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The Truth Is Out There: Christian Faith and the Classics of TV Science Fiction

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This is very much a book that I wish I had written. I have been a fan of science fiction for as long as I can remember (I can't quite remember the original Star Trek in first run, but it was in recent re-run when I first acquired sentience and memory...).

One of the hallmarks of successful science fiction (as opposed to the significant volume of bad science fiction that comes out each year) is that it doesn't rely exclusively on futuristic ideas of where science and technology will go, but rather delves deeply into the meaning of life and other significant issues of existence, relationship and cosmological understanding that people find important regardless of the time and technological period in which they live. A case in point is Star Trek - issues arise in most episodes of most of the series that deal not just with life and death, but what is important in life? By playing off against in-human or un-human characters like the Vulcans or the Klingons (or even more exotic, albeit often poorly constructed, creatures), the important aspects of human nature can be brought forward in ingenious ways.

Authors Thomas Bertonneau and Kim Paffenroth begin the text by discussing the relationships of science, religion and storytelling. There is a long history of this triad, which have rarely all been pulling together in the same direction, but not always opposed to each other, either. Bertonneau and Paffenroth trace the origins of science fiction back to ancient Greece, whose writings at the time combined elements of philosophy, religion and science in ways that often did not recognise a distinction between the fields the way modern academia and popular imagination does. Of course, these all contain ideas that lead into each other and the human condition. 'In giving us a cosmic perspective on ourselves, science and science fiction restore us to a proper humility - a meekness before the awe of creation appropriate to our station.'

One might wonder at the absence of films here - after all, the Joseph Campbell/Star Wars mythology would seem a natural tie-in for the subject. However, the authors liken the television shows to epic poetry - the serial aspect shows (generally speaking) the same sets of characters in recurring dilemmas, much the way epic poetry did. Most films do not have that aspect (although the Star Wars series approaches epic proportions). Also, television gives a kind of accessibility that films (until recently) did not have - an 'in-home' quality that is analogous in ways to Jesus' parables, which are much more home-spun in nature when compared to philosophical treatises of Greek and Roman writers of his same time.

Bertonneau and Paffenroth highlight six particular series: Dr. Who (the original British version), Star Trek (the original generation), The Prisoner, The Twilight Zone (Rod Serling's time), The X Files, and Babylon 5. The authors do not expect readers to be familiar with each of the shows (although the more obsessive science fiction fans - short for fanatic, of which I am one - will likely know them all), but expect because of the pervasive influence these shows have had on popular culture that every reader will be familiar with some aspects of some of the shows. However, these shows are in many ways counter-cultural, which the basic Christian message also tended and tends to be. 'Science fiction's determination to take a lofty view distinguishes it from other popular genres, which tend to be preoccupied with various forms of adolescent resentment.' Even so-called adult dramas tend to be replays of basic relationship patterns established early - the kind of discussion of the nature of good and evil or the nature of truth rarely comes up in these shows as it might in science fiction.

These are far from perfect shows, to be sure, and are not a replacement for the gospel. Ever mindful of the biblical injunctions against idolatry, authors Bertonneau and Paffenroth show how these science fiction shows take that issue as an important one - meanwhile, other shows are becoming idols (indeed, there is even a popular show right now with the very word in its title, but like idols of the ancient world, very little in terms of ultimate truth comes forward from them). Again Star Trek can be held up as an example here: 'it repeatedly examines the nature of good and evil, human nature, progress, reason and emotion, and most of all, virtue. Star Trek became and remains so popular because it does not just entertain but inquires into questions of ultimate meaning and purpose with thoughtfulness, ambiguity, and insight.' These shows tell stories that have a moral - and as often as not, these morals correspond to values the gospel message also tries to impart.

There are books out there bearing the title 'The Gospel according to the Simpsons,' 'The Gospel according to Disney,' and even 'The Gospel according to Sherlock Holmes,' but this book, 'The Truth is Out There,' doesn't have to put up as much struggle with its base subject to fit the underlying substance of theology and philosophy as the previous texts. The truth is out there, and in here, and can be found.

Pilate's question - what is truth? - is a question worth asking. Science fiction is one of the few popular forums in which this discussion continues.

I have to disagree with the Publisher's Weekly review at the top of the page. Overall, the book isn't "stuffy" at all; it's easy to engage with and, yes, entertaining. You simply need to think it's cool that the more you know the Book of Revelation, the more you understand the X-Files.

In this genre (academics writing about TV shows) you can find some very good books and some very bad ones. The bad ones are all the same: academics who are bored with what they do -- theories of the self deconstructed blah blah -- try to juice it up by discovering it in the midst of a sitcom. The result is unpersuasive, condescending, and boring.

*The Truth is Out There* is one of the good ones. I'd rank it among the few (for example, Paul Cantor's *Gilligan Unbound*) that see how the best entertainment always has something serious at stake. You can try to make entertainment that takes *nothing* seriously, but that's a really serious development too. (See Thomas Hibbs, *Shows About Nothing*, another great example of what can be done with the genre.) As anyone who is really into these science fiction shows will tell you, they are most fun when you take them most seriously. That's what *TTIOT* does.

Just how Christian these shows are is a hard question, and the Christian readings advanced in the book will be controversial. All the better. I'd love to see the authors engage in phaser warfare with Cantor, who also deals with Star Trek and the X-Files but reads them very differently.

I found my read of "The Truth is Out There" by Bertonneau and Paffenroth enjoyable and satisfying. I'm not a scholar but I had no trouble moving through the chapters and I gained not only a new perspective on some of my favorite entertainment but I discovered a few fascinating facts that has me looking at it again.

The historical review of the classic "science vs religion" argument in the opening chapter was revelatory for me. I think anyone who isn't already familiar with the work of Rene Girard (whose theory of literary analysis is integral to the authors' thesis) will find the words, "Well I'll be darned!" escaping from their lips, paragraph by paragraph.

There is much more surprise to this book than just the unexpected subtitle, "Christian Faith and the Classics of TV Science Fiction". (I think the publishers should have dropped "Christian" as this rich insight into things religious is a mutli-faith one.)

I learned something about myself as well from Bertonneau and Paffenroth... there is good reason why so many simple but haunting images from the Twilight Zone and The Prisoner have lingered in my imagination for decades.

Read this book.

In an exploration of the contemporary vernacular of television, Kim Paffenroth and Thomas Bertonneau have articulated the ways that modern scientific investigation can enhance one's Christian faith. For too many years, too many preachers and theologians have kept either an uneasy distance between science and religion, or have felt compelled to elevate one, while denigrating the other. These authors have used six television shows, Doctor Who, Star Trek, The Prisoner, The Twilight Zone, The X-Files and Babylon 5, to examine the ways such television shows acknowledge a God who is intimately engaged with humans. Each of these television shows offered its viewers iconic archetypal heroes and villains, ones who are not that different from the great figures of the biblical text. Over time these productions grappled with human choices when presented with ethical dilemmas. They looked into the multidimensional faces of evil in the human realm. Viewers were thrust into the midst of such grand storytelling, right along with the characters in the television production. These authors have looked at the power of one aspect of the popular culture, linked it to theology in informed ways, and offered conclusions that are hopeful. Rather than reject television as "trash," Bertonneau and Paffenroth offer readers a fascinating analytical consideration of an inextricable part of our everyday lives.

[Rev. Sandra M. Rushing: Author of the upcoming book The Judas Legacy]

I am neither a science-fiction enthusiast nor a Christian. However, I am a long-time devotee of The Twilight Zone, and found myself intrigued by the concept of this book. As an impressionable youth at the time of the Twilight Zone's initial run, I always felt that the Twilight Zone was not "just a TV show," but rather presented a fairly coherent, if covert, value system that underlay and unified the various episodes, while offering a subtly didactic message. The authors of this book have analyzed the show from this standpoint and come up with a remarkable way of understanding this value system, expressed in a highly readable way. The style of the book is neither pompously academic nor heavy-handedly sectarian. But it is engaging and thought-provoking. I recommend it to all fans of TV science fiction, and not just Christians.

This rewarding and challenging book, written by two college professors (one an acquaintance of mine) takes several science fiction television series to investigate reality, spirituality and religion. Their brilliance is to take something as common as a television show, which most people have some familiarity with, and apply careful, considered, academically-oriented thought to find deeper themes and meaning. I actually took a yellow highlighter to my copy, and felt like I was back at college! Highly recommended for serious readers who like to learn as they read, or serious aficionados of Star Trek, Dr. Who and other popular science fiction television shows. It will challenge you, and you will be the richer for experiencing this carefully considered work.

I checked this book out from my local library for one simple reason: I'm a fan of science fiction, especially Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, and The X-Files. Upon completion of the book, I was intellectually stimulated by some parts, but also thought other parts were reaches in making connections.

First and foremost, this book is for hard-core sci-fi fans ONLY. The authors take a textbook-like approach to dissecting these shows, so if you aren't already up to speed on the topic areas, you "need not apply". In fact, I completely skipped the sections regarding Babylon 5, Dr. Who, and The Prisoner, as I did not have a working knowledge of those series.

This book explores how the themes of Christianity influenced the six previously mentioned science fiction TV shows. The premise seems interesting enough, but the problem is in the execution. While at times I was drawn into the narrative that the authors were trying to present, too many times I also thought that perhaps the authors were reaching a bit too far in trying to make the necessary connections. Those are all great shows, don't get me wrong, but to build a large case that they are directly inspired from Christian mythology/history is quite tenuous at times and smacks of "nerd trying to prove that sci-fi is relevant". It isn't that bad, but sometimes comes close.

Thus, I can only recommend this textbook-like treatise to the most seasoned sci-fi vets, and even some of those will be turned off by the complexity of the themes discussed.

I looked forward to reading this book when I first heard about it. I am a retired teacher and a science fiction fan and I have used a couple of the six shows described in this book in both the classroom and church programs. In general it is a good read as the authors examine Christian thought as found in their selected shows. There is also a deep exposition both at the beginning and end of the book to prove the point they are making. Perhaps too much so as the concluding section of the book is a bit heavy handed and I am not sure the audience they are trying to relate to would appreciate what at times is rather ponderous. What I enjoyed most was the selection and description of episodes from each show that illustrate their point. They of course are not saying that the people responsible for the shows were Christian, just that there are Christian values that can be seen that are lacking in the great majority of TV shows and films past and present. I especially appreciate the use of scripture in the book which is thoroughly done. Less appreciated is the abundant drawing upon the writings of the ancients, both pagan and Christian. To me this was overdone. And in their identifying people involved in science fiction through the years, I was surprised that C.S. Lewis was left out. It was his science fiction trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Peralandra and That Hideous Strength) that drew me to religious studies when I was a kid. There is also the Narnia series and the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien that needed commentary if books are to be dealt with. My own personal feelings about each show selected are below.
Dr. Who: This is a series now recommended by the Church of England to be used as a teaching aid. The authors, due to when this book was published, deal with the Dr. Who before the revival of the show in the past five years. I wish they would cover that in a new edition as they would perhaps reveal that the "new" Dr. Who has all the virtues of the old shows and more than ever have met the criteria they set. The new shows are definitely superior to the old. It is a series that should be on any list for Christian and non Christian viewers.
Star Trek: This was my favorite section as I have used the original, the classic Star Trek in my public school teaching. I even put together a slide/audio presentation, with permission from Gene Roddenberry, The Gospel According to Star Trek, which I used in my classrooms, in churches and science fiction conventions. I have been urged to put this into a book, but never had the time, though I have had articles published. The thinking of the authors in regard to this show is right on key. To this day I have former students tell me how much they valued how I used the show in government, history and sociology classes.
The Prisoner: I used a couple episodes of this show in government classes. It was a fascinating series, though the authors may be wrong on one point. The last show did not mean it was over as there was a hint that No. 6 would still wind up back in the village or something like it. As a fan of what may have been the best spy show on TV, Secret Agent, there was no doubt that No. 6 was John Drake, played by the same actor. I also used a couple of those episodes in the classroom.
Twilight Zone: As with the other five shows the authors brought back a lot of fond memories in giving a synopsis of selected episodes. So much to choose from and though the cast varied from week to week, there were common themes. Considering how many very different episodes there were, I can appreciate that this may have been the hardest of the six to work with.
X Files: I agreed pretty much with the authors, the first five years did it all. The chemistry between the two stars and how they approached things from a philosophical standpoint was amazing. I rather wish they had not made the recent film as it seemed at odds with the show at its height. Pretty scary at times and it made my wife check doors and windows during commercials. I was braver. I just flushed the toilets to be sure nothing weird was coming up out of them.
Babylon 5: This was my only let down and likely because I expected more. Probably unfair, however the late Richard Biggs, one of the main stars during the series, was a friend and we talked about the show a great deal. I admit that the show deserved to be on the list and to be covered. It is just that the authors seemed to feel there was a need to push over and over the philosophies of the ancient past and that, for me, bordered on boredom.
I am thankful that this sort of book is out there with the truth. I plan to give it a favorable review in the magazine I edit for Point North Outreach, the international Christian media organization. I will recommend it being purchased by all our readers just as I do those of you seeing my review here.