Diving Deep into the Religious World of Religious Fantasy

Let’s Discuss Certain Religion’s from Fantasy Worlds!

What is religion? When diving into the depths of religion, one might ask oneself, what entirely is it? But asking what religion is can be a tricky question to answer. Religion cannot be one thing, it cannot be grounded and mixed into one pot because religion is just as extensive as the human mind. The human mind can do many things, it can understand science, solve the universe’s equations, and it can create worlds entirely different from the ones it knows. Religion is one of the many things the human mind has challenged, created, and even destroyed.

The purpose of this post is to jump into the many worlds in which religion shapes fantasy and to see how the writers shape the story’s themes, religious motifs, and religious messages that the stories wish to portray.

Narnia

Throughout the Narnia Chronicles, religious themes were evident to see. From calling Lucy, Peter, Susan, and Edmund ‘children of Adam and Eve’, to various other instances, the series frequently displays Christian allegories. An example where these Christian allegories can be seen is in:

Aslan’s Role: Aslan is a great lion to which Narnians cast their high respect to. Aslan is the clearest Christian symbol in the Narnia series, who is often represented as Jesus Christ. Aslan’s actions parallel the teachings of Christ in the bible which can be seen in Aslan’s sacrificial death and resurrection in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Another example in which Christian themes can be seen is in:

The Last Battle: The last book of the Narnia Chronicles, The Last Battle is an allegory for the teachings of biblical Apocalypse and Judgment Day. In the story, the final battle is a battle between good and evil and it’s what leads to the destruction of the old Narnia. With Old Narnia’s destruction, Aslan ushers in a new age, a new, perfect world that in the end, reflects the Christian’s belief of the end of the world and the promise of a new heaven and earth.

Even though I only listed two examples, the Narnia Chronicles has a plethora of instances in which readers/viewers can see Christian themes. The stories do a good job of diving deep into Christian beliefs, but not so much as masking them, for they are apparent to see.

Lord of The Rings

Lord of the Rings is an old story with many religious motifs’. Its entire world is grounded in the context of Christian beliefs and values which are utilized or challenged by the world’s separate races, deities, and moral teachings. The Ring carries heavy symbolism of temptation and sin throughout the entire series; the Ring is the center of the world’s attention, giving room to many of the stories’ religious motifs such as:

Temptation and Fall: The Ring is a clear symbol of the temptation of power, which can be referred to as the original sin when compared to Christian theology. Many of the characters in the series are tempted by the Ring’s power, and those who succumb to it become morally and spiritually corrupted. This corruption can be seen in Boromir’s fall from grace when his desire for the ring, regardless of how noble his intentions were, led to the corruption of his pride and ambition, therefore resulting in his death.

Another instance where temptation and fall are shown is in Gollum’s obsession with the Ring. The Ring, for Gollum, represents the consuming nature of sin, depicting how that consumption distorts and dehumanizes any who falls prey to its temptation, hence the reason for Gollum’s appearance and behavior.

Mercy and Forgiveness: Throughout The Lord of the Rings, mercy is a recurring motif in the story which mirrors Christ’s teachings on the importance of displaying mercy to others, even if it is one’s enemy. An example where mercy can be seen in Lord of the Rings is when Frodo shows mercy towards Gollum, despite the multiple accounts of his treachery—and this mercy Frodo displays reflects the Christian idea of forgiving sinners, and giving them grace in even times most difficult to them.

The Ring itself brings much destruction and chaos to the world of Lord of the Rings, and because it’s such a powerful symbol, it can hold many meanings and interpretations. But after watching the extended versions of all three movies, I can definitely say that the Ring might even symbolize the Devil.

His Dark Materials

Out of the three movies/shows I’ve watched, I’ve come to like His Dark Materials the most. The show’s themes and concepts are captivating and it’s chockfull of religious messages that make the show all the more intriguing.

The Church: His Dark Materials is basically a critique of organized religion and this can be seen with, The Authority (A God/Deity-like figure) and the Magisterium, (a religious institute resembling the Catholic Church). The Magisterium is the show’s most oppressive force, constantly getting in the way of the character’s pursuit of knowledge and even pursuit of change. The Magisterium controls knowledge, it seeks to suppress free thought and enforces strict rules on those who are under its control.

The message that the Authority and Magisterium bring shows how organized religion can bring about an oppressive, authoritarian rule. It shows how this religious oppression can stifle curiosity, intellectual freedom, and one’s individual development which can be seen in Asriel’s studies.

The Soul and The Daemons: Daemons are the physical manifestation of a person’s soul, their connection reflects the importance of a soul, its free will, and personal identity. The concept of Daemons emphasizes individuality, suggesting that identity is sacred. So when the Magisterium violates the sacred connection between humans and Daemon—by conducting research to separate Daemons from their humans—it shows how the religious institute seeks to control or diminish personal autonomy.

Conclusion

Religion can shape a fantasy world, it can shape a story’s history, its characters, and the plot through religious themes, motifs, and messages. The Narnia Chronicles, The Lord of the Rings, and His Dark Materials are fantasy stories that involve a theme surrounding Christian/Catholic religion, and it’s this theme that grounds the stories in their beliefs. These religious themes affect the characters, and their perspective of evil and good in the world; The religious motifs affect whether characters should forgive, and forget wrongdoings done by them. And these religious messages portray an image of what the reader/viewer should take away from the story.

All in all, I’d have to say that the most intriguing take of religious commentary was His Dark Materials, creating a religious institution that strives to remove sin from the world is cool, however, it does so in such a harsh, unforgiving way. I also loved the religious implications that Lord of the Rings brings through its storytelling. My least favorite out of the three would have to be The Narnia Chronicles only because of its unapologetic, apparent Christian themes. After taking apart three completely different movies, and seeing where religion falls into its fantasy themes, now it’s your turn!

The next time you look at a piece of media, question, is there any religion, and if so, how does this affect the characters, the plot, and most importantly, your perception of the story?

Until next time!