RELIGION IN SCIENCE FICTION  -  INTRODUCTION

 

Welcome to the home page of the Religion and Science Fiction course at Butler University. Below you will find links to web resources that you should find useful.

 

INTRODUCTORY/GENERAL RESOURCES

Syllabus

Definitions of Science Fiction  

Aslan's Kin: Interfaith Religion and Science Fiction

Adherents

Science Fiction Studies

Science Fiction Literature In Antiquity

Fan Religions

Marti J. Steussy, "Why I Write Science Fiction"

Adrian Warsfold, "The task of theologians as we enter the 21st century"

Journal of Religion and Film

Worlds Without Number: LDS & Sci-Fi

Textweek: Movie Scene Concordance

The World of 2088

 

HUMAN RELIGIONS AND EXTRATERRESTRIALS

 

MARY DORIA RUSSELL - THE SPARROW & CHILDREN OF GOD

Mary Doria Russell

Metanexus Interview

 

ROBERT J. SAWYER - CALCULATING GOD

Robert J. Sawyer Web Site    Calculating God

Robert J. Sawyer

Sci-Fi Weekly Interview with Robert J. Sawyer

 

STAR TREK

The Real Star Trek Theology: Gene Roddenbury's Pantheism

Religious Belief in Star Trek

Dr. Raymond Nighan's Star Trek Page

The Klingon Ecumenical Alliance

Bajoran Religion and Culture

The Bajoran People of Star Trek

In the Hands of the Prophets (Keiko's Secular Teaching)

Kahless the Unforgettable

Barge of the Dead

The Humanist Philosophy of Star Trek (CRIJ)

The Philosophy of Star Trek

Star Trek Studies Online

The Klingon Language Institute

Klingon (Yamada Language Center)

The Computer Core Dump

Universal Philosophies

 

STAR WARS

Andrew Gordon, "Star Wars: A Myth For Our Time"

John Lyden, "The Apocalyptic Cosmology of Star Wars"

Jenny Hettenbach, "Star Wars and Religion"

Joel H. Linton, "Star Wars and the Goals of Mankind" (Columbia Standard)

Star Wars: Our Public Religion (USA Today)

Star Wars as Modern Myth Metaphor (IslamOnLine)

Star Wars Brings Pop Spirituality To Life

Star Wars: The Religion

Shytei Shen, "Eastern Thought, Monotheism and the Force"

Star Wars Origins

Spirituality of Star Wars (Faith & Values)

Rod Bennett, "Cracking the Star Wars Code"

Rob Wynne, "The Peculiar Religion of Star Wars"

Steve Rabey, "Star Wars Ressurrects the Cosmic Conflict Between Good & Evil"

Zen and the Art of Being Jedi

Priya Chhaya, "Star Wars and the Force"

Terry Mattingly, "The Star Wars Nativity Story"

Terry Mattingly, "Star Wars, the Force, and God"

Paul Flesher, "The New Christ of Star Wars"

Muriel Verbeeck, "The Star Wars Religion"

The Naming of Jedi

 

CONTACT

Bryan P. Stone, "Religious Faith and Science in Contact"

Ray Bohlin, "Contact: A Eulogy to Carl Sagan"

Scott Detweiler, "Carl Sagan's Religion of Science"

Carl Sagan - Quotes on Religion

Contact: The Movie (official site)

Contact (Summary)

Terry Mattingly, "Making Spiritual 'Contact'"

How To Sort Signs Of Artificial Life From The Real Thing

 

DUNE

Dune and Sufism

Timothy O'Reilly, Frank Herbert

Chat with Kevin Anderson & Brian Herbert (Time)

 

THE X-FILES

Finding Religious Truth in The X-Files, by Teresa Blythe

The X-Files (official site)

 

THE MATRIX

What Is The Matrix? (official site, includes links to philosophy articles on The Matrix)

James McGrath, "Desert of the Real"

Robin L. Zebrowski, "Gnosis Reloaded"

James L. Ford, "Buddhism, Christianity, and The Matrix: The Dialectic of Myth-Making in Contemporary Cinema

The Message in The Matrix
Bill Stamets, "Nothing Is Real"

The Matrix - Reality Check

The Matrix and Jean Baudrillard's "Simulacra and Simulations"

The Matrix: Links (by Gordon Matties)

Who Is The Matrix Oracle?

E. J. Park, "One Baaad Messiah"

Josh Burek, "The Gospel According To Neo"

 

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

Click the above link for a separate page on Battlestar Galactica

 

BATTLEFIELD EARTH AND SCIENTOLOGY

Click the above link for a separate page on Scientology and Science Fiction

 

OTHER LINKS

Starship Schematics Database

SciFi.com

Jesus: Real to Reel Database

Victoria Nelson, "Cyborgs & Robots: Religion for Nonbelievers" [available through EBSCO]

Richard Corliss, "A Star Trek into the X-Files" (Time Magazine)  [available through EBSCO]