Tue. November 27
Serenity as Secular Myth: The Future of Religion in Science Fiction
by Brandon J. White
“I don’t care what you believe. Just believe in it,” a dying protestant minister says as he grabs a hold of his friend, the renegade captain of an illegal salvage and trade vessel.
Avid fans of the short-lived series Firefly, or Browncoats, remember well this quote from the highly anticipated movie Serenity (2005). It’s the last guidance offered by Shepherd Derrial Book (Ron Glass) to protagonist Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillian).
In the futuristic world of this sci-fi cult classic, Reynolds lives as a rebel on the brink of society simply trying to find work, take care of his crew, and keep adrift. When the Shepherd first joins their crew, his presence is something unexpected, something foreign to the dominant cultural mindset of the crew. And while he carries a Bible and prays for safety, Book rarely mentions God or religious rituals. He simply offers advice when needed and helps the crew escape several “close calls.”
Nonetheless, Book is pivotal for the emotional development of Reynolds’ character as he grapples with a classic utilitarian dilemma, whether the greater good of society should come before your personal safety and the safety of those you love. Only a few short scenes before this, Captain Reynolds discovered one of the biggest secrets in the Universe, capable of toppling the tyrannical Alliance. And so he is forced to choose between risking the life of his crew to expose the Alliance, or ensuring their safety and continuing life under harsh Alliance conditions.
In this scene, Shepherd Book is pushing Reynolds to look beyond himself and place importance in something outside of him and his crew.
Firefly creator Joss Whedon argues that Book is meant to represent Western Protestant values. But, to what degree does he promote religious values, versus promote a self-help mindset?
Sure, Book’s role in helping Reynolds escape egocentrism to work for the greater good of the ‘verse is an admiral characteristic. But, it could have just as easily come from a pithy fortune cookie as it did a Protestant Minister.
Throughout the fifties, social scientists debated over the place of religion in an ever-changing, ever-advancing society. They call this debate “secularization theory.” In the past, many thought that as society advanced, we would eventually grow out of religion. Over the past fifty years, however, this theory has largely been overturned and substituted with theories of how religion evolves or changes in response to new technology, new values, and new problems.
Sociologist Jose Casanova argues that the future of religion will fight to stay relevant by continuously differentiating itself from other “secular” facets of human life. In other words, religion will have to try to stay relevant, but different from other social institutions. Whether or not he intends it, this is a theory Whedon implies in his invented conception of the future.
The sheer fact that Firefly/Serenity has an overtly religious character is already out of step with much of American sci-fi. As we avid fans know, religion is not the most highly admired phenomenon in shows such as Star Trek or Star Gate where gods are often reduced to alien creatures.
Ultimately Whedon’s narrative, while trying to maintain religious presence in conceptions of our future, implies that religion will fight to become irrelevant! For ministers like Derrian Book, religion is not about separating sacred values or spaces, but about a hopeful mindset of self-empowerment. But, for me, this is religion without content, belief without an object of belief. My question becomes at what point does religion stop being religious?
Brandon J. White received his master’s degree in theological studies from Emory University in 2011. Currently, he owns Constructive Learning Tutors in Morrisville, NC. He continues independent research focusing on the intersection of religion, society, and politics.
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Interesting that Book doesn’t use any overtly religious language in his advice while the “companion” does use overtly religious terms like temple and has rituals and rites in which she practices.
I believe that this supports the view that Whedon is secularizing religion.
Whedon’s disdain for religion was front and center in the episode, “Out of Gas” where an explosion renders Serenity dead-in-the-water and the crew facing certain death. The character of River speaks to Shepherd Book and all we see on his side was fear. He was holed up in his room, reading the Bible and looking like he was about to cry. He wasn’t amongst the crew offering support and encouragement. It’s one of my favorite episodes, but it was a moment when Whedon showed too much of his personal hand.
Well, I think it’s a mistake to suggest that the character of one person is supposed to represent the entirely of Christian religion in a science fiction mileu. Perhaps Book told Mal what he did because he knew that before the captain could believe in God, he had to learn how to believe. Perhaps some off-camera history had Book and Mal discussing religion and the Shepherd learning things about Mal’s religious beliefs that made his parting words mean something in particular.
You might note that we can’t judge things based on that; we can judge only based on the show we have. I would agree, and that’s why I think it’s difficult to look at the character of Shepherd Book and glean from him much about anything other than the character of Derrial (with an “l” rather than an “n”) Book. Generalities — “Whedon suggests religion survives when it’s without much content,” or, “Whedon shows he doesn’t like religion because a religious character responds negatively in a certain situation” — are much less warranted. Especially since “Out of Gas” was written by Tim Minear and directed by David Solomon.
The most I could go for is, “An atheist writer didn’t do half-badly at creating a religious character in his TV show but showed he was outside his comfort zone when he tried to explore and explain what that character might really believe.”
Not just an atheist writer creating a religious character, but an atheist writer creating a Christian pastor portrayed by a Buddhist actor. Book’s violent past coupled with his struggle for a peaceful future (one which echoes Mal’s own arch) makes him one of the most compelling characters on Firefly.
An interesting thesis, and one related to the work I am presently co-editing with James Ryan Parker and Tony Mills, an anthology volume titled Joss Whedon and Religion, currently under contract with McFarland.
That Whedon is self-admittedly an atheist, and his material not inherently religious need not detract from it becoming or functioning as a religious or spiritual or sacred mythology (http://www.theofantastique.com/2011/11/02/religion-and-science-fiction-interview-with-james-mcgrath/). This has happened with Star Trek (http://www.theofantastique.com/2010/02/14/star-trek-fandom-as-a-religious-phenomenon/), and in some cases science fiction has become the basis for new religions or hyper-real/fiction-based spiritualities such as Matrixism (http://www.theofantastique.com/2007/10/31/adam-possamai-jediism-matrixism-and-hyper-real-spiritualities/).
Keep up the good work at the intersection of theology and science fiction.
I once heard that all of the characters in Mal’s ship represent a piece of him that he has lost. If Shepherd represents that ‘religious’ aspect of Mal – what do his words and death say about where religion in Mal’s life was, or is meant to go? Maybe viewing from that angle can help you through the question of – ‘when does religion stop being religious?’ As in, when does a person lose their sense of religion – and does it ever go away (or ever stop being religious)? I think that might be an easier comparison than looking at cultural/religious tensions from the 50s onward.
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Religious practice is clearly alive and well in Whedon’s ‘verse. In the first episode, we see Mal holding a rosary at the Battle of Serenity (which he drops when the Alliance starts their bombing raid), Shepard Book constantly refers to the rules of his order and is seen providing burial services for the dead in “Bushwhacked.” These practices also point to a belief in the Christian God — that these practices actually serve some function. What makes Book an interesting character is that he is also very human. As he slowly dies, his advice is not of a pastor to a congregant, but of a man to his friend. This lone scene from Serenity, moving though it is, should not be taken out to the context of Book’s actions throughout Firefly as a whole.