard for a new book from Baylor press that’s right up my alley in a number of ways in terms of my interest in the intersection between religion and popular culture, and my appreciation for the horror genre of literature and film. The book is by Kim Paffenroth and it’s titled Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero’s Visions of Hell on Earth (Baylor University Press, 2006). Here’s the book’s description from the Baylor website:
This volume connects American social and religious views with the classic American movie genre of the zombie horror film. For nearly forty years, the films of George A. Romero have presented viewers with hellish visions of our world overrun by flesh-eating ghouls. This study proves that Romero’s films, like apocalyptic literature or Dante’s Commedia, go beyond the surface experience of repulsion to probe deeper questions of human nature and purpose, often giving a chilling and darkly humorous critique of modern, secular America.
And the Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction: The Themes of the Current Zombie Movie Genre
1. Night of the Living Dead (1968) Romero’s First Look at Hell, Sin, and Human Nature
2. Dawn of the Dead (1978) Consumerism, Materialism, and the Fourth Circle of Hell
3. Day of the Dead (1985) Violence, Perverted Reason, and the Lower Circles of Hell
4. Dawn of the Dead (2004) Limbo and the Partial Victory of Reason and Virtue
5. Land of the Dead (2005) The Deepest Abyss of Hell and the Final Hope
Conclusion: The Meaning and Future of Zombie Movies
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Now, if you’re one of my critics who takes exception to my interest in horror, before you start writing the next issue of “Apostasy Alert,” hold on for a few moments. I’m tempted to respond by simply providing a quote I heard attributed to R. C. Sproul: “If you can’t appreciate what’s funny about zombies eating human beings then I can’t explain it to you.” Perhaps this came from Sproul, or at least I’d like to think so. But if that isn’t persuasive consider a few things about what horror says about human nature, religion, and popular culture.
My friend and colleague Philip Johnson passed along a paper written by Paul Teusner as part of his Master of Theology studies at Melbourne College of Divinity. The paper was titled “Resident Evil: Horror Film and the Construction of Religious Identity in Contemporary Media Culture.” The author discusses myths and rituals that play a part in cultural meaning making, and then interprets horror as a form of ritual activity as the “audiovisual mass media has become…the common ritual of the people.” He also discuses how horror films include theological conversations about issues of importance to religion and the human polace in the cosmos. He concludes by noting the implications of horror for contemporary theology and that the church will continue to marginalize itself it it does not recognize such things, and the increasing significance of the media for religious identity and mythic expression.
I know that horror is not everyone’s bag, and that’s ok. But perhaps we’d better at least take the media’s role in Western culture more seriously, as well as the place that myth plays in the re-enchantment process where horror, sci fi and fantasy play a part.
Guillermo Del Toro is a film director from Mexico. He has directed a number of horror and fantasy films, including Cronos (1992), Mimic (1997), The Devil’s Backbone (2001), Blade II (2002), and Hellboy (2004).Del Toro’s latest project is the fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth, set for release in America on December 29, 2006. The Official Movie Website press release summarizes the film:
“PAN’S LABYRINTH is a fanciful and chilling story set against the backdrop of a fascist regime in 1944 rural Spain. The film centers on Ofelia, a lonely and dreamy child living with her mother and adoptive father; a military officer tasked with ridding the area of rebels. In her loneliness, Ofelia creates a world filled with fantastical creatures and secret destinies. With post-war repression at its height, Ofelia must come to terms with her world through a fable of her own creation.”
I bring attention to this film not only because of my appreciation of the fantasy and horror genres, and my appreciation for the creativity and directoral work of Del Toro, but also because of mention of this film on WildHunt, a Pagan blog. WildHunt was intrigued by the film when it made its debut at Cannes due to Pagan themes within it. (We might also note that a remake of the classic 1973 horror film The Wicker Man that touched on Pagan themes is also in production.) The blog includes an excerpt of dialogue from the film that illustrates this element:
OFELIA: My name is Ofelia. Who are you?
PAN: Me? I’ve had so many names…Old names that only the wind and the trees can pronounce. I am the mountain, the forest and the earth. I am…I am a faun. Your most humble servant, Your Highness.
This intersection between popular culture and religious studies is of great interest to me for a number of reasons.
First, as Western culture continues its journey in late modernity or postmodernity it seems as though fantasy is increasingly popular as opposed to science fiction in previous decades.
Second, various subcultures are drawing upon this interest in fantasy, whether evangelicals and other varieties of Christians through The Chronicles of Narnia, or Pagans with their interest in Pan’s Labyrinth.
Third, although a number of film critic websites have praised Labyrinth, it has thus far received little attention on the radar screen of American pop culture.
Fourth, as the film release draws closer and its promotion increases it will be interesting to watch the response of some segments of evangelicalism. One website has already linked it with Satanism and pedophilia. But then again, it takes issue with the mythology within Narnia as well.
I’ll try to be optimistic here in my hopes for evangelical engagement with popular culture with this films’ release later this year. My hope is that American evangelicals will develop a more sophisticated form of engagement with myth, symbolism, religion, and culture than we have previously in the culture wars. I don’t know that I should hold my breath.
Philip Johnson recently made a post on “Spirituality Aspects of Anime,” based upon an article in the journal Culture and Religion. The article that Philip is interacting with was written by Jin Kyu Park and Philip’s post echos one I made on this blog previously in commenting on Park’s work.
The interface between popular culture and spirituality in the West is a fascinating area of study with important implications for evangelicalism. This is especially the case in looking at spiritual influences in Japan, not only in Japanese culture, but also in its exports as they are brought into American culture through the increasing popularity of anime (Japanese animation), and Japanese horror films. The significance of the latter was recognized by the UK Research Network for Theology Religion and Popular Culture earlier this year when they issued a call for papers that would interact with the cultural significance of the Japanese horror film Ringu (1998).
Those interested in exploring Park’s thesis outside of his journal article can download another version of this presented at the Intercultural Communication Division of the International Communication Association in 2003. Those interested in resources on theology, spirituality and popular culture will benefit from exploring Dr. Gordon Lynch’s website. Lynch is lecturer in Religion and Culture in the Department of Theology and Religion at Birmingham University in the UK, and is the author of Understanding Theology and Popular Culture (Oxford: Blackwell, 2005).
I have been doing some reading on anthroplogy of pilgrimage. One particularly helpful book has been Intersecting Journeys: The Anthropology of Pilgrimage and Tourism, Ellen Badone and Sharon R. Roseman, eds. (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2004).
One of the more interesting chapters in the book is “Pilgrimage and the IDIC Ethic: Exploring Star Trek Convention Attendance as Pilgrimage” by Jennifer E. Porter. The chapter begins by referencing the call from anthropologist Victor Turner for students of religion to take the science fiction genre seriously as “futuristic frameworks expressing mythic and liminal states and concerns.” The various series making up the Star Trek franchise is then located within this genre as “one location in which to find religion in our society.” The dots are then connected to the anthropological discussion of pilgrimage and secular tourism. Anthropologist E. Alan Morinis has stated that even secular journeys can be understood as pilgrimage “if made in pursuit of embodied ideals.” Star Trek is known to embody the philosophy of its creator, the late Gene Roddenberry, which can be understood anthropologically as a sacred set of ideals that are then connected to the notion of pilgrimage at conventions, which for many fans function as sacred journeys.
I found this discussion fascinating at a number of levels. First, Roddenberry was well known as a Secular Humanist, and the original series articulated Roddenberry’s vision for the future beyond and without religion. As the series progressed it changed with the times and with the new creative influences that came in touch with Roddenberry’s project. But regardless of whether we are talking about Roddenberry’s Humanist vision, or the postmodern spiritualities that can be seen in subsequent versions of the show, the entire franchise itself embodies a set of ideals that can be understood as sacred.
Second, while this chapter makes a distinction between secular tourism and religious pilgrimage, it also clearly makes a connection between the two, and notes that even visits to secular sites or space (understood geographically as well as in terms of community regardless of location) can fulfill a religious or spiritual dimension akin to religious pilgrimage found in more traditional religious expressions.
All in all this chapter was logical, and took me to places where this man had never gone before. (Sorry, as a Star Trek fan [the original series is the best!] I couldn’t resist this closing with a nod to the original series’ opening narration.)
The description on this blog states that it includes an exploration of archetypes and myths as they relate to fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Before I get too far on posting on this blog it would be a good idea to explain what I mean by this. While I have reflected on various elements related to this for the last several years, an essay for a new religions intensive course provided me with an opportunity to do some additional reading and draw various elements together.
