The Book of Homer: Finding God on TV

By: Joey Butler

The FOX sitcom That '70s Show features a character named Pastor Dave, an out-of-touch clergyman who tries to bond with the youth by citing pop culture references he obviously doesn't understand, like comparing Eric Clapton to Jesus. The kids see right through it and tune him out.

Today, church leaders are better at reaching youth. One result is creative worship leaders who glean biblical and moral lessons from the most unlikely places.

A recent wave of Gospel According To… books analyzes the spirituality of fictional characters from Mickey Mouse and Andy Griffith to Homer Simpson and Tony Soprano.

That's quite a bold step, as organized religion is often criticized for either virtually ignoring secular culture or condemning it. Author David Dark says, "It's as if such religious faith has no greater calling than counting bad words, spotting the sexual innuendo and walking away in a loud, well-publicized huff."

However, the Rev. John Fleming, pastor of Henrietta (Texas) Church was quoted in a Time Magazine article about the Christian backlash to the Harry Potter phenomenon: "We're missing something if we can't tell stories from the Bible as compelling as Harry Potter."

Sparked by Robert L. Short's groundbreaking 1965 book The Gospel According to Peanuts, religion writers looked for moral lessons in other popular works, many more controversial than the fairly benign comic strip.

One of the more popular is Mark Pinsky's The Gospel According to The Simpsons, an analysis of the long-running animated sitcom. Pinsky reveals a surprising depth of religious content in the show, which includes references to spirituality in about 70 percent of its episodes.

In the show, neighbor Ned Flanders, an evangelical Christian, ignores continued ridicule and constantly exhibits his faith. "He tries to live his evangelical Christian faith in all aspects of his life, and he is not a hypocrite," says Pinsky. "Whatever scorn Homer heaps on him, Flanders returns with love."

Despite being skeptical of Western religion—she's a recently converted Buddhist—daughter Lisa Simpson embodies the social justice aspects of Christianity. She defends the poor and powerless, reveres all forms of life and the environment, speaks up for human rights and won't back down.

Two wildly popular literary works that have received praise from religious circles for their portrayals of good vs. evil — and scorn for their characters' use of magic — are the Harry Potter series and Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Among the numerous theological books about Potter and LOTR are Ralph C. Wood's The Gospel According to Tolkien, Matthew Dickerson's Following Gandalf and Connie Neal's The Gospel According to Harry Potter. Each author finds several areas where moral lessons can be taught. In particular, two powerful wizards — Potter's Albus Dumbledore and LOTR's Gandalf — mirror one another in wisdom and a sense of right and wrong. They both practice acts of grace and mercy, sparing the lives of those who have betrayed them.

The most obvious Christian theme is the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead. He received it on the night an evil wizard murdered his parents. His mother sacrificed herself protecting Harry, and her love protected him from an attempt to kill him, repelling the spell but leaving a scar. In the same way the cross reminds Christians of Jesus' sacrifice, Harry's scar reminds him of his mother's sacrifice.

Another interesting source of religious themes is revealed in James W. Kemp's The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss. Kemp, a retired United Methodist pastor, cites Dr. Seuss as his favorite theologian. It might seem an odd choice until you read the parallels Kemp draws between 1 Peter and Horton Hatches the Egg (staying faithful despite persecution), the prophet Ezekiel and Green Eggs and Ham (persistence in the face of opposition), and Zacchaeus and the Grinch (learning to love even the most unlovable among us).

The Seuss and Potter books both make strong statements against bigotry and racial hatred.

Other television shows also fall under the analytical eye of theologians. Bible studies have been written around shows like The Beverly Hillbillies, The Brady Bunch, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bonanza and I Love Lucy.

In the leader's guide to The Gospel According to The Simpsons, Mark Pinsky writes, "I'm of two minds on the intermingling of faith and entertainment. On one hand, resorting to such lowest-common-denominator vehicles has the aroma of desperation on the part of organized religion. Yet, undeniably, popular culture appears successful as a reference point in drawing in, on its level, many of the 'unchurched.'"

The popularity of running pop culture icons through the "religion scope" shows no signs of slowing. Now that they know where to look, interested readers, viewers and seekers will probably find even more unlikely sources from which to draw a spiritual message… though I wouldn't hold my breath for The Gospel According to South Park.

Joey Butler is associate editor of Interpreter.