List of religious ideas in science fiction

Science fiction often portrays real religions being exported to alien planets

Science fiction will sometimes address the topic of religion. Often religious themes are used to convey a broader message, but others confront the subject head-on—contemplating, for example, how attitudes towards faith might shift in the wake of ever-advancing technological progress, or offering creative scientific explanations for the apparently mystical events related in religious texts (gods as aliens, prophets as time travelers, etc.). As an exploratory medium, science fiction rarely takes religion at face value by simply accepting or rejecting it; when religious themes are presented, they tend to be investigated deeply.

Some science fiction works portray invented religions, either placed into a contemporary Earth society (such as the Earthseed religion in Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower), or in the far future (as seen in Dune by Frank Herbert, with its Orange Catholic Bible). Other works examine the role of existing religions in a futuristic or alternate society. The classic Canticle for Leibowitz explores a world in which Catholicism is one of the few institutions to survive an apocalypse, and chronicles its slow re-achievement of prominence as civilisation returns.

Christian science fiction also exists,[1] sometimes written as allegory for inspirational purposes.[2]

Orson Scott Card has criticized the genre for oversimplifying religion, which he claims is always shown as "ridiculous and false".[3]

Afterlife

See also: Afterlife

Angels

Creation myths

See also: Creation myth and Cosmogony

Demons

Devil

Eschatology and the ultimate fate of the universe

See also: Eschatology, Ultimate fate of the universe, and Category:End of the Universe in fiction

Evangelism

See also: Evangelism

Fictional religions

God or deities

Heaven and paradise

Elizabeth Shaw: Before that thing ripped your head off, what did he say, David?
David (AI): "Thing;" Dr. Shaw? Not too long ago, you considered them gods.
Elizabeth Shaw: God never tried to kill me. So... what did he say? Where did he come from?
David: There is no direct translation, but... Several of your ancient cultures had a word similar to it... "Paradise"

When David asks her what she hopes to achieve by going there she tells him that she wants to know why the aliens (the "Engineers") created humanity and why they later intended to destroy them.

Hell

Jesus

See also: Jesus
"Give us Barabbas!" Were they all tourists? (from The Bible and its Story Taught by One Thousand Picture Lessons, 1910)

Judaism

See also: Judaism

Logos

See also: Logos

Messianism

See also: Messianism

Millennialism and Millenarianism

Missionarism

See also: Missionary

Original sin

See also: Original sin

Pope

See also: Pope

Penance

See also: Penance

Reincarnation

Star of Bethlehem

Theocracy

Depictions of a fictional society dominated by a theocracy are a recurring theme in science fiction. Such depictions are mostly dystopian, in some cases humorous or satirical and rarely positive.

See also

References

  1. Mort, John (2002). Christian Fiction: a Guide to the genre. Libraries Unlimited. pp. 159–184. ISBN 1-56308-871-1.
  2. Sammons, Martha C. (1988). "A Better Country": The Worlds of Religious Fantasy and Science Fiction. Greenwood Press. p. 21. ISBN 0-313-25746-9.
  3. "On Religion in SF and Fantasy: An Interview with Orson Scott Card"; Writing World online
  4. Doctor: "Serve you, Sutekh? Your name is abominated in every civilized world, whether that name be Set, Satan, Sodos..."
  5. 1 2 UBIK Explained, sort of Tessa Dick, It's a Philip K. Dick World, December 4, 2008
  6. 1 2 Fitting, Peter (March 1975). "Ubik: The Deconstruction of Bourgeois SF". depauw.edu. Science Fiction Studies. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  7. Fitting, Peter (March 1975). "Ubik: The Deconstruction of Bourgeois SF". depauw.edu. Retrieved 28 June 2015. I am Ubik. Before the universe was, I am. I made the suns. I made the worlds. I created the lives and the places they inhabit; I move them here, I put them there. They go as I say, they do as I tell them. I am the word and my name is never spoken, the name which no one knows. I am called Ubik, but that is not my name. I am. I shall always be.
  8. Questions about God and Paradise Lost (Source Quotes)
  9. 1 2 Quote from the alternate scene: David: Dr. Shaw! Over here!
    Elizabeth Shaw: Where is my cross?
    David: The pouch in my utility belt...the other pouch.
    ...even after all this...you still believe, don't you?
    Elizabeth Shaw: You said you could figure out their navigation....use their maps.
    David: Yes, of course. Once we get to one of their other ships...finding a path to Earth should be relatively straightforward
    Elizabeth Shaw: I don't want to go back to where we came from...I want to go where they came from...I want to go to paradise. You think you can do that, David?
    David: Yes. I believe I can. May I ask what you hope to achieve by going there?
    Elizabeth Shaw: They created us. And they tried to kill us. They changed their minds. I deserve to know why.
    David: Does it matter why they changed their minds?
    Elizabeth Shaw: Heh. Yeah...yes, it does.
    David: I don't understand.
    Elizabeth Shaw: Well, I guess that's because I'm a human being...and you're a fucking robot. Do you mind?
    David: Mind?
  10. "Prometheus Quotes: Striking Concept". Retrieved 5 August 2015. [on the ship, Prometheus, David checks on the crew who are in hypersleep, he gazes upon Shaw and sees what she's dreaming of, which is from her childhood when she is with her father in a foreign land looking at a funeral procession]
    Young Shaw: What happened to that man?
    Shaw's Father: He died.
    Young Shaw: Why aren't you helping them?
    Shaw's Father: They don't want my help. They're God's different than ours.
    Young Shaw: Why did he die?
    Shaw's Father: Sooner or later everyone does.
    Young Shaw: Like mommy?
    Shaw's Father: Like mommy.
    Young Shaw: Where do they go?
    Shaw's Father: Everyone has their own word; heaven, paradise. Whatever it's called, it's someplace beautiful.
    Young Shaw: How do you know it's beautiful?
    Shaw's Father: Cause that's what I choose to believe. What do you believe, darling?
  11. "Prometheus: A look at the deleted scenes". 9 October 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  12. "A Modern Utopia," Chapter 9
  13. Note: The Didymus of the title is the Apostle Saint Thomas, whose initial skepticism of the resurrection earned him the title "Doubting Thomas".
  14. Note: The book, written in 1997, was adapted into a television movie called Das Jesus Video in 2002. The film was released in English under the title The Hunt for the Hidden Relic (or Hidden Relic).
  15. Silverberg, Robert (1971). "Good News from the Vatican". In Carr, Terry. Universe 1. Ace Books. pp. 41–52.
  16. "1943: Gather, Darkness! By Fritz Leiber". SciFi Scentury. 19 July 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  17. 1 2 Klein, Sabrina; Tomlinson, Patrick S.; Genesse, Paul. Eighth Day Genesis: A Worldbuilding Codex for Writers and Creatives. p. 245. ISBN 9780985825409. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  18. "The Stork Factor". orielisbooks.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  19. Chorost, Michael. Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human. p. 179. ISBN 9780618378296. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  20. Wagner, Thomas M. "Noninterference - Review". sfreviews.net. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  21. "SYNOPSIS - VOYAGERS IV: THE RETURN". benbova.com. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  22. Rodden, John. George Orwell: The Politics of Literary Reputation. p. 443. ISBN 978-0765808967. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  23. Orwell, George. "1984". Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  24. George Orwell, "The Prevention of Literature", Polemic (January 1946)
  25. Wolfe, Gary K. Evaporating Genres: Essays on Fantastic Literature. ISBN 978-0819569370. In Merle’s MaleviI, following the holocaust of nuclear chain-reactions, the rationalistic communal life of Malevil castle under the direction of Emmanuel Comte comes into conflict with an oppressive theocracy imposed on a neighboring village by the hypocritical false priest Fulbert le Naud. The ensuing struggle for supremacy not only validates the humanism of Malevil’s system, but also indirectly validates the need for technology, since the struggle convinces the inhabitants of Malevil that they must begin research into the reinvention of weapons in order to protect their interests and values—despite their acute awareness of what the technology of weaponry can ultimately lead to.
  26. Religion and American Cultures: Tradition, Diversity, and Popular Expression. p. 1143. Retrieved 22 August 2015.

Further reading

External links

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