Undercurrent Investigates...

In my investigations on the subject of religion in comic books - I was searching in a dimly lit dusty corner of an online bookstore, when I came upon an academic text book, which seemed to be hinting at a link between comic books and spirituality.

It's title? 'The Gospel According to Superheroes'.

"Aha!" I thought, "A subject for an Undercurrent Investigation."

But that was just the beginning. Ladies and gentlemen, I need to explain that this is less of a straightforward interview - more a real
investigation - into a possible real superhero!

B. J. Oropeza is a professor in Biblical Studies at Azusa Pacific University. He is also the author of 'The Gospel According to Superheroes'.

The title of his tome alone was enough to peak my interest - I'm not a bog
fan of superheroes, but I'm open to new ideas - particularly when I can prove that people are wrong! But in this case the initial investigation took an interesting turn.

When I researched B.J. Oropeza I made my first 'unusual' discovery. He won't reveal his name. Hmmm, I thought - unusual. Then I asked his age. He wouldnt tell me that either.

I think it was at this point that I began to think: "A secret identity?" After all, what better cover for a caped crusader (or other form of superhero) than a proffessor of Biblical studies? Surely not much call on your time from students, and plenty of plausible reasons for travel - 'got to go and examine some scrolls' or similar.

So I probed further.

I asked (innocently) what form of comic books B.J. likes:

"I prefer superhero comics."

Sounds promising I thought. But perhaps this guy is to easy - he seems
quite human really. So then I asked: 'what points are raised in the book
that you consider to be of particular significance?'

His answer was impenetrable: "I integrate Mircea Eliade's phenomenology of
religion with the monomyths of the superheroe genre."

I have no evidence to prove that the name 'Mircea Eliade' is NOT that of an
earthling - but what do you think?

Then the final piece of the jigsaw dropped into place. Superheroes have
amazing powers of perception - right?

Well see what answer I got when I asked for his opinions on the state of the
current comic book industry...

"It is turning more and more to film, which in one sense is a good thing.
Film technology is finally doing a good job at portraying the
superheroes realiistically.

"The last blunder as far as technology goes, in my opinion, was the Hulk
movie."

This guy recognises when a movie is portraying superheroes realistically!
And he quite rightly thinks the Hulk movie was a stinker (my words not his)!

Oh alright, so this chap probably is just an academic and not a superhero -
and realistically I'm just too thick to follow the phenomenology and
monomyth stuff.

But the very insightful Mr Oropeza DOES have some interesting things to say
about Christianity, America, and the idea of Christian comic books.

He explained: "I believe in God and have been influenced by spirituality via
pop culture and religion.

"As a westerner, that spirituality has been interpreted primarily through
the lens of the Judeo-Christian worldview."

I think that means he's a Christian. But not the sort of Christian that is
often characterised as populating America. Possibly that's because he's
spent more time abroad than many of his fellow countrymen.

He agreed: "I am not American-centric. It takes getting out of one's own
environment to see how others see your environment.

"Most Christians that I personally know, who are part of the entertainment
industry, are not part of the right wing facet on the political spectrum."

So how does he feel about the interaction between Christianity and popular
culture?

"Certain Christians seem to retreat from their culture rather than
embrace and interact with it.

"Jesus wanted his followers to be the "light" of the world. A Christian
cannot be a good light to the world if he/she is secluded from the world."

So what is his take on the concept of 'Christian Comic books'?

"That depends on what you mean by 'Christian comic books'.

"I think there should be more Christians making "secular" comic books; ie.,
comics read by a general rather than merely Christian audience.

"Much like U2 (a group primarily made up of Christians) makes music for a
general audience.

"I used to read Chick publications. In my opinion, it was
sensationalistic for the most part, and its tirade against Roman
Catholicism was not based on reliable sources.

"If you are going to be an artist, you should strive to be a good artist
rather than a good evangelist!

"Art is an expression of creation, a blessing given by God. By portraying
and using our God-given talents, we are in fact, glorifying God. So let your
art glorify God and people will see God via your art.

"I don't think it is a good idea to use art as a vehicle to primarily
promote your own propaganda rather than promote good quality art.

"Granted, who you are and what you believe will naturally be seen by your
art. But that is the point - let your beliefs be seen naturally rather than
forcing them to happen."

B.J. Oropeza's book will doubtless interest many who take seriously the link
between popular culture and spiritual journeys. The main thrust of the book
is to ask: 'What do superheroes and spirituality have in common?'

The book stears clear of attempting to pigeon-hole every superhero into a
religious figure however, primarily focusing on the superhero stories and
popular culture myths (ie., those aspects of the superheroes both
secularistists and spiritualists agree on), and occasionally it interacts
with theology instead of a vice/verse.