When cultures such as ours toss Jesus out one door, He comes in – albeit disguised – through another. That’s why author Jim Papandrea turned to Star Wars, Star Trek, The Matrix, Terminator, Spider-Man, Batman, Dr. Who, and half-a-dozen other modern shows, discovering in each one powerful images of Christ and salvation.
Nor is that surprising.
In stories of alternative universes, people always need rescuing; somebody needs to save the day; and sometimes the whole world cries out for a savior . . . which is just what a hero is.
About the heroes of some of the most popular sci-fi stories of all time, author Papandrea here answers questions that concern Christians who are also Trekkies, Whovians, Matrix Dwellers, or aficionados of popular science fiction: What kind of “Christ-figure” is the hero of this story, and what does that say about the show’s vision of Christ, humanity and salvation?
In the interest of being scientific, Papandrea even gives each hero a Numerical Orthodoxy Score based on the description of Christ in the Nicene Creed, Christianity’s common definition of orthodoxy.
Included herein are astute Christian analyses of:
Batman * Captain * America * Doctor Who * The Fifth Element * I, Robot * Iron Man * LOST * The Matrix * Planet of the Apes * Pleasantville * Spider-Man * Star Trek * Star Wars * Superman * The Terminator * The Time Machine * Tron * Wonder Woman
Here you’ll read about:
- The pervasive Christian imagery in Doctor Who
- Star Trek’s predicted “death of God”
- Free-will: the stumbling block in the first Matrix
- The crucifixion of Spider-Man
- Why Wonder Woman is an image of a gnostic savior
- The meaning of salvation in Star Wars (It masquerades as Christian)
- How Superman’s life begins as a parallel of Moses.
- I, Robot: the religious reason why the robot is called “Sonny”
- Whether, in any Christian sense, Neo is The One?
- Captain American and Iron-Man: one defends the innocent, the other brings justice to the guilty
- The tomb scene in the Fifth Element: it’s not the resurrection we need
- Matter vs. Spirit in Tron: gnostic to the core
- The anti-Christian bias of Planet of the Apes
- Why the Force in Star Wars is no analogy to Grace or the Holy Spirit
- The Star Wars Christ figure: Obi-Wan? Luke? Or even, ultimately, Darth Vader
- What Heaven is understood to be in the LOST universe
- Time travel as incarnation in The Terminator: a compelling analogy
- Regeneration as resurrection in Doctor Who: Is it Christ-like?
- How Pleasantville reverses the dynamism of the Fall
- The baptismal significance of the plane crash in LOST
- Pleasantville: a twisted version of Eden
- The incarnation of the Christ-figure in Planet of the Apes
- Tron’s parallels between Christianity and the Roman Empire
. . . and much more about other science fiction and superhero shows!
Christians who enjoy popular culture will greet this fun book with interest and acclaim.
