As both a geek and a Christian, I'm a member of two groups that catch a lot of flack from people on the outside. Mundanes don't get fandom. They mock us. I'm a guy with a book review blog. I work full time. I have my own place. I still get mocked for being unemployed and living in my mom's basement. And, of course, being a Christian means constant belittlement for being a hater of this, that the other thing, not having a sense of humor, thinking sex is evil...
I could go on.
It gets worse if you're both a Christian and a geek. Seriously. There are Christians still stuck in the Satanic Panic of the Eighties who will freak out if you tell them you play D+D. There are geeks who will reject you if they find out you love Jesus. It can be a tough row to hoe to be both a fan and a Christian. As a member of two groups when some members of both reject members of the other, life can be a bit rough sometimes. I finally found something that bridges the two worlds though, and that makes me happy.
At any rate, the point here is that it's always nice to be around someone who gets what you get, who loves what you love and can relate to what you're about. If you've ever been to a con or even to a gaming shop (if you're a gamer, anyway) you know what I mean. If you've ever heard what a bunch of assholes Christians are from someone who thinks that Westboro Baptist Church represents all of us, then walked into a loving and warm church on Sunday, then you know what I mean.
If you've ever loved both Fandom and Jesus and you've read Faith and Fandom: Finding God In Sci-Fi, Superheroes and Video Games then you get the feeling that I'm talking about. It's weird. I've read a lot of books in my time. I've loved most of them. I've shared my thoughts about them with anyone I could get to listed (and, quite possibly, a few that didn't want to). I've never cracked open a book that made me feel this at home before. Seriously, if you're like me and you can open this and not feel something while reading this bad boy you need to get your pulse checked.
The book is a collection of essays comparing various aspects of geek culture with lessons from the Bible. It's a way of thinking about Life, The Universe and Everything that I hadn't previously contemplated. It makes sense though, if you get the references. Don't get me wrong. I'm not necessarily recommending Faith and Fandom to that guy that mocks you for your comics collections. I am, however, recommending it to you if you have a comics collection.
The essays themselves are amazing.
The first one compares the destructive power of the Hulk's rage to the destructive power of sin. I love this one. Sometimes, as Christians, we think we can do something we know is wrong and it won't hurt anything. It's not true. This essay tells us why. As much as I liked this essay though, I'm not sure I would've put it first. If it's someone's first time through a book exploring Christian themes and I was editing it, I probably would have started the book with something a little more positive and welcoming. Just my two cents. Read it though, because you need to.
Chapter Two covers the power of redemption and the fact that we can never totally overcome sin. It also talks of how we don't have to earn God's love. This is a good one.
Chapter Three is the story of Superman and how he came to Earth to save it. That sounds like someone else we know, doesn't it Christians?
Chapter Four is about receiving power. It covers characters like Shazam and Spider Man. It also mentions the power of the Word. I needed this the day I read it. I was having a rough time dealing with some things. I was glad God dropped this in my lap at just the right time.
Chapter Five is about Green Lantern rings and Christian virtues. I loved this one, but I'm a GL fan for life, so that may have actually been a gimme.
Chapter Six is all about Iron Man and the Armor of God. I like this one. We all know that Tony Stark is a LOOOOONG way from being a perfect Christian (or even a Christian at all) but redemption is possible and there are things we can learn here. There is also a definition of what that armor is constituted of.
Chapter Seven: This one is all about the importance of Christian fellowship ala The Justice League and the Avengers. I wish we had more geeks in my small group at church. I think this would be a good essay to discuss one week.
Chapter 8: Great Power, Great Responsibility. Not just Spider-Man but Christians and the power of the Word.
Chapter 9: River Tam, Firefly and the need to tell the truth to everyone. 'Nuff said.
Chapter 10: Shepherd Book and not isolating yourself in a Christian bubble. You can't share the good news with someone who already knows what it is.
Chapter 11: Captain Mal and loss or questioning of faith. We've all had those moments. What can we do about them?
Chapter 12: Doctor Who and the concept of eternity. This was a strange one for me. I can't grasp eternity per se, but I always figured God would clue me in when I needed to know.
Chapter 13: River Song, sacrifices for the Doctor and sacrifices for Christ. Good stuff.
Chapter 14: Battlestar Galactica, being lost and using the Word to find your way.
Chapter 15: Amy, Rory, the Doctor and patience with God and from God. This is an important one for those of us who expect to get what we ask God for immediately.
Chapter 16: Walter White from Breaking Bad and the importance of making the right choices. Also, the harm that comes from making the wrong ones.
Chapter 17: Mario, Link and the need to keep seeking Christ. Good essay. Gimme some feeted pajamas and a bowl of sugary cereal and it would be even better, but maybe I'm showing my age there.
Chapter 18: The NES controller and taking control of your own life. This one is pretty profound.
Chapter 19: Batman: Arkham Asylum and being defined by our enemies. But it's not just that. It's about blessing our enemies, the way scripture tells us to. This is a well thought out essay that didn't go the way I expected it to. Take a bow.
Chapter 20: Halo, the team concept and the importance of loving your friends and helping them out. Powerful stuff.
Chapter 21: Fable III: The importance of making the right choices, even when doing so is hard.
Chapter 22: Grand Theft Auto and the importance of hitting the right goals as Christians. This is a good message. It's something we all need to take to heart. And he's right, it would be right if we got a visible rating at the end of every day.
... and that's all of the chapters. I didn't know how to review this one without giving it the anthology treatment.
A few final thoughts: This is a really good book. It's an easy read and it's not real long, so you can get value from it quickly and then move along. It's also the first in a series of (currently, there may be more coming... maybe) six books. The blurb on Amazon says that the books can be read in any order but I plan on reading them in publication order because Jimbo. I'm guessing they'll all be worth the time.
My one problem with Faith and Fandom Volume One is that it needs some editing. I know that's a common complaint about independently published books. Usually, I don't see the need. Here, I think some help would have been nice. On the other hand, the message is good, the chapters are entertaining and I've already purchased the next one in the series, so I guess it didn't kill the experience for me.
Bottom Line: 4.5 out of 5 Crosses
Faith and Fandom: Finding God In Sci-Fi, Superheroes & Video Games
Rev. Hector E Miray
Createspace, 2014
Faith and Fandom: Finding God In Sci-Fi, Superheroes & Video Games is available for purchase at the following link:
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