Questions and Answers about Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass A Discussion Guide CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE Copyright (c) 2007 Concordia Publishing House This material may be photocopied and adapted for congregational or personal use. It may not be provided for sale in any format, or via any medium, without the express written consent of Concordia Publishing House. Concordia Publishing House 3558 South Jefferson Avenue Saint Louis, Missouri 63118 1-800-325-3040 www.cph.org Posted to the Internet on December 4, 2007 Statement required by The LCMS Handbook, Bylaw 1.9.1.1 (b) This material is being released for study and discussion purposes. The author and editor are solely responsible for the contents. It has not been submitted to the process of doctrinal review stipulated in the bylaws of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and does not necessarily reflect the theology of the Lutheran Confessions or the doctrinal position of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Written by Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer. Edited by Rev. Paul T. McCain Section 1 "What's the big fuss? It's just a movie." Have you heard that statement in reaction to the upset in the Christian community over films such as The Da Vinci Code or The Golden Compass? Or perhaps you said it yourself? On one hand, it is understandable. It is not helpful for Christians to overreact to cultural phenomena. We are not alarmists. The sky is not falling. There is no panic in heaven. Nor on the other hand are we being faithful to our divinely appointed mission to illumine and evangelize the world if we ignore the artistic and popular cultural expressions of the society in which we live and serve. The reality is that a movie is seldom ever just a movie, any more than a novel is ever just a novel. Storytelling can be a very powerful and effective way of communicating knowledge and passing on values in subtle or not so subtle ways. The question really is not whether storytelling conveys knowledge or influences beliefs and behavior; it is whether it does so well or poorly and to what end? The orientation of those beliefs and influences can be clearly discerned at certain times, but less so at others. The Golden Compass is the name of the first book of the trilogy, His Dark Materials, by the outspoken British author, Philip Pullman. The series has been a huge hit in the U.K. and elsewhere with a smaller but growing reader fan base in the United States. Known in England by the title Northern Lights, The Golden Compass is followed by The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. While New Line Cinema has significantly toned down the anti-Christian elements of the novels, this remains a concern for believers because the films, if well made and entertaining, will spark a new interest in the novels. Most of the first novel comes across as nothing much more than a gripping adventure story. Only toward the end and then, more explicitly, in volumes two and three do Pullman's anti-religious themes become apparent. Pullman admits rather freely that 'I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief' (Alona Wartofsky, 'The Last Word' in The Washington Post, 19 February 2001). Should Christians Read Works by Unbelievers? Yes. We should. There are three main reasons. 1) The arts are a precious part of life. The characteristics of human beings that are most godlike are the urge to create and the ability to apprehend beauty. Not even the most sophisticated specimens in the animal kingdom can do that. Some animals have been observed using tools. But no creature besides man, not even the angels, is creative. One might counter that the devil is crafty. Indeed, but Satan never invents anything new; he only perverts what God has created. One of the most wonderful aspects of being a human being is the ability to create and enjoy the arts. Storytelling is particularly invigorating. Children may need to be taught to appreciate painting or music, but every child loves stories. Using words to create worlds (or "sub-create" as J.R.R. Tolkien put it), either in prose, poetry or theater is uniquely godlike. 2) There is much we can learn from unbelievers. Christians do not have a monopoly on knowledge. The scriptures are clear that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but there is a kind of earthly wisdom that is available to all men and women who observe the world God has made. Of course, one can place too great an emphasis upon this, but who can deny that Socrates, Aristotle, Aesop, and Buddha for example had some remarkably profound things to say? Or note in the modern sphere the penetrating insights of non-Christian writers like Mark Twain, Elie Wiesel, or Kurt Vonnegut. 3) A missional imperative. The writings and sermons of St. Paul indicate that he had a detailed familiarity with ancient pagan poets and playwrights (Acts 17:28, 1 Corinthians 15:33). In the Jewish synagogues, he undoubtedly began with the Hebrew prophets, but to educated Greeks he cited their own writers as a small but significant step to announce the resurrection of Jesus. In our divine mission to announce the mercies of God to all people, it is extremely useful to understand their aspirations, concerns and presuppositions. Bible Study Questions: 1. Read Acts 17:22-32. How does Paul use verse familiar to his hearers (verse 28) to advance their understanding of the Gospel? 2. In other places in the New Testament, Paul quotes from pagan writers (see 1 Corinthians 15:33 and Titus 1:12). Why does he do that? And how do you think he came to be familiar with those writings and plays? 3. Read Colossians 4:5-6. How do these admonitions from Paul help us to understand how to use the culture in order to reach out to unbelievers? Section 2 Who Is Philip Pullman? Philip Pullman has become one of the most significant living British writers. Author of almost thirty books, he is the winner of several writing awards including the Whitbread Book of the Year for 2001 with The Amber Spyglass, volume two of His Dark Materials. The trilogy has sold over seven million copies in 37 languages. He flatly asserted about these books several years ago, "My books are about killing God." (The Atlantic Monthly, December 2007, p. 69). He declared that we "need all the things the Kingdom of Heaven used to promise but failed to deliver." (The Atlantic Monthly, p. 72). Story Summary The main character, Lyra Belacqua, is an 11-year-old streetwise orphan girl, who traverses across universes with armored bears, witches and sundry others to undermine an oppressive ecclesiastical structure and to ultimately kill God. Lyra's world is a parallel universe very similar to ours, but not identical. The time period feels like the late 19th century with hints of modern technology. One of the most imaginative features of this alternate world is that everyone has an alter-ego in the form of an animal, called a daemon, which accompanies them everywhere they go. Lyra's daemon is called Pantalaimon and like the daemons for all children continually changes form from moth to wildcat and others. Only after puberty does the daemon of a person take a settled shape. Together, Lyra and Pan learn about a mysterious substance called "Dust" which is said to have tremendous power but is so feared by some that they seek to destroy it. Lord Asriel is Lyra's enigmatic uncle who appears on the scene in between adventures and tells her about another world he has spotted by viewing the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. He knows there is some connection between this city and Dust and he is seeking funds for a new expedition. Soon thereafter, children begin to disappear from all across England, including Lyra's best friend. The mysterious Gobblers are the suspected culprits. Rumors abound and Lyra determines to rescue her friend, certain he'd do the same thing for her. In her quest for the truth, Lyra is given a device called an "alethiometer," which is Greek for "truth meter." At first blush, it looked like a golden compass, hence the title of the book. Lyra learns to use the alethiometer as a guide. Later, she is introduced to the glamorous Mrs. Coulter who offers to take Lyra with her to London to become her assistant. Lyra agrees but soon discovers that Mrs. Coulter may somehow be responsible for the disappearing children. She attempts to flee and is almost caught but is rescued in the nick of time by people known as the Gyptians. The Gyptians tell Lyra that they are on their way to the Arctic where, they have discovered, is where all the missing children are being held. Along the way, the group hires the services of Iorek Byrnison, a talking armored bear, and Lee Scorseby, a Texan balloonist. The first third of the saga concludes with Lyra taken captive and the others' plans to rescue her. The Gospel According to Pullman The Church - In Pullman's books, the church is a strange blending of Calvinism and Roman Catholicism. Its defining characteristic is not the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ but rather the enforcement of moral rectitude. Its prime objective is to constrain free thought. The books use terminology familiar to believers, particularly of the Church of Rome. There is a "Magisterium," a pope, cardinals and church councils. God - Pullman refers to God simply as "The Authority." He is not truly the deity, but rather a high angel who has become old, senile, and sadistic in his obsession with controlling the lives of others. The Fall of Man - From the perspective of Pullman's novels, the temptation of Adam and Eve with their fall into sin was not a loss for the human race, but an advancement. The title of the trilogy, His Dark Materials derives from Paradise Lost by John Milton. Pullman is of the school of thought which contends that Satan is the true hero in Milton's epic, that the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eve was a good thing. It marks a person's progress from blissful and childlike ignorance to knowledge, from innocence to experience. The Kingdom of Heaven - Not believing in an afterlife, Pullman's narrative places the kingdom of heaven upon the earth. He shares the basic optimism of the secular humanists who imagine that a world without religion would be a world of great scientific advancement, sexual liberty, and universal happiness. It's a type of social Darwinism which holds that everything is becoming more improving with time. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many believed we were getting better every day and in every way. Left unconsidered is the possibility that men will, using science, destroy the planet and everything on it. Dust - Dust is a key plot device in Pullman's novels. It is a mysterious substance that comes from the sky and gathers upon people, particularly adults. According to Pullman, it is understood by the church as a manifestation of original sin, so they set upon a pernicious campaign to destroy it. Scientists and free thinkers like the enigmatic Lord Asriel believe it has the power to improve the world and want to unleash its secrets. What is the qualitative difference between children and adults? Simply speaking, puberty. From a biological perspective, adulthood is the sexual maturation of the body. In the story, that sexual awakening is the point when Dust begins to coalesce around the person. In the narrative, sex is then associated with original sin. To overcome the power of original sin and undo the error of Adam and Eve, the church must prevent Dust from becoming attached to people. To accomplish this, the church kidnaps pre-pubescent children and severs their souls (daemons), making them into dull-witted automatons, but preventing them from maturing properly and thus becoming associated with Dust. The message is clear. To Pullman, the church represents enforced ignorance, small-mindedness and unnatural sexual repression. Salvation - The philosophical materialism of Philip Pullman makes a proxy religion out of science. Man is his own savior, and his ingenuity is the only sacrament he requires. Instead of depending upon an all-powerful deity to intervene and rescue humanity from its predicament, Pullman is confident that humankind will be able to answer the questions that matter and solve the problems of life on earth. Death is not perceived so much as the enemy to be defeated but rather as a natural part of life. What Do Christians Really Believe? The scriptures emphasize that man is always attempting to justify himself before God. It is painful to be humbled and recognize one's helplessness. As long as one remains confident in his own reason and strength, he will never see the hand of God reaching to save him. Martin Luther emphasized that salvation comes from outside of us (extra nos). God comes to us, in Christ, to atone for our sins and then exalt us with Himself. Christians confess that man is unable to help himself where it counts the most and look to Jesus Christ for salvation. At the Heidelberg Disputation in May, 1518, Luther presented a number of theses, one of which declared: "It is certain that man must utterly despair of his own ability before he is prepared to receive the grace of Christ." (American Edition, Vol. 31, p. 40). The Christian has a more accurate and more realistic understanding of human nature. The Scriptures do not teach that ignorance and sexual frigidity are our fundamental problems, but rather our problem-and the one from which we need divine rescue-is that of rebellious spirits and hearts that are self-seeking. Science is indeed a noble and praiseworthy enterprise, but it has limits. For all its accomplishments, it is utterly ineffectual when it comes to matters of the spirit. The grand solutions are not finally found in a laboratory but at the manger and the cross. God had compassion on the world. His one eternal Son united Himself with our nature and took on himself the guilt of our sin. He lived a life perfectly fulfilling all the demands of God's Law. He died the perfect death as the substitute for us, offering Himself up as the perfect ransom for our sin and the sins of the whole world. He did this not for His own gain, but out of pure self-sacrificial love for those who did not deserve it. In Him, our sins are forgiven, we have been pardoned, and everlasting life is God's gift to us. Bible Study Questions: 1. Read Romans 1:20-22. According to verse 20, why is it that "men are without excuse"? Follow up by reading Romans 3:22-24. In these verses, what do we learn about ourselves? 2. Read Ephesians 2:8-10. What does this familiar passage emphasize? 3. Read the meaning of the Second Article of the Creed from Luther's Small Catechism. In the creed, we confess that Jesus has "redeemed me, a lost and condemned person." How has Christ done this for me? Section 3 Should I see the movie? Because the film has soft-pedaled, and even omitted, many of the overt anti-God elements and the most biting snipes at the church in the books, it may be perceived by many to be little more than a fun, harmless romp. The great danger, of course, is that delight in the movie will inspire interest in the books. And it's not so much The Golden Compass that offends as it is the latter two volumes of the series. The second, and especially the third books of His Dark Materials are where Pullman becomes most direct in his charges against the Christian Church and explicit about his hatred for God. It is difficult to make a one-size-fits-all directive about things like this and we should always be hesitant to bind the consciences of others. Nevertheless, certain biblical truths offer us guidance. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul instructed believers about Christian liberty. In that context, the question was whether or not it was allowable to eat meat from the market which had been sacrificed to idols. On the one hand, the apostle notes that idols are nothing and so the meat is good, in itself. Thus, a Christian who eats it commits no sin. Even so, the issue doesn't end there. The question arises: what if Christians who are weak or less mature in their faith are confused by the eating and possibly begin to doubt or fall into unbelief? In a setting where many members of the congregation were converted from paganism and were most likely still struggling to leave behind the false beliefs and practices they once embraced, seeing a brother in Christ partaking of meat that had been offered to idols may make it difficult for that newer Christian to remain secure in his understanding of the gospel. So St. Paul tells those more spiritually mature to restrain themselves, to not exercise their freedom for the sake of their weaker brothers and sisters. Individual Christians need to stop thinking only in terms of themselves, their freedom and how things affect them directly. While my faith may not be shaken by seeing the movie and my conscience is clean, if I give unnecessary offense to my brothers and sisters or if I embolden atheistic evangelists and artisans like Philip Pullman, then exercising my freedom may lead to great harm for others. Paul sums it up well when he says, "'All things are lawful for me,' but not all things are helpful" (1 Corinthians 6:12). Christians need to think very carefully whether or not they wish to be supporting a movie that is based on books that have such a clear anti-Christian agenda. Are there better choices and alternatives? One need think only of Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia. Is Pullman's Work a Threat? Yes and no. It is the solemn duty of the church to be vigilant and watchful to combat error, not in order to imprison people's minds, but so that they might be liberated by truth. It is possible that a person could be led into doubt by Pullman's writing; particularly newer less mature Christians. By the second and third volumes, his agenda has become so transparent and his tone so condescending that it will probably turn many readers sour. Very seldom in literature are the bad guys so completely bad as the Church is, as it is presented in His Dark Materials. Admittedly, there have been wicked deeds performed by churchmen falsely in the name of Christianity; but Pullman would have us think that the Christian Church has done only evil all the time in every way. Hasn't Christianity offered anything good to civilization? Of course, the answer is a resounding yes, even from a purely secular point of view. Throughout the centuries, Christians have done many good works for their neighbors. Christians everywhere established hospitals and orphanages. Because of the influence of Christianity, the status of women in society was lifted. Throughout the history of the Christian Church, believers have fed the hungry, served those who are ill, and ministered to the dying-and still continue to do so. Thus, Pullman's position against the church is extreme, and he undermines himself in this way. Instead of producing a reasoned refutation of Christian beliefs, Pullman attacks an unrecognizable caricature of the Christian church and God. Far from providing ammunition for the enemies of Christianity, he simply gives them the excuse to be rude. He's not so much a threat as he is bad-mannered. Sadly, that is really all many people desire: not a careful debate of ideas, but nasty ad hominem attacks. It is always easier to misrepresent one's opponents than to engage in careful argumentation. Pullman does not respect Christianity enough to argue against it seriously, on its own terms. If the church were as Pullman describes, I'd oppose it too. Conclusion Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world and rose again for our justification. This is something Pullman completely overlooks. And it's why his so-called attack on Christian belief is so embarrassingly na‹ve. He never attempts to respond to the claims of Jesus, his miraculous birth, his ministry, his crucifixion and finally his resurrection and ascension. Fabricating a despicable mockery of the church and criticizing that fiction is a pathetic strategy for someone seriously wanting to engage the world of ideas with people. Rejoice that your names are, by God's grace, written in the book of life. Stand firm on the God's promises applied to you at your baptism and do not fear the lies of the world, the devil, and our flesh. The Christian life, even as we reside in the church militant, is characterized by joy not by fear or fear-mongering. Use this as an opportunity to train yourselves and your children to be discerning consumers of popular culture. Whether you read the books or not, whether you view the films or not, Pullman's work is likely to have an impact on many lives. Remember the ostrich who put his head in the sand? Amazingly, avoidance does not solve problems. The devil wins twice if in response, Christians fixate on the symptoms instead of the illness. Working ourselves into a lather organizing a boycott can be a bit like putting a band-aid on a gaping head wound. It's too little, too late. A boycott may or may not be a good strategy, but it's a minor distraction if we do not undertake the harder task of finding out why people like Pullman are so antagonistic and reaching out to them in humility and love to hopefully, by the power of the Holy Spirit working through the gospel, win them over. Bible Study Questions: 1. Read 1 Corinthians 8:12. What is the danger of abusing Christian liberty? 2. Read 1 Peter 3:14-16. According to this passage, if we "suffer for righteousness' sake," should we be troubled? Why or why not? What should we as believers be prepared to defend? Finally, reflect on this. Pullman is rightly convinced of the moral power of a good story. He says, " 'Thou shalt not' might reach the head, but it takes 'Once upon a time' to reach the heart." (The Atlantic Monthly, p. 72). Consider how we can help others see the joy, grandeur, mystery, beauty, thrill, excitement, adventure and most of all, the saving truth, of the greatest of all "Once upon a time" stories, a story that is powerful and life-changing, precisely because it is absolutely true: the good news of the One who was born in Bethlehem to rescue the world from the power of sin, death and hell. It is a message that touches both head and heart, now and for all eternity. How does this reality shape and change you? How does it impact your life? How can you tell other the good news about Jesus, using this movie and this issue as a catalyst for conversation? ?? ?? ?? ?? 11