The Gospel Reloaded: Exploring Spirituality and Faith in The Matrix [Paperback]

Chris Seay (Author), Greg Garrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2003

The world has changed. The Gospel Reloaded rushes headlong into The Matrix, exploring the trilogy's intricate details, religious undertones, and eclectic philosophies. These aren't movies you just "watch." They are postmodern epics, full of meaning and metaphor--deserving of serious inquiry and contemplation. Get inside the collective minds of the Wachowski brothers. See how even the minute details--from Neo's name to Thomas Anderson's room number--yield secrets to better understand the film. The movies call us to seek and find. Read how the themes of The Matrix call you to your own spiritual revelation. Ask of your own life: what's real and what's a mirage? Then you'll discover just how deep this rabbit hole really goes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pop a red pill and journey with the authors down the rabbit hole to the burgeoning world of Matrix spirituality. Ever since Neo first discovered his true identity in the now-famous 1999 sleeper hit, fans, critics and philosophers have gone over every celluloid inch of "The Matrix" to pick out its intellectual themes. And, like any pop culture phenomenon worth its salt, the film managed to be all things to all people, claimed by Christians as an allegory of resurrection and by Buddhists as a metaphor of awakening. Seay and Garrett are primarily concerned with the movie's Christian themes-Neo as the Christ; Morpheus as the John the Baptist figure who prepares the way; and Trinity as "the female face of God." (That's not the only thing that may cause more conservative Christians to put on Agent Smith faces; elsewhere, the authors very thoughtfully entertain the idea that the Matrix that is oppressing people in our own society may well be organized religion.) The authors are clearly diehard fans (Seay even named one of his children Trinity!), but the book is far more than an extended fan fawn; it is quite intelligent and substantive, as well as engagingly written. The final two chapters (not seen by PW) will discuss developments in the second installment in the Matrix trilogy.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Also discusses spiritual themes in The Matrix Reloaded, the second film in The Matrix trilogy.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Pinon Press (June 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576834786
• ISBN-13: 978-1576834787
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,152,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seeing God All Around., March 26, 2004

By 

tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Gospel Reloaded: Exploring Spirituality and Faith in The Matrix (Paperback)

I wasn't for sure what to think when I first started reading THE GOSPEL RELOADED. From the title, I thought I was going to be reading a watered-down book that illustrated the Christian allusions in the Matrix movies. However, I got more than what I expected. THE GOSPEL RELOADED does illustrate some of the Christian allusions that are prevalant throughout the Matrix films. Yet, the book also illustrates many of the other influences that can be found in the Matrix movies (comics, Easternism, etc). It also touches upon the possibility that the Matrix movies are films that are anti-Christian in nature. But mainly, the book compares and contrasts Christianity with the world view of The Matrix. The book tries to show how The Matrix fits into Joseph Campbell's research of a hero and how Jesus Christ was the ultimate hero.

The authors of the book are very intelligent and have a huge concern for impacting our culture. Nevertheless, the book does have two flaws. First, the book really doesn't flow that well together and kind of skips around from one point to the next without any transitions. Because of that, the book comes off as being more of a hodge-podge than an accurate comparison and contrast. Secondly, though the authors are clearly Christian and it is apparent they are trying to illustrate the similarities and differences between the Gospels and the Matrix movies, they never really do come out and say, "Here's exactly how Jesus is different from Neo and here's how Christianity is different from the world of THE MATRIX". What ends up happening is that the authors end up doing more comparing than contrasting which is a shame. Still, I found THE GOSPEL RELOADED to be better than many Christian books on pop culture I have read and it presents a rounded enough approach that might attract non-Christians into learning more about the Christian faith.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking A Risk, But Definitely Worth It, October 22, 2003

By 

Dillon Burroughs (Sherman, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gospel Reloaded: Exploring Spirituality and Faith in The Matrix (Paperback)

Chris Seay and Greg Garrett take a significant risk in seeking to draw parallels between evangelical Christianity and an R-rated, culturally significant movie, but their risk was worth it.

While drawing criticisms from both within and from outside of Christian circles, the authors strived to redeem the worthy aspects of the Matrix. This choice to interact with contemporary culture proved a noble effort, garnering several media exposures from mainstream sources such as Publishers Weekly and USA Today.

In the words of another review, "The movies call us to seek and find--to ask of our own lives what's real and what's a mirage. They are modern epics, chock-full of meaning and metaphor." The Gospel Reloaded does exactly that--pushes the edge, explores the "truth" of the Wachowski brother's dialogue, and challenges even hardened critics to contemplate its questions.

Overall, I would not recommend this book to younger Matrix fans, but definitely encourage it for the student or serious thinker seeking to make sense of the Matrix from a Christian perspective. It can also serve as an excellent conversational tool for sincere explorers on their own spiritual journey.

The Gospel Reloaded will mess with your mind, just like the film, but leave you better off for the ride.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars not your average "christian" book, September 17, 2003

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Joey Tulino (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gospel Reloaded: Exploring Spirituality and Faith in The Matrix (Paperback)

Chris Seay and Greg Garrett do a great job exploring spirituality in the Matrix films. However, what struck me most was that the authors did not solely focus on the "Christian" influences in the movie. Instead, they relate all the influences that the Wachowskis brought into these films from Christianity, Buddhism, Greek philosophy, even anime films. But, per the authors intent, they do bring it all back to the Christian ideas.

Well worth the read!!