THE ARTS
Don't panic: Religion, science fiction and everything

Two films in theaters in May have cosmology at their hearts. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith are wildly different from each other in perspective and approach, but they both deal with questions about faith, practice and the meaning of it all.

These and other science fiction films create alternate realities with their own belief systems. In the case of the Star Wars series, The Force - which contains elements of several real-world religions - has become a metaphor in popular culture for the life energy of the universe. Fans sometimes take these "invented" religions for their own, and occasionally it's difficult to discern the line where fandom and genuine faith intersect.

For the general audiences who read the books or watch the films, these fictional worlds are a modern extension of a long human tradition: storytelling as a way to express larger truths. All cultures have their narrative myths, and religion is often an essential element (think Greek mythology).

Princeton's WordNet defines cosmology as "the metaphysical study of the origin and nature of the universe." In this context, sci-fi films and popular speculative fiction are more than just escapism; they can contain messages that confirm deeply held convictions, or they can open new windows to understanding for their readers and viewers.

Why it matters
Religious themes often have been woven into popular fiction and found their way into film. The intertwining of art and faith creates a way for secular storytellers to touch the human need for narrative myth.

Questions for reporters
Are the movies attracting the same audiences? How do the moviegoers perceive the spiritual themes? How do audience members relate these issues to their own lives? Do sci-fi fans tend to have a specific religion - or is sci-fi their religion? Or entertainment? Do local clergy have a perspective on the religious elements in the movies? What do these futuristic films have to say about our future?

Jump to sources
Jump to background

THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy opened April 29 (Read the May 2, 2005, USA Today story, "Surprising 'Galaxy' hitchhikes to No. 1"). The Guide takes on cosmology head-on, with humor: A computer called Deep Thought sets out to discover the answer to "Life, the Universe and Everything."
• The cover of the hilariously erroneous cosmic guidebook used by the story's characters is emblazoned "Don't Panic." If the number 42 means nothing to you, spend some time in "The Guide to the Guide" on the official site for the movie.
• The Guide trilogy was actually made up of four - eventually, five - books by Douglas Adams. Read a synopsis of each installment at douglasadams.com. Hear a 1987 CBC radio interview in which Adams, who died in 2001, summarizes the plot points of the Guide.
• The Guide began as a BBC radio series in 1978, became a novel and also spawned several other BBC projects (read a review at the Museum of Broadcast Communications). It continues to be a favorite of science fiction fans.
• Read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Panentheism," in Science & Theology News.
• Read a transcript of an April 28, 2005, CNN program, "The Meaning of Life."

STAR WARS
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith opens May 19. The original Star Wars film (now Episode IV: A New Hope) caused an international sensation when it debuted in 1977, and the concept of The Force set off waves of pop theology.
• Read "The Apocalyptic Cosmology of Star Wars" by John Lyden, associate professor of religion at Dana College in Blair, Neb., published in the April 2000 issue of The Journal of Religion & Film.
• Read "Any Gods Out There? Perceptions of Religion from Star Wars and Star Trek," by John S. Schultes, published in the October 2003 issue of The Journal of Religion & Film.
• Read "The Tao of Star Wars," by John Porter, posted by Beliefnet.
• Read about a hoax email in several countries urging fans to list Jedi as their religion in census records.
• Read "Galactic gasbag" by Steven Hart (Salon, April 10, 2002): "Beneath all the pseudo-mythic Joseph Campbell hogwash, the roots of George Lucas' empire lie not in The Odyssey but in classic and pulp 20th century sci-fi."
• Read "Of Myth And Men: A conversation between Bill Moyers and George Lucas on the meaning of the Force and the true theology of Star Wars" (Time, Apr. 26, 1999).

Sources
• James F. McGrath, assistant professor of religion at Butler University (Indianapolis), teaches a course called "Religion in Science Fiction." Read the syllabus and introduction with extensive bibliography and links. Contact 317-940-9364, jfmcgrat@butler.edu.
• Michael Collings is a professor of English at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., and author of a biography of Orson Scott Crad, an award-winning science fiction author who has used portions of the Book of Mormon in his works. He traces a link between belief in Mormonism and an affinity for science fiction. Contact 310-506-4440, mcolling@pepperdine.edu.
• Ted Baehr is founder and chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, a ministry that has been publishing and broadcasting Movieguide: A Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment since 1985. He has a web site. Contact his home office in the Los Angeles area at 805-383-2000, Office@MovieGuide.org, or his office in Atlanta that is run by Sandra Bell at 800-883-3883 or 770-825-0084.
• The Rev. Ed McNulty is a retired Presbyterian minister in the Cincinnati area and publisher of Visual Parables, a journal that examines faith in films. He can talk about Star Wars from a theological perspective. To see McNulty's film reviews go to visualparables.net and click on "Current Movies." Contact 859-493-0286, mcnulty@fuse.net.
• Reg Grant is a professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary who has an interest in media as a writer, producer and actor. He says the strong religious underpinnings in the Star Wars franchise have been a part of why it has resonated so well with audiences over the years. He can also discuss the movie's Buddhist-style philosophy in the context of traditional Christian doctrine. Contact through Giles Hudson, A. Larry Ross Communications, 972-267-1111 ext. 223.
• Russell W. Dalton is associate professor of Christian education at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas, and is the author of Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands: A Christian Dialogue with Harry Potter, Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings (Augsburg, 2003). He has an essay, "Aslan Is on the Move: Images of Providence in Narnia," that will be included in a book coming out this fall, Revisiting Narnia (BenBella Books). Contact 817-257-6812, r.dalton@tcu.edu.
• Calvin College English professor Roy Anker is the author of Catching Light: Looking for God in the Movies (Eerdmans: 2004). Find a collection of his published essays on the college site. Contact 616-526-6530, anker@calvin.edu.

Background

Find more experts, including regional sources, in these previous ReligionLink issues:
• "Hope on screen: religious themes in The Lord of the Rings" (Nov. 18, 2003).
• "Harry Potter's biggest battle: religion" (June 2, 2003).

OTHER RESOURCES
• Read publishers' perspectives on religion in science fiction in "Other Worlds, Suffused With Religion," by Kimberly Winston (Publishers Weekly, April 16, 2001). Don't miss the sidebar about the connection of science fiction to Mormonism.
• The interfaith website adherents.com maintains a page that documents religious references in science fiction writing. It also keeps track of the religious affiliation of science fiction writers. According to this list, there are more Mormon science fiction writers than there are science fiction writers of any other single religion.
• Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was also a science fiction writer. Read an overview of the movement's development (posted by the Religious Movements Homepage Project at the University of Virginia), beginning with its launch after an article in Astounding Science Fiction magazine in 1950 promoted Hubbard's book Dianetics. Read a response to criticisms that Hubbard was "mostly a science fiction writer," posted on the official Scientology site.
• Read "Buddhism, Christianity, and The Matrix: The Dialectic of Myth-Making in Contemporary Cinema" by James L. Ford, assistant religion professor at Wake Forest University, writing in the October 2000 issue of The Journal of Religion & Film.
• Visit the official site for The Matrix Trilogy: Use the search term "philosophy" to find extensive essays.
• Read the transcript of a 2001 Religion & Ethics Newsweekly cover story, "The Spiritual Dimension of Fantasy."
• Read the 2003 Vatican report "A Christian Reflection on the 'New Age.'"
• For a Christian perspective on narrative myths, read "Elves, Wookies and Fanboys: Star Wars and our need for stories," by Roberto Rivera, a fellow at the Wilberforce Forum at Prison Fellowship.
• See Science Fiction/Fantasy Authors of Various Faiths at adherents.com.
• Read "Science and Faith in the Murky Multiverse," by Kimberly Roots, from the January 2005 issue of Science & Theology News, posted by Beliefnet.
• Read a May 14, 2005 Dallas Morning News article, "Movies' spiritual theme is a Force" by Jeffrey Weiss.