Joss Whedon and Religion : Essays on an Angry Atheist's Explorations of the Sacred

This Collection Of Essays On The Religious Themes In, And The Implications Of, The Works Of Joss Whedon Addresses Such Topics As Ethics, Racism, Feminism, Politics, Spiritual Transformation, Witchcraft, Identity, Community, Heroism, Apocalypse, And Others. The Disciplinary Approaches Vary As Well; History, Theology, Philosophy Of Religion, Phenomenology, Cultural Studies, And Religious Studies Are All Employed In Different Ways-- Varieties Of Conversion: Spiritual Transformation In The Buffyverse / Jeremy R. Ricketts -- The Harrowing Of Hell: Anne And The Greek Paschal Tradition In Conversation / Hope K. Bartel And Timothy E. G. Bartel -- Mary And Buffy Walk Into A Bar: The Virgin Deity And Buffy The Vampire Slayer / Valerie Mayhew -- Oh ... My ... Goddess: Witchcraft, Magick, And Thealogy In Buffy The Vampire Slayer / Jason Lawton Winslade -- Apocalypse Now And Again: The Apocalyptic Paradigm And The Meaning Of Life And (un)death In Buffy The Vampire Slayer / Roslyn Weaver -- Who's Afraid Of The Big, Black Wolf? Racial Identity And The Irrationality Of Religious Belief In Firefly And Serenity / Desire De Jesus -- You're Welcome On My Boat, God Ain't: Ethical Foundations In The Whedonverse / Dean A. Kowalski -- Actives, Affectivity, And The Soul: Interpreting Dollhouse Through The Phenomenology Of Michel Henry / J. Leavitt Pearl -- Just To Love And Be Loved In Return: Identity And Love In The Dollhouse / Julie Clawson -- There's No Place I Can Be: Whedon, Augustine, And The Earthly City / Susanne E. Foster And James B. South -- To Assemble Or To Shrug? Power, Responsibility, And Sacrifice In Marvel's The Avengers / Russell W. Dalton -- National Treasures: Joss Whedon's Assembling Of Exceptional Avengers / John C. Mcdowell -- As It Ever Was ... So Shall It Never Be: Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theory And Violence In The Cabin In The Woods / J. Ryan Parker -- I'm Sorry I ... Ended The World: Eschatology, Nihilism, And Hope In The Cabin In The Woods / W. Scott Poole. Edited By Anthony R. Mills, John W. Morehead And J. Ryan Parker ; Foreword By K. Dale Koontz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. An anthology of essays on the religious themes in and implications of the works of Joss Whedon, creator of such shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, and more recently writer and director of the box-office hit Marvel's The Avengers. The book flows chronologically and addresses such topics as ethics, racism, feminism, politics, spiritual transformation, witchcraft, identity, community, heroism, apocalypse, and other religiously and theologically significant themes of Whedon's creative enterprises. The disciplinary approaches vary as well; history, theology, philosophy of religion, phenomenology, cultural studies, and religious studies are all employed in different ways. The existential faith commitments of the authors are also different. Some are clearly believers in God, some are clearly not, and others leave that matter aside altogether in their analyses. This is a collection of new essays on the religious themes in, and the implications of, the works of Joss Whedon, creator of such shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, and more recently writer and director of the box-office hit Marvel's The Avengers. The book addresses such topics as ethics, racism, feminism, politics, witchcraft, spiritual transformation, identity, community, heroism, apocalypse, and other theologically significant themes of Whedon's creative enterprises. The disciplinary approaches vary as well; history, theology, philosophy of religion, phenom­enology, cultural studies, and religious studies are all employed. The various essay authors differ in that some are clearly believers in God, some are clearly not, and others leave that matter aside.