Hatrack River Forum: C S Lewis on "Serenity"

This is topic C S Lewis on "Serenity" in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

Bruce Edwards, a Lewisian scholar, reviews "Serenity" in persona Lewis.

Kinda neat:

http://personal.bgsu.edu/~edwards/serenity.htm

the people I went to see it with and I had a long discussion of (among other things) the Christian elements in Serenity, despite Whedon's professed Atheism. It was fun.

Edit to add that while I don't find Mal nearly as ugly a character as some people do, I do find him darker than this reviewer. But I could talk about Mal all day-- maybe the deepest and most compelling character I've seen since Ender.

[ October 14, 2005, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Jim-Me ]

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

Despite his professed atheism? You think he's a closet Christian? *laugh*

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

No, Tom... I merely meant that he was publically atheist... i.e. that it was common knowledge from the horse's mouth.

Edit: I certainly wouldn't feel misunderstood if someone referred to me as a "professed Christian".

Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :

You know Tom, always has to try and find the negative in things

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

Thank goodness you're here to point them out to us, Jay.

Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :

No, no, you see, Jim-me was totally Whedonizing the word "professor," all post-modern referencin'-like. What he meant was, Joss Whedon actually teachifies Atheism 101 at the local universityism... izzle.

[Wink]

Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :

I had the same interpretation Tom did. Saying there was loads of Christian content in spite of the views of the creator calls into doubt either the allusions or the views of the creator.

Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :

[Laugh]

Tarrsk

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

Well, hey, ya' know, I thought we'd get more interesting discussion out of this than syntax, but perhaps I came to the wrong forum for that?

Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :

Well, Atheism isn't completely opposed to the things in Christianity you know. Goodness, love and righteousness, belief and morality are rather more widespread...

Also, many of the stories told in Christianity go far deeper than just being Christian stories. They're human stories...

quote:
When I say belief, why do you always assume I mean God?

I thought that made it clear enough. [Smile]

Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :

Joss may be an atheist, but he's the product of Christian acculturation. The religion he has rejected is Christianity. Which still leaves him with a strong connection to it, even if it's a negative one. It's no surprise that someone creative would express elements of their native mythology (I use the term not as a judgement of Christianity, despite my well known views on that subject, but as a sociological term) in the things they create.

Chaim Potok is a Conservative rabbi, but My Name is Asher Lev deals strongly with the theme of "crucifixion" in art. It's not a matter of believing in a thing; just of it being part of the air the creator breathes.