Religion and Science Fiction explores the intersection between two topics that until recently seemed light-years apart. Both religion and science fiction tell stories that reflect on the place of human beings in the universe, good vs. evil, humanity's future, and at times about the very nature of existence itself. We need not look very far in order to encounter the point of intersection, where on the one hand science fiction takes on religious overtones, and where on the other hand religion takes on an aura of science fiction.

This volume acts as a guide to issues encountered in religion and science fiction, bridging the gap between different works of science fiction, different sub-genres and different themes, creating a multi-disciplinary approach to the subject with theologians, historians, philologists and anthropologists. From Frankenstein, by way of Christian apocalyptic, to Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica, the authors who contribute to this volume promote religion and science fiction as multifaceted and multicultural phenomena.

James F. McGrath has created an excellent introduction to academic perspectives on the subject, but of interest and readily accessible to the general reader.

List of Contributors

Introduction: Religion and Science Fiction / James F. McGrath

1. The Dark Dreamlife of Postmodern Theology: Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children,
     and Alien Resurrection / Joyce Janca-Aji
2. Sorcerers and Supermen: Old Mythologies in New Guises / C.K. Robertson
3. Star Trekking in China: Science Fiction as Theodicy in Contemporary China
     / Eriberto P. Lozada Jr.
4. Science Playing God / Alison Bright MacWilliams
5. Looking Out for No. 1: Concepts of Good and Evil in Star Trek and The Prisoner
      / Elizabeth Danna
6. Robots, Rights, and Religion / James F. McGrath
7. Angels, Echthroi, and Celestial Music in the Adolescent Science Fiction
     of Madeleine L'Engle / Gregory Pepetone
8. Uncovering Embedded Theology in Science Fiction Films: K-PAX Revealed
     / Teresa Blythe

Bibliography
Index of Scripture
Index of Subjects
Index of Names

   Introduction: Religion and Science Fiction » (PDF, 96 KB)
   Chapter 4: Science Playing God » (PDF, 143 KB)

James F. McGrath is Associate Professor of Religion and the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University, Indianapolis. He is the author of John's Apologetic Christology (2001) and The Only True God (2009).

   List of Contributors » (PDF, 68 KB)

"Religion and Science Fiction is a blessing to scholars and science fiction fans alike. The ideas engaged by each author – from postmodern post-apocalypticism to dime store heroes and space-faring robots – challenge our assumptions about culture, intellectual life, and even the very essence of what it means to be human. The authors use science fiction to explore religion and religion to elucidate science fiction; this combination gives us a richer understanding of both."
Robert M. Geraci, author of Apocalyptic AI: Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual Reality

"The editor succeeds in presenting a treatment in which diverse topics are taken into account."
Alessandro Giostra, in Reviews in Religion & Theology, Vol 20, Issue 2