More than Superheroes: Viewing comics through the filter of faith in Jesus

Welcome to “More than Superheroes: Viewing comics through the filter of faith in Jesus”.

Perhaps you came across these posts because you enjoy all things related to comic books. Maybe you are a Christian who is always looking for new devotional materials. Or possibly it is a combination of the two: you are a Christian who also enjoys comic books – just like me. In recent years, comic book heroes have become increasingly popular as more and more Superhero movies have been made. However, Comic books date back to the 1930’s. Many of these characters have a very detailed history which has been developed primarily through print media. The more well-known characters have also had stories told in animation and live-action films. Generally, my writing will focus on the superheroes who have had their stories told in movies. I will look at these characters from my Biblical Christian perspective.

So who am I to be writing about this topic? First, I am a Lutheran pastor. I serve the Lord at two congregations in rural Minnesota, carrying out all the responsibilities of preaching and teaching the Word of God, giving special attention to youth and outreach ministries. I graduated from Martin Luther College in 2005 and from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 2009. Upon graduation from the Seminary I received the call to serve at my current congregations. Second, I am an avid fan of comic books. I have a good knowledge of both the Marvel and DC comic book universes, but, I would say that I know more about Marvel Comics. I have enjoyed these stories and characters since childhood and really appreciate the fact that these heroes have recently been brought to life through live-action films.

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I met my wife in college through a devotional Bible study group that met each evening. We quickly became friends and started dating, and we were married in 2006. Our daughter is Elizabeth (Libby), born November 3, 2011. We found out about her about a week after Easter in 2012 and then we adopted her at the end of May 2012. Libby has an optic nerve condition that caused her to be born blind. It has been a great joy for us to bring her into our home. It is challenging and exciting to help her grow and figure out this world. It is amazing to observe how she uses her senses of hearing and touch to understand her environment.

My posts will be primarily devotional in nature. I will point to issues that come to my mind as I think about Superhero movies. I will focus on specific characters, both their positive and negative aspects, and think about what we can learn from them. If you are unfamiliar with the character I am talking about, I will list their movies in my posts so that you can check them out. I will also bring in Scripture references to show how my faith influences the way that I look at these movies. My purpose is not to tear down these characters. Remember that I am a fan and I appreciate this form of entertainment. As with all forms of entertainment, we can see truths about humanity in general as well as truths that are specific to ourselves. The next two points are a bit of a disclaimer about my posts.

1. While certain themes in these movies may resonate with Christian hearts, I do not think that the authors of these movies were trying to appeal to Christians. I do not assume to know what the authors intended unless the authors have specifically said their intentions. I am only analyzing what I see.
2. As incredible as these heroes are, Jesus is the only hero who has won us forgiveness and eternal life through his death and resurrection. I will come back to the idea of Jesus as our hero at times. Scripture even has ways of speaking about our Savior which present him as a hero.

A scripture passage that I like to keep in mind while engaging in any form of entertainment is from 1 Corinthians 10:31. There Paul writes, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  I can give glory to God as I enjoy the things of this world. I do so by letting my faith be the filter through which I view all things. I recognize that there are going to be times that entertainment will emphasize certain sins as admirable. I may point out those sins as a way to recognize the dangers of those temptations. I think it is a good to ask this question, “What can I enjoy about entertainment while still giving glory to my God who saved me from my sins?” That is the approach that I will take as I analyze the comic book genre of entertainment. If you have questions for me, please feel free to contact me.