Reeling religion: From anime and sci-fi to rom-coms, films are full of faith in unexpected places
By David W. Stowe, Michigan State University
In some movies, religion hits viewers over the head – including films that take home the industry’s biggest prizes. No one could miss religion’s importance in “The Exorcist” or “Jesus Christ Superstar,” both nominated for Oscars 50 years ago. Martin Scorsese, whose “Killers of the Flower Moon” is up for 10 at the 2024 Academy Awards, is working on a new project on the life of Jesus.
Anyone can find a religious meaning in “Kundun,” Scorsese’s epic about the Dalai Lama’s youth, or “Fiddler on the Roof,” the story of life in a Russian Jewish shtetl at the turn of the 20th century. Cinematic Christ figures are a dime a dozen.
But for scholars of religion and popular culture like myself, movies that engage religion less directly are often more intriguing.
Free from illusion
Take the hugely influential science fiction franchise “The Matrix.” Depicting characters caught in a diabolical computer simulation, held prisoner to AI, the film feels particularly timely in 2024.
Seeing past illusions to a deeper cosmic reality, as the film’s protagonists must do, is of course a theme of many faiths. “The Matrix” is peppered with many other allusions to religion and mythology. Main character Neo, referred to as “the One,” is killed and resurrected. A hacker even tells him, “You’re my savior, man, my own personal Jesus Christ.” One central character is named Trinity. Another is called Morpheus, after the Greek god of dreams.
More specifically, religion scholars see explicit themes of Gnosticism, a variant of Christianity that flourished during the faith’s first few centuries. A central focus of Gnostic texts is attaining liberation from worldly illusion through direct inner knowledge of truth. Its teachings include stark dualism – light vs. dark, mind vs. body, good vs. evil – and belief in a hidden God operating in a hostile cosmos, both of which have analogues in “The Matrix.”
Buddhist themes are also unmistakable. The film begins with Neo waking up, both literally and figuratively, as he discovers the truth: Machines have trapped humanity in pods to harvest their energy. The world in which humans believe they are living is actually “the matrix,” an illusory world created to distract them.
“Buddha” means “awakened one,” and many viewers have drawn comparisons between Keanu Reeves’ character’s journey and Buddhism. Once awakened to reality, Neo is no longer bound to the illusions of ignorance and desire. Just as importantly, he must help other humans awaken and escape the cycle of suffering.
Spirits on screen
Even apart from specific allusions like these, cinema shares something important with religion.
S. B. Rodriguez-Plate, a religion scholar at Hamilton College, argues that films can function something like religions in the lives of their audiences, “playing God” by creating imaginary worlds – worlds that may make viewers see their real lives in a different light.
That power is nowhere more evident than in animated films, which create vivid realms that live action can only dream of. In films like “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle,” legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki creates his own mythic worlds populated with fanciful “yōkai”: creatures that are inspired by Japanese legends but not quite Shinto or Buddhist.
Many of Miyazaki’s films also include spirits that inhabit inanimate objects, which he associates with Japanese tradition. “In my grandparents’ time … it was believed that spirits (kami) existed everywhere – in trees, rivers, insects, wells, anything,” he once said. “My own religion, if you can call it that, has no practice, no Bible, no saints, only a desire to keep certain places and my own self as pure and holy as possible.”
“Princess Mononoke,” Miyazaki’s 1997 film set in medieval Japan, tells the story of a young prince drawn into an epic struggle between forest gods and humans who exploit natural resources. It’s a challenge religions have often ignored but are increasingly trying to engage: how to live responsibly in the natural world.
While the movie has an environmental message, it avoids oversimplifying the struggle to “good nature” besieged by “bad humans.” San, a human girl who leads an army of wolves, tries to kill the prince, while Iron Town provides support for lepers and outcasts, even as it degrades the environment.
Birth and rebirth – and groundhogs
What about comedy, though? Can a religious film be funny? Could a romantic comedy have religious overtones?
Each February, many Americans celebrate Groundhog Day, waiting to see if the famous Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow. But for some, Feb. 2 is a day to celebrate “Groundhog Day” – the film about the moral evolution of an arrogant Pittsburgh weatherman sent to report on the groundhog but forced to live the same day over and over again until he gets it right.
Given “Groundhog Day’s” cult-classic status, it evidently speaks to followers of many religions and none. But it’s hard to think of a film that better captures the concept of samsara: the Sanskrit term for the tedious human condition, with its endless cycles of birth and rebirth. Helping people find release from samsara is central to both Hinduism and Buddhism. Phil, the weatherman stuck reliving Feb. 2 over and over, is caught on such a treadmill.
Only by gradually transforming himself into a more virtuous person – performing acts of merit among the people of Punxsutawney – does he finally escape from the nightmare of recurring Groundhog Days.
Director Harold Ramis was brought up Jewish but became a Buddhist who carried a laminated card, “The 5 Minute Buddhist”: a kind of cheat sheet of core ideas of Buddhism. So it’s not surprising to find them in his movie.
One is “pratītyasamutpāda,” another Sanskrit term: the idea that everything in the cosmos is linked by causal chains. All causes and effects are connected; nothing stands wholly apart on its own. By the end of “Groundhog Day,” the prideful Phil has fully connected with people in the quaint Pennsylvania village – and won his love, Rita – having learned how his own well-being depends on the well-being of everyone around him.
Close to awe
There’s one more way to think about religion in film. Apart from specific spiritual themes, a powerful movie can offer an almost religious experience.
Nathaniel Dorsky, an experimental filmmaker influenced by Buddhism, writes of cinema as a devotional experience. The act of sitting in darkness, watching an illuminated world flicker by, Dorsky says, may be as close to approaching the transcendent as many of us will come – getting a glimpse of something beyond our normal range of experience.
Of course, all these films can be enjoyed fully without reading them on this religious level. Some movie fans would object that these interpretations spoil the fun, and they may have a point. But part of the excitement of studying religion in popular culture is to be aware of its many permutations, hidden in plain view.
This article has been updated to correct the name of religion scholar S. B. Rodriguez-Plate.
David W. Stowe, Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
What happens when Francis Ford Coppola turns to Science Fiction?
Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Review
Why You Should (or Should Not) Read . . .
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Del Rey | 1989 | 978-0-399-17861-0 | 481pages
First in a series | Reviewed by Todd Galitz
You could think of Dan Simmons’ Hyperion as a stealth classic. While it doesn’t get the love that, say, Issac Asimov’s Foundation or Walter M. Miller Jr.’s A Canticles of Leibowitz does, most readers will find it reminiscent of these two. Or, to put it another way, it combines the grand vision of Issac Asimov’s space opera while emulating Walter M. Miller Jr.’s combination of characterization and plot. Though of the two, it is closer to Canticles; it has the same balance of character v plot, the same manner of explaining its grand vision through the experiences and trials of its protagonists. Like many classics, this work can be read on two level; in this case either simply as a space mystery, or, as a reflection on how people relate to the universe and how we might react when we find we are not necessarily the ones in control of our own fate.
Structured similarly to the Canterbury Tales, it tells the tale of seven pilgrims who are thrown together through circumstances beyond their control to undertake a quest of understanding, a quest which they believe may well end in their deaths. Along the voyage, each pilgrim has a chance to tell their tale; Dan Simmons turns this into a kind of game in which each very different character (as well as the reader) must try to figure out what each other character brings to this tale. This is not the only way in which the reader may question what is going on, as Dan Simmons seems intent on relentlessly prodding the reader into asking what this tale is about. While it is clear there is indeed a point, the reader never has enough information to make an informed guess about what is going on. In this way, Hyperion seems to be equal parts 1930s film noir and 1950s Science Fiction novel. It is partially written from the omnipotent viewpoint (at the start of each section,) and partly narrated by the main character spotlighted in each section. Although this could have been jarring, Dan Simmons handles the transitions well, mainly since the characters are written in the third person.
After you finish reading it, it will linger in your mind, which is just what a classic should do. So why is it not more recognizable? Like Foundation and Canticles, Dan Simmons clearly has a vision, though in this case, that vision is greatly obscured behind the narration. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does make for a more challenging read. The plot of Hyperion is messy and complicated; like life, it challenges the reader to work at understanding what the point of the story is.
Why You Should Read
Engaging and exciting
Thought provoking
You should enjoy being an active reader, thinking about puzzles, where the plot is going etc . . .
Why You Should Not Read
Reader must be willing to deal with an intentionally obscure plot
Graphic violence and sex may not be suitable for all readers
Why Kurt Vonnegut’s advice to college graduates still matters today
Susan Farrell, College of Charleston Kurt Vonnegut didn’t deliver the famous “Wear Sunscreen” graduation speech published in the Chicago Tribune that was often mistakenly attributed to the celebrated author. But he could have. Over his lifetime, he gave dozens of...
Spotlight: The Turing Trap: The Promise & Peril of Human-Like Artificial Intelligence
The Turing Trap: The Promise & Peril of Human-Like Artificial Intelligence There has been a lot of hype about Artificial Intelligence lately, perhaps too much. But if you want to understand the bigger picture in a non-technical political-economic framework, this...
How Ursula Le Guin’s Writing Was Shaped by Anthropology
A connection can be made in between Ursula Le Guin’s fiction and her father’s groundbreaking work in anthropology.Oregon State University, CC BY-SA The education of Ursula Le Guin Philip W. Scher, University of Oregon On Jan. 22, Ursula K. Le Guin died in Portland,...
How Dystopian Narratives Can Incite Real-World Radicalism
This story first appeared in Aeon; it was written by Calvert Jones and Celia ParisHumans are storytelling creatures: the stories we tell have profound implications for how we see our role in the world, and dystopian fiction keeps growing in popularity. According to...
China is using mythology and sci-fi to sell its space programme to the world
Molly Silk, PhD Candidate, Chinese Space Policy, University of Manchester This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. On the morning of June 17, China launched its long-awaited Shenzhou-12...
John Dunn’s examination of John Locke, a review in about 500 words
The Political Thought of John Locke-An Historical Account of the Argument of the 'Two Treatises of Government' by John Dunn. Cambridge at the University Press, 1969. 521 07408 8 The Political Thought of John Locke could have been called "My Thoughts about...
Secular ‘values voters’ are becoming an electoral force in the US – just look closely at 2020’s results
Phil Zuckerman, Pitzer CollegeThe voting patterns of religious groups in the U.S. have been scrutinized since the presidential election for evidence of shifting allegiances among the faithful. Many have wondered if a boost in Catholic support was behind Biden’s win...
Watch The Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin free until 8/30/20
PBS is making it's documentary, The Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin free to watch through 8/30/20! Ursula K. Le Guin was a trailblazer writing about complex and interesting societies, her stories reflected the deepest questions that mainstream society has only recently...
American Gothic Literature, a new kind of horror story
A Review of “American Gothic Literature” Ruth Bienstock Anolik, 2019, McFarland & Company Inc. 306 pages Like the genre it examines, this work is insightful, inspiring, exhilarating, and challenging. However, it is not for the faint of heart! A somewhat...
#ShutDownAcademia
Via #Shutdownstem On June 10, 2020, we will #ShutDownAcademia, #ShutDownSTEM, and #Strike4BlackLives. In the wake of the most recent murders of Black people in the US, it is clear that white and other non-Black people have to step up and do the work to eradicate...
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Dr. Neil Postman, a Short Book Review
Why should we care about 1970’s Television? Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death is one of many works from the latter half of the 20th Century which bemoans what he calls the “Age of Show Business,” or what other people have called the culture of...
The origins of the Gothic
Professor John Mullan examines the origins of the Gothic, explaining how the genre became one of the most popular of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and the subsequent integration of Gothic elements into mainstream Victorian fiction. Gothic fiction began...
We have the tools and technology to work less and live better
In 1930, a year into the Great Depression, John Maynard Keynes sat down to write about the economic possibilities of his grandchildren. Despite widespread gloom as the global economic order fell to its knees, the British economist remained upbeat, saying that the...
Why Liberals and Libertarians Both Have It Wrong — And Right
Liberals say that rising income inequality is hurting economic growth. Libertarians say that government regulation is to blame. Who’s right?Both, say Steven Teles and Brink Lindsey, who visited Stanford Graduate School of Business recently as part of its...
Job opportunity!
Human Rights Watch is seeking a Researcher and Advocate on Digital Rights to investigate, analyze, and advocate against human rights abuses related to online activities. The role of the Researcher and Advocate will include documenting and conveying the...
What Star Trek got Right and Wrong about Books
When you have to many booksLiving in a Silicon Valley cottage it became clear that something was going to have to go. Unfortunately for me that meant that my wife’s and my rather large collection of books was on the chopping block. So one weekend we took...
Science Fiction
Chronicles (SF&F forum)
Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Franchises
Star Trek
Star Wars
Star Gate
Babylon 5
Authors
Politics and Political Science
Current Events
Key L=left R=Right M=moderate
S=Socialist Libe=libertarian
alternet (L)
BHL (libe)
crooks and liars (L)
Dissent (L)
The Economist (M)
FiveThirtyEight (M)
The Hill (R)
Institute for Humane Studies (M)
Jacobin (S)
Learn Liberty (Libe)
Liberty Explained (Libe)
Maclean’s (M)
Mother Jones (L)
Monthly Review (S)
The Nation (L)
The New American (R)
The New Republic (L)
People for the American Way (L)
Politics1 (M)
Politico (M)
ProPublica (M)
reason (Libe)
The Washington Free Beacon (R)
Non-Partisan
Political Science
Brookins (L)
Cato Institute Libe
Democrats.org (L)
GOP (R)
Law and Liberty (R)
Libertarian Party (Libe)
United States Constitution and
Declaration of Independence
Political Theorists
General News
Research Tools
SOC ARXIV (social science oriented preprint server)
Stork (automated journal search)
Economics
AEI (R)
Washington Center for Equitable Growth (L)
History and Geography
A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
House Divided (Civil War Research Engine)
Philosophy
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Society
Religion
Public Religion Research Institute
Humanities
Literature and Media
Physical Science and Technology