The Theology of Science-Fiction:
Some Speculative Fiction Gospels*

crucifix, jesus, seder, sacrifice, triduum

 

…when I was not prey to the temptations of this world, I devoted my nights to imagining other worlds. … There is nothing better than imagining other worlds…to forget the painful one we live in. At least so I thought then. I hadn’t yet realized that, imagining other worlds, you end up changing this one.—Umberto Eco, “Baudolino”

INTRODUCTION

For the past few weeks we Catholics have been celebrating the central tenet of our faith as Christians, the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. While meditating about this, my thoughts strayed, and I recalled some of the science-fiction stories I had read before my conversion.  Many of these stories contest the reality of the Passion and Resurrection.  Rather than by denying the historical reality of these events, non-believing science-fiction authors transform these events into an alternative, what-if, type of reality.

In this article I will explore  how Jesus, the Passion and the Resurrection have been transformed by science-fiction to conform to a theology of non-belief.  My survey will not be exhaustive, but references are given below to fill in gaps. (See, for example, the Wikipedia article about religious science-fiction.)

WHAT IF JESUS EXISTED, BUT HAD NOT BEEN CRUCIFIED—TIME TRAVEL?

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” Matt: 16:21

A favorite mode of science-fiction is the alternative history, “what-if?” Such alternative history is really “speculative fiction,” since the science component is usually negligible—the author only envisions a different possible world.  Such are the SF stories (“SF” standing here for “speculative fiction”) in which Jesus is not crucified and therefore is NOT resurrected. (So much for Christianity, the Son of God, etc…)

Some of these stories invoke time travel as a way to get around Christ’s Passion. The time traveler either takes the place of Christ or attempts to prevent it by other means. I don’t regard time travel as a worthy device in SF because of  such paradoxes as “you can’t kill your own grandfather before he sired your parent” sort. That is to say, if you alter the past, the present in which you were born no longer exists and then where are you?

The only SF story I know of that successfully deals with such paradoxes is Heinlein’s All You Zombies (warning: SPOILER!) in which a soldier of the future is his own mother and father.

AVOIDING THEODICY–THE EASY WAY OUT

There are more plausible alternative history approaches that still do no more than tickle the imagination (as is the case with most alternative history SF). In a story called Friends in High Places by Jack McDevitt, Jesus argues with God in the Garden of Gethesmane and changes his fate. I’ll quote from the description given in Holy Sci-Fi:

“Jesus waiting in the Garden of Gethesmane for the mob to take him. Jesus does not want to die, as we learn from his thoughts:

‘It sends the wrong message [Lord]. It will be a hard sell, persuading people You love them when you let this happen to me.’

Why? Why must we do it this way? We create a faith whose governing  symbol will be an instrument of torture. They will wear it around their necks,  put it atop their temples. Is this what we really want?’

In this story, too, Jesus escapes (to become a librarian in Egypt!), and as he begins his journey to a new life he thinks ‘how much better it was than a cross.’ What has happened is that God, apparently in answer to Jesus’ concerns about the Crucifixion, has changed the past.”

I would review this as the Passion according to Saturday Night Live. All the profound theological arguments about obedience to God, Jesus suffering for our sins out of love for His brothers, the Crucifixion required for our salvation, are swept away with the broom of a naive theodicy.

PONTIUS PILATE IS MERCIFUL AND CHRISTIANITY IS ABORTED

In another story an alternative history dispenses with the Crucifixion in a more plausible way. (Unfortunately this old guy can not remember the title or the author, nor have extensive online searches been helpful; but he is sure about the story.) Recall Matt 27:19

 “When he [Pontius Pilate] was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.”

Pontius Pilate’s wife implores him to set Jesus free. In the story her pleas are successful. Jesus goes back to Galilee as an honored prophet, but is largely ignored in further history. Ironically, Rome accepts Judaism with the Emperor becoming the Chief Priest of the Sanhedrin and with a new Temple built in Rome.

IS THE PASSION AND RESURRECTION TOO PROFOUND FOR SF?

Science-fiction authors (even those who say they are Christians) have not taken the theology of the Passion and Resurrection as a  theme.  Perhaps Scripture gives too little to elaborate, although I have always wondered—given the two natures of Jesus Christ—what he thought about dying and being resurrected. Scripture says he knew of his resurrection, but was he sure?

I’ve also wondered what Jesus did in Hell. There are theological speculations, but they’re only that. Perhaps, as the Greatest Miracle, The Resurrection can not be acknowledged by writers who don’t believe, and by those who do believe, what more can be said?

The New Testament writers speak as if Christ’s achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the ‘first fruits,’ the pioneer of life,’ He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so. —C. S. Lewis, “Miracles,” ch. 16

NOTE

*I published the original version of this article on Catholic Stand, April 14, 2015 and also here.  In that article I neglected to cite one very fine story by Michael Bishop, The Gospel According to Gamaliel Cruces, in which Jesus is recognized as the Son of God, but each alien race has its own Savior.   I also wrote three other articles for Catholic Stand on how science-fiction treated catholic teaching: alien sentient species, artificial-intelligence devices, and end-times.

REFERENCES

Wikipedia: Christian Science-Fiction, Religious Ideas in Science-Fiction (Jesus)

Holy Sci-Fi , a comprehensive review written by a non-believer;  light in tone; weak on theology and more important authors–Walker Percy, C.S. Lewis, Robert Hugh Benson.

The Gospel According to Science-fiction: from the Twilight Zone to the Final Frontier, by Gabriel McKee. (a fine and extensive compendium of Sci-fi with a religious theme; good and profound theological insights)

A Cross of Centuries–25 Imaginative Tales about The Christ (stories about the Christ from true believers, agnostics and die-hard atheists)

The Sci Fi Catholic ????

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19 thoughts on “The Theology of Science-Fiction:<br> Some Speculative Fiction Gospels*”

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  4. Večenaj Krešimir

    Dear Bob, you have put me in big trouble, I recently discovered the pages https://philos-sophia.org/the-tripartite-wholeness/ and the great essays of Mr. Wolfgang Smith to which I keep coming back, and now I have discovered your page https: / /catholicstand.com/why-catholics-can-believe-in-evolution-part-i-gods-gift-of-the-periodic-table/ and I’m eager to read it all. I see you’re as old as Mr. Smith and I wish you a good old age and as many essays as possible. I also have a dad of 90 and I have a hard time communicating with him, many greetings from Croatia, Večenaj Krešimir.

    1. Thanks, Vecenaj, for the link to Wolfgang Smith’s work. Very impressive! I’m not in his league I don’t think. And thank you for your kind words.
      drbob

    2. Večernja Krešimir

      Dear Bob, thanks for the answer, there are wise physicists in Croatia who write about religion and science, but there are no organized lectures on this topic in the church. atheism and scientism.I don’t know how much you know about my Croatia, my compatriots are Ivan Meštrović https://www.croatiaweek.com/mestrovics-famous-monument-in-chicago-under-review-to-be-removed/. Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac who saved many Jews during the Second World War, and was condemned by the Communists, declared blessed, and hopefully holy.

      Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich was born on March 19, 1949 in Omaha, Nebraska, to the Blase and Mary (Mayhan) Cupich family of Croatian descent. He is one of nine children, has five sisters and three brothers.

  5. an ordinary papist

    I remember all the SF authors you noted but not recall the one who honed his ire ( I’d guess
    you’d call it ) on the astronomical discovery that the star guiding the Magi and shepherds
    was really a sun going nova and taking with it a highly advanced civilization. The ending
    went something like this: Oh, you had some so many stars to choose from to announce your
    wonderful birth, why did you have to destroy this one. Made one think. Naw, one divine
    sacrificial Victim was all our civilization needed.

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  8. It seems to me that the historical Jesus was the best role model for the world to follow and we are extremely fortunate that the Roman Empire was converted to Christianity. It would be interesting to see an alternate reality in which Jesus was never born as in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Or, instead of never being born, how about never being crucified?

    I personally don’t believe that Jesus really rose from the dead. I believe that was a positive spin put on his death to keep the movement going. The thing is: it worked.

    What would this world be like if it hadn’t?

    1. Stories have been written about this, as I remarked in the post. Unfortunately I don’t remember the title of the story in which Pilate, upon urgings of his wife, remits the crucifixion. See the post for the outcome. There is also a series by Robert Silverberg, “Roma Eterna”, in which the Jews don’t make it out of Egypt during the Exodus, so no Judaism in Israel/Judah and no Jesus. The Roman Empire lasts to the present as a consequence. There are other stories in which the Crucifixion doesn’t take place–see references in the article.

    2. since Jesus is God, raising Himself from the dead makes perfect sense. I see no good reason to believe Jesus’ body mouldered in the grave. there is no evidence that supports the belief that Jesus’ body mouldered in the grave. all available evidence supports the Resurrection of Jesus’ glorified body.

    3. “since Jesus is God, raising Himself from the dead makes perfect sense.”

      The problem is with your premise that Jesus is God. Who knows what makes sense if that is true?

    4. Perhaps that positive spin was generated by The Holy Spirit? As a physician friend of mine remarked, “To think that a bunch of ignorant yahoos–fishermen and riffraff–could spread these teachings through the Roman world requires one to believe in God’s push”.

    5. Just a point, but historically, there have been many cases where a leader who was killed was later claimed to be alive by his followers; none of them except Christianity ever gained any traction.

      Further, I would posit that it is incredibly unlikely that of the apostles, not one of them in the face of increasing persecution, decided to opt out and admit that the whole Jesus rising story was made up. If they had, one would have expected either some sort of condemnation within the Church or claims by Christianity’s opponents that one of the chief early Christians admitted it was made up.

      I suppose one can believe some other reason they believed it, but I think it is hard to dispute that the eleven apostles who survived until Easter Sunday really believed that Jesus rose from the dead.

  9. I understand andere agree with most that was written in this article, felt only funny when I found the name of C.S. Lewis in the negatives. In my faith I experience the death and ressurection daily, what more His daily Presence in good and lesser days. C.S. Lewis has helped me much with his writings, Christ has used them in my life ( and uncountable others) to get healed and stay healthy in my faith in so many ways.
    Bless you all.

    1. thank you for your comment, Naji. I’m not quite sure what you mean by “found the name of C.S. Lewis in the negatives”. He is my literary hero (and I will write about his trilogy “Out of the Silent Planet” in future posts). The quote I gave from him affirms the Divinity of Christ and that his death has procured our salvation.

  10. IS THE PASSION AND RESURRECTION TOO PROFOUND FOR SF?
    Yes, because the end point of that sacrifice has not been made manifest. It’s a climax without a plot.

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