His Dark Materials

[xDrewX]

Hi
I started reading these books The Golden Compass,The Subtle Knife,The Amber Spyglass. When I was done I saw some parts seemed a bit anti-christian like the parts where the wage war on heaven. So my question do you think that these books are anti-christian or not.

Thanks for your time.

 

[crishmael]

I have not personally read the books, but this is just some info I found.The wikipedia article on His Dark Materials (sorry, can't post link) about the books has a quote from the author, Philip Pullman, where he said:

"I've been surprised by how little criticism I've got. Harry Potter's been taking all the flak... Meanwhile, I've been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God"

So I suppose if that was his intention, then I guess the books would be anti-Christian. However, whether one should read the books or not is not for me to decide.

 

[Isambard]

I think it depends more on how you view God. The Church (of the book) and The Authority/God, is merely a reflection of Christianity's past. Now if you feel that the past actions were/contrary to "christian teachings" (however differently you choose to define it), then I cant see why it would be considered anti-Christian.

 

[decadent]

Hi
I started reading these books The Golden Compass,The Subtle Knife,The Amber Spyglass. When I was done I saw some parts seemed a bit anti-christian like the parts where the wage war on heaven. So my question do you think that these books are anti-christian or not.

The author, Philip Pullman, is an atheist and certainly intended the books to convey some anti-Christian sentiment. It said so directly on his website, back when the Golden Compass movie came out.

I'm a Christian, and I have read and enjoyed the entire series. For me, it wasn't as much fun as Harry Potter, which has also been heavily criticized as anti-Christian (I disagree) but the books were good. Yes, there were parts where God was being attacked and the church (the Catholic church, it seemed) was described as corrupt, aged and crumbling. Since it's fiction, it doesn't affect me in the least. I read the stories as stories, not as fact, so they didn't bother me at all. Besides, it is a fact that all religion will have some corruption, since religion is run by fallible human beings. That's really why many people advise looking beyond religion or a church, and just having a relationship with God, however it's defined.

 

[xDrewX]

Thanks for all your posts ,they helped alot. If you look at these books in a worldly point of view, they are really good. Its just that after I was done reading it made me doubt God for a second,and that really scared me. So I think that these books are a tiny bit anti-christian, but I guess it depends on yourr point of view.

 

[S.gal83]

I enjoyed the book. It is a bit anti-christian, but since it is merely fiction, that should not affect anyone much.

 

[Nooj]

At the end of the day, it's just a book if that's all you want it to be.

Pullman may be an atheist, but he seems to have been pushing a pantheistic perspective in the books with Dust.

 

[lovinjesus808]

I read and enjoyed these book. There were some good sci-fi ideas it it (creatures that have evolved to travel on wheels). They are definitely anti-Christian.

 

[Speculative]

The author, Philip Pullman, is an atheist and certainly intended the books to convey some anti-Christian sentiment. It said so directly on his website, back when the Golden Compass movie came out.

I'm a Christian, and I have read and enjoyed the entire series. For me, it wasn't as much fun as Harry Potter, which has also been heavily criticized as anti-Christian (I disagree) but the books were good. Yes, there were parts where God was being attacked and the church (the Catholic church, it seemed) was described as corrupt, aged and crumbling. Since it's fiction, it doesn't affect me in the least. I read the stories as stories, not as fact, so they didn't bother me at all. Besides, it is a fact that all religion will have some corruption, since religion is run by fallible human beings. That's really why many people advise looking beyond religion or a church, and just having a relationship with God, however it's defined.

IAWTP.

 

[firechild]

I read and loved these books for a long time. They were what first nudged me to explore world religions and philosophies to find out for myself what I believed. Obviously, I realised i did truly believe in Christianity, but the search helped me re-define that belief and look into deeper theological questions than I previously had.

I agree that Pullman is suggesting pantheism with Dust and reflects recent research into mysterious sub-atomic particles.

I don't think books having a non-(to-anti-)Christian outlook and putting a seed of doubt in someone's mind means they are bad or you shouldn't read them. For me the seed of doubt helped me eventually strengthen my faith.

 

[kitty.lover]

I know Phil Pullman is no fan of the church as an institution. The way i understood the final book the war freed God from the contraints of institutionalised religion rather than an attack on faith itself.Only my opinion xoxo

 

[Wicked Willow]

Maybe we should also mention that the god who gets attacked in these novels isn't actually THE God, but pretty much of an evil usurper from the ranks of the angels: a dictator who seizes control, erecting a regime of terror and proclaiming himself Lord of the Universe. As such, he's much closer to Christian notions of Lucifer/Satan.

Pullman is vehemently opposed to the authoritarian (or even totalitarian) aspects that pervaded some prominent factions of Christianity in the past, and still persist in some distinct groups.

 

[Godstone]

Philip Pullman hates christianity. Look at his new book.

 

[Godstone]

Quote:

Philip Pullman: 'If there is a God,' he tells Helena de Bertodano, 'then he deserves to be put down and rebelled against'