Theology, Religion, and Watchmen
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Description
This edited collection reads Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' graphic novel series Watchmen from a religious and theological perspective.
Matthew Brake and the contributors explore the religious influence, symbolism, and narratives embedded within the Watchmen graphic novels (1986-7), the prequel Before Watchmen (2012) series, DC: Rebirth (2016), Doomsday Clock (2017-19), the HBO series (2019), and the Rorschach (1986) comic series. While religion is not necessarily an explicit theme, the essays herein reveal its clear impact on the Watchmen universe. Across nineteen chapters, this volume traverses subjects including theodicy, monster theory, pastoral care, and the ethics of superhero culture. Much of the volume considers the role and contested "divinity" of Dr. Manhattan, as well as the graphic novel's iconic line, "God exists, and he's American."
Organized chronologically by the release of its primary artifact, each chapter constructs a tapestry of evolving conceptions of faith and religion within Watchmen. Through this study, Brake and the contributors affirm how Christianity specifically, but religion more broadly, continues to inform secular media and popular culture. Tracing these religious and theological subjects within the Watchmen series uncovers how this group of "vigilantes" open up important conversations surrounding morals, ethics, and faith.
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Table of Contents
Introduction: Seeing the Sacred in Watchmen, Matthew Brake (Northern Virginia Community College, USA)
1: Onward Christian Soldiers: American Cold-War Culture in Watchmen, D.J. Dycus (Point University, USA)
2: “A Clock without a Craftsman”? Watchmen as a Parody of Divine Providence, Mike Kugler (Northwestern College, USA)
3: Monsters, One and All: Watchmen and Monster Theory, Michael Nichols (Purdue University, USA)
4: “I Have Seen its True Face,” Or Does He? The Parable of the Antagonistic Subject, John C. McDowell (Yarra Theological Union, Australia)
5: Echoes of Scripture in Watchmen and What is Left Unsaid, Alexander P. Thompson (Tennessee Wesleyan University, USA)
6: Pop Theology in the Quantum Age: The Curious Case of Dr. Manhattan and Mr. Hype, Aaron Ricker (McGill University, Canada)
7: An Intricately Structured Jewel: Time, Eternity, and Doctor Manhattan, Gabriel Mckee (New York University, USA)
8: “Nothing Ever Ends”: Dr. Manhattan and Robert Jenson on Eternity, Time, and Love, Michael Austin Kamenicky (Emory University, USA)
9: Caring Watchmakers? Impassibility and Theodicy in Watchmen & Kingdom Come, Drew McIntyre (Grace United Methodist Church, USA)
10: “We Exist Upon the Whim of Murderers”: Tainted Messiahs and the Menace of Superhero Culture in Tales of the Black Freighter, Clint Jones (Capital University, USA)
11: “Existence is Random”: Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl, and the Post-Holocaust Theology of Watchmen, Jenny Caplan (University of Cincinnati, USA)
12: The Comedian and the Watchman of Copenhagen, Matthew Brake (Northern Virginia Community College, USA)
13: The Divine Comedian: The Kennedys, Conflict, and Confession, Christina M. Knopf (State University of New York at Cortland, USA)
14: Who Are You? And Who Am I? Pastoral Care Perspectives and Divine Experiences with Dr. Manhattan, Sébastien Falardeau (Southern New Hampshire Health, USA)
15: “You Only See What You Want To See”: Trust in Testimony in Doomsday Clock, Robert Grant Price (University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada)
16: Dr. Manhattan is Alive and Well and Living in Tulsa: Collective Trauma and Secular Religiosity at the Narrative Core of Watchmen, Ilaria W. Biano (Independent Scholar, Italy)
17: Kenosis, Theodicy, and Weak Messianic Power in Watchmen, Michael J. Toy (Moravian University, USA)
18: Breaking Idols, Hatching Gods: The Significance of Watchmen for Radical Theology, Daniel Boscaljon (Independent Scholar, USA)
19: Conspiracies and New Religious Movements in Tom King's Rorschach, Matthew Brake (Northern Virginia Community College, USA)
About the Contributors
Product details
| Published | 21 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | 9798216442721 |
| Imprint | T&T Clark |
| Series | Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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