What Would Buffy Do: The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide [Paperback]

Jana Riess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0787969222 | ISBN-13: 978-0787969226 | Edition: 1

What Would Buffy Do? explores the fascinating spiritual, religious, and mythological ideas of television's hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer--from apocalypse and sacrifice to self-reliance, redemption, and the need for humor when fighting our spiritual battles.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A bubbly blonde sporting black leather and whomping vampires hardly seems a spiritual paragon, but the title character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the occult classic that aired from 1997 to 2003, is just that, argues Riess, PW's religion book review editor and a dedicated Slayer fan. Although the show is ambivalent about God's existence and ostensibly secular, it "offers a deep spiritual core that is based in ethical behavior." A "spiritually eclectic" canon on forgiveness, compassion, love, self-sacrifice and redemption guide the slayer and her friends in their battles with evil (supernatural, internal or otherwise), says Riess. Playing off the Christian youth mantra "What would Jesus do?" (which the show also pokes fun at in an episode where Xander tells Buffy, "When it's dark and I'm all alone, and I'm scared or freaked out or whatever, I always think, 'What would Buffy do?' "), Riess dissects the show's moral message according to three themes: personal spirituality, companions (friends and family) and saving the world. Sidebar quotes from prophets, philosophers and poets echo each chapter's spiritual lesson. On self-sacrifice, for example, Riess includes St. Francis's prayer for peace, and on embracing change, she refers to the Qur'an's message about change coming from within a person. This analysis, like the show, never gets mired down in too much seriousness and will add a new dimension to how both fans and critics view the popular series.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

On the surface, Buffy the Vampire Slayer doesn't seem to be a TV show associated with religion, but fans know that it has some very spiritual elements. Riess gets at the heart of the show's values and characters in this engaging book. She shows how Buffy's self-sacrifice--of a "normal" teenage existence, of the man she loves, and even of her own life--is typical of the sacrificial nature of many religious figures. The idea of redemption is also a recurring theme in the show, as Riess illustrates with three of its most complex characters: Angel, Buffy's vampire love, who becomes a soulless killer if he experiences even a moment of true happiness; Faith, the rogue slayer driven by self-hatred and envy; and Spike, the vampire whose love for Buffy causes him to seek to regain his soul. A guide to the show's seven seasons and an interview with Eliza Dushku, who played Faith, round out a fascinating, fun study. A must for fans. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (April 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787969222
• ISBN-13: 978-0787969226
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #508,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jana Riess is the author or editor of nine books and the creator of The Twible, a snarky 3-year Twitter Bible project. Although she is a spiritual failure and was never able to climb the rope in gym class, she has a doctorate from Columbia University and works as an editor in the publishing industry. So she's not a total loser. She blogs for the Religion News Service at http://www.religionnews.com/blogs/jana-riess.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

100 of 102 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The case for Buffy the Vampire Slayer as spiritual guide May 11, 2004

By Lawrance M. Bernabo HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

"The Gospel According to Peanuts" by Robert L. Short is the book that I remember beginning the long string of books look at popular culture artifacts for their spiritual value. You can find similar volumes on everything from Harry Potter and the Simpson to Tony Soprano and ESPN, so it is not surprising that a volume has come out looking at "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Jana Reiss has a masters of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary to go with a Ph.D. in religion from Columbia University and is the religion book review editor at "Publisher's Weekly." She is also a fan of Buffy, although she also likes Giles and Spike, so it is not surprising that she would decide to pursue the spiritual, religious, and mythological ideas of the television series.

For me the pivotal episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in terms of the religious implications was "Amends," the third season episode written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon in which Angel is tormented by apparitions of three of his victims, including Jenny Calendar, which are really manifestations of the First. Just before dawn Buffy finds Angel on a bluff overlooking Sunnydale, waiting for sunrise so that he can die and have peace. Buffy pleads and then lashes out in anger at Angel, but before the sun can rise it starts to snow. The sun will not shine in Sunnydale that day because of the freak snowstorm. Before this episode was over I was pointing out that Whedon had just worked God into the Buffyverse. After all, who else could make it snow besides God?

Well, now we know the answer would be the Powers That Be, which are certainly god-like beings, but not the Judeo-Christian creator. Yet given that Buffy usually wears a cross that burns vampires when it comes into contact with them (e.g., "Angel") and that holy water burns vampires too (e.g., "Helpless"), it seems strange to ignore the implications of Christianity for "BtVS." After all, Willow Rosenberg often talks about the fact that she is Jewish, which at least gets you in the theological ballpark.

But where Riess wants to make the connection between Buffy and Christianity are the show's elements of apocalypse and sacrifice as well as those of redemption and resurrection. After all, Buffy, the "Savior in a Micro-Mini," has been resurrected twice, in "Prophecy Girl" and "Bargaining, Part I," and that is a hard parallel to ignore. Besides, Riess is also interested in exploring the need for humor in fighting spiritual battles, so this is not a book that is focused on scriptural analysis. Yes, there are Bible verses in this book, but Giles the Watcher is quoted a lot more than the apostle Paul, and you will also get great thoughts from the Buddha, Sophocles, William Shakespeare, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson as well.

"What Would Buffy Do?" has three main sections. The first deals with issues of Personal Spirituality and the reader's own spiritual journey: (1) Be a Hero Even When You'd Rather Go to the Mall: The Power of Self-Sacrifice; (2) Changes Make Us Human: Embracing the River of Change; (3) Death is Our Gift: What Death Can Teach Us About Living; (4) "The Anger Gives You Fire": Can Negative Emotions Be Constructive?; and (5) The "Monster Sarcasm Rally": Humor as Power. The lessons here have to do with embracing change as a spiritual teacher and balancing emotions.

The second section, Companions on the Journey, expands to look at relationships with families, friends, and mentors: (6) "What Can't We Face If We're Together?": The Power of Friendship; (7) Obey Your Teacher, Except When He's Wrong: Spiritual Mentors on the Path to Maturity"; and (8) The Higher Way: Choosing Forgiveness over Revenge." The final section, Saving the World, looks at the biggest issue of a social engaged spirituality: (9) What Goes Around Comes Around: Consequences; (10) The Monster Inside: Taming the Darkness Within Ourselves; and (11) "Redemption Is Hard": Personal Deliverance in the Buffyverse," which focuses on the fates of Angel, Faith, and Spike.

What I like about this book is that it is grounded in analysis of the episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Angel" to a lesser extent. When Whedon created Buffy the idea was to flip the stereotype of the blonde girl falling victim to the monster when she walks down the ally, but the subtext of the television version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was the simple reality that "high school is hell." That idea was expanded to include college in particular and life in general, but that fundamental idea becomes the best foundation Riess has for making the case for Buffy's spirituality. In the end her point is that the message of "BtVS" is that although it is great for us to have our own quests and spiritual journeys such things are meaningless unless they are in the service of others.

I am not troubled by how Riess tries to speak to the Buffy faithful as well as the neophytes who come late to the party. The back of this volume includes A Guide to Buffy's Seven Seasons, which looks at each season thematically as well as chronologically, and a Buffy Character Guide arranged season by season, which explains the characters rather than just describing them. There is also an interview with Eliza Dushku (Riess interviewed the actresses' mother, Judy Dushku, for her undergraduate thesis many years ago).

There have been several academic looks at "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in the last couple of years, from a look at "Slayer Slang" to approaching the series from a philosophical perspective. "What Would Buffy Do?" has the virtue of being one of the more accessible books attempting to find great meaning in the series. The appeal here will be for fans who always knew that Buffy mattered to their lives and can now understanding how its ethics and morality come into play even if you are not out there saving the world (a lot).

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Weight of the World on Her Spaghetti-Strapped Shoulders October 6, 2004

By R. W. Rasband VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

It can be a little embarrassing to admit just how many books and articles you have read about the television show, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." If you try to put your enthusiasm into words, people look at you funny. Unless they are one of the lucky ones who have actually seen the show, and then their eyes light up with glee, just like yours. I have read quite a bit about Buffy (but not as much as Jana Riess.) I've certainly read the big three collections of academic essays about the show. "What Would Buffy Do?" is easily the best volume I've come across. It's an instant classic, a small gem of popular culture criticism.

Riess's approach is eclectic, like that of Joseph Campbell. She draws her analysis from all sorts of places: scripture, novels, drama, philosophy, are various religious traditions. Although she depends mostly on Christianity and Buddhism. Anyone who is skeptical that a "mere" TV show can sustain this kind of scrutiny will soon be convinced otherwise by Riess's intelligent, crystal-clear prose and thinking. (This book is a lot of fun to read, unlike some of the other post-modernist essays in the previously mentioned academic collections. They made my little head hurt.) There's an original interview with actress Eliza Dushku, who plays the dirty-girl slayer, Faith. She talks candidly about her experiences working on the show, and her Mormon background.

As one critic put it, "Buffy" is the most religious show on TV, a "secular universe saturated with grace." This book moves from a description of the slayer's personal spirituality, to a consideration of the spirituality of the "Scooby Gang", to an examination of what could be called the show's prophetic themes: saving the world and deliverance from evil. This is a book about pop culture, but it's not "pop" religion. Riess writes seriously and responsibly about eternal subjects. There are chapter length examinations of Buffy as a self-sacrificing savior; death as a gift (a catchphrase all too familiar to Buffyphiles); the power of friendship; and the necessity of going through negative emotions.

It is in the last three chapters that Riess treats Buffy's "prophetic calling." She writes:

"Buffy is a Christ figure, but only insofar as she is constantly averting the apocalypse through self-sacrifice. On Buffy, people atone for their own sins. Redemption is hard work and it us up to us. Redemption is a process requiring action; words are no enough. There's no salvation by grace in the Buffyverse. Angel and other characters find salvation only in work, self-sacrifice, and courageous choices." (pages 119-121, ellipses removed.)
Although a little later Riess does point out that an "unthinkable act of grace" does occur on Christmas Day, in the episode "Amends."

Riess is also very good on "the Monster inside"; that is, the dark part of ourselves we need to acknowledge, and own. (Yes, Jung gets mentioned here a lot.) The very dark and controversial Season Six (which Riess loved, and so do I) was about the Scoobies facing up to their own evil.

"Buffy is all about confronting our dark sides and learning to live comfortably--or at least co-exist nonviolently--with our monster selves. Many people would rather deny their dark shadow, pretend it isn't there. But ignoring it entirely, according to the show, is a dangerous as allowing it to rule our lives. As Willow learns she doesn't have to be a bigger, badder badass than the source of all badness. She needs to control the darkness so it does not control her. In the end she discovers that it's enough just to be Willow, with all of her complexiities, all of her darkness, and her much stonger goodness." (pages 117-118)

This is as workable and humane a defintion of "repentance" as I've ever encountered.

Well, I could go on and on about this wonderful book about a wonderful show, but I won't. All I can say is that Riess in this book sorts through all sorts of spiritual odds and ends and finds what is good and beautiful.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprisingly superb analysis of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER June 26, 2004

By Robert Moore HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The title of WHAT WOULD BUFF DO?: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER AS SPIRITUAL GUIDE makes it obvious that the author is trying to do two things: first, she is going to discuss BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and its spin off ANGEL to a considerable extent and second, she is going to do this in such as way as to provide spiritual guidance. I give the book a five star rating, but I have to point out that it is based entirely on the way it succeeds in the first of these two tasks. I consider this to be the finest single-author analysis of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER that has yet been published, but I did not find it to be especially useful in the second of its goals, of providing spiritual guidance.

Initially I read this book simply because I am a huge BUFFY and ANGEL fan, and am a bit of a completist: I'll read just about any halfway decent discussion of BUFFY. Because of the author's desire to make Buffy into a spiritual role model, I approached the book with considerable suspicion. (For the sake of honesty, I should point out that I do have two theological degrees and did extensive graduate work on the religious thought of Kierkegaard, and still consider myself to be that rarest of creatures, a politically and socially leftist Southern Baptist, so I'm not in the least antithetical to religious ideas.) However, as I started working through Jana Riess's discussions of the various characters in Buffy and some of the themes, I was astonished at how often I found myself in agreement with her, or how she would mention some aspect of the show and I would immediately call to mind another instance that was compatible with what she said, only to have her bring that specific instance up in her book.

I think this book will delight any fan of BUFFY or ANGEL. Riess has a profound understanding of the show and really grasps the dynamics of all the major characters. I learned a great deal about many aspects of the show, and gained insights that I had previously missed. For instance, I had not recognized that Warren, one of the villainous nerds from Season Six, truly had become the super villains he admired in comic books. Or when I read "BUFFY is less about the cycle of one's own sin and salvation than it is about saving others; it is always outwardly, and not inwardly, focused," I realized that that was precisely true about the show.

I was far less convinced by the book's attempt to set Buffy up as a spiritual guide. Perhaps this was just me. My spiritual guides have been people like Kierkegaard, Henry David Thoreau, Montaigne, Wittgenstein, Dostoevsky, and Samuel Johnson. I have never profited much from popular spiritual writers, whether pseudo-intellectuals like Joseph Campbell or spiritual writers like Philip Yancey. They fail to speak to the kind of spiritual struggle that I have been engaged in. It may well be that others will find this part of the book more compelling, but I have to be honest and say that I do not believe that any part of the spiritual guide part of the book left any impact on me.

Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book for any fan of BUFFY. The discussion of the show is as good as we have seen before, and the character and season guides at the back are absolutely superb. On top of all this, the book contains a marvelous interview the author conducted with Eliza Dushku, who played, of course, the rogue slayer Faith in both BUFFY and ANGEL.