Visit Christianity Today for a great article on ”The Golden Compass.”
Despite being sold for over ten years Phillip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy has gained controversy over the past few months in anticipation of the theatrical release of “The Golden Compass” (Dec. 7). Many Christian groups have protested and warned the Christian public of the anti-Christian beliefs in all three books. So what should a parent or a child do? The movie will likely be a popular family event and the books will of course seem to make a great gift for sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters. Fantasy has continued to be a popular medium in world society with the “Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter” series and the most closely related Christian-fantasy, “The Chronicles of Narnia” – so can this latest fantasy offering be any better or worse than the violence of “Rings, ” the magic of “Potter,” or the mythology of “Narnia?” Well, most likely a little worse.
Pullman’s books combine Christian theology and history with mythology, gnostic legend and beliefs, vengeful atheist ideas, an end of innocence plot, and even particle physics. Why not? Our modern popular media is full of stories that can combine myth, legend, science, and religion and create a whole new world of what-ifs. It makes for great reading and sometimes even makes you think. Good for it. I am loathe to take someone’s word that something is bad or dangerous reading without reviewing it myself. So I have read the first and second books of the 3-part series and found them to be creative and interesting fantasy novels. On that notion I’m not alone, Pullman has won numerous awards for the fantasy series and sold many copies (not to mention the movie coming out this week).
However, Christians (especially Christian parents) should be aware that the books do not look kindly on religion. The “religion” in the book is esentially 80% science and 20% spirituality (although I believe Pullman would argue that it’s 100% science). The books descibe the other-dimensional world ruled by the Church or Magisterium. The church of this world is a medieval-like religious government bent of controlling everyone and decidedly greedy and evil that would even destroy its own children to further its cause. The Catholic church is specifically named as the church in “The Golden Compass.” God is sought to be destroyed as God is not actually God according to the story but actually just the first created being who in turn told everyone else after him that he was God (which is not revealed until book three). Christian children may or may not grasp all the abstract ideas floating here and there throughout the books. Likely only more mature youth and adults will be greatly affected by the books ideas about Adam and Eve, good vs. evil, God as divinity or God as nothing, and the nature of the soul. Younger children may take some parts of the book as fact which should worry most parents. Toward the very end of “Golden Compass,” Lyra, the main character, is asked to retrieve a Bible by her father. The two re-read the Genesis story of Eve tempted by the serpent and we are told that when she eats of the fruit she will be filled with wisdom and knowledge. Ok - check, that’s in the Bible but it goes on to suggest that her daemon will then take on a permanent shape. Daemon, huh? Where’s that in the Bible. Throughout the novels humans have a daemon/soul that takes on the form of an animal. Until puberty, that animal changes shape but when adolescence begins the daemon takes on a permanent shape. The point is that the Christian Bible says nothing of daemons (another word for demon by the way) and kids may take the fantasy retelling as… dare I say… gospel. The worlds of these books are in fact mostly told in other worlds. Or in other words, they are similar to our world but not quite the same. A convenient way to re-interpret scripture and pass it off as actual scripture.
Pullman is a self-professed atheist of Church of England upbringing and claims his books are nothing more than stories he hopes people find interesting. I doubt he really believes this and that he really has no other agenda in this modern fairy tale. What does he think of older works of fantasy that he is often compared to? He has been widely quoted as essentially hating the fantasy novels of Tolkein and Lewis (who were both devout Christians). If you are a parent make sure you read the books along with your son or daughter and talk about what you read. What did you find confusing, good, bad, exciting, troublesome? A good book should inspire conversation. These books are not for everyone and some parents will simply not want their children reading books with anti-God ideals. At the same time every parent needs to ask am I teaching Christian doctrines at home or merely trying to ward off the evils of the world? We can fight the Pullman novels and then let our kids watch and listen to equally harmful things on television, music and video games. Sadly it will never end so as the song goes, “teach the children well.”
PS- The movie is getting less flack as the Magisterium is never referred to as the Church throughout the film. However, if the film does well and spawns the next two books into movies it will be impossible to not irritate Christians over a plot that seeks to kill God.
You wouldn’t think summer would be near looking out the window today or stepping out into the cold but it will come soon enough. Registration for SALT and Cave Camp has been slightly delayed as we put finishing touches on a number of details. Look for registration to begin the middle of January (or a week or so after we return from break).
