The Gospel According to the World's Greatest Superhero

The Gospel According to the World's Greatest Superhero
Author: Stephen Skelton
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Total Pages: 180
Release: 2006
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780736918121

Skelton leads the reader through fast-paced discussions of such striking phenomena as the influence of Christ's life on superheroes, and the similarities between the devil and comic book protagonists.

The Gospel According to Superheroes

The Gospel According to Superheroes
Author: B. J. Oropeza
Publisher: Peter Lang
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2005
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9780820474229

And 1970s, and the dark and violent creatures who embody the pre- and post-millennial crises of faith. Lavishly illustrated, the articles come to startling conclusions about what we have really been reading under the covers with flashlights for generations. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ
Author: Scott Bayles
Publisher:
Total Pages: 28
Release: 2018-03-21
Genre:
ISBN: 9781980578635

The world needs heroes... champions of truth and justice who fight for what's right and save the day. And nobody does heroes better than comic-books. Clad in colorful capes and costumes, superheroes regularly thwart would-be world conquerors and fend off alien invasions. The only drawback is... they aren't real. They only exist in imaginary stories created by talented authors and artists. So we look for real heroes... athletes, doctors, firefighters, police, etc. But real heroes fail us often enough to remind us that they aren't very super after all. Fortunately, these heroes point beyond themselves to someone both real and super... Someone who came to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, and gave his life to save the world! His name is Jesus Christ!In Jesus Christ: The World's Great Hero! author and artist Scott Bayles condenses the greatest story ever told into a fast-paced, action-packed, twenty-four page graphic novel. Highlighting Christ's heroic nature, Jesus Christ: The World's Greatest Hero! is perfect for children as well as adult comic-book collectors!

Holy Heroes

Holy Heroes
Author: Scott Bayles
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780817017705

Author, pastor, and founder of the cosplay ministry Costumers for Christ, Scott Bayles is passionate about teaching spiritual life lessons based on the stories of comic book heroes. Likening the legends of superheroes to modern-day parables, Bayles connects the stories of comic book heroes such as Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Spider-Man, Green Lantern, the X-Men, and others with the timeless truths of God's Word. So, if you're a fan of DC and Marvel and a follower of Jesusor if you'd like to know more about one or the otherthen this book is for you! Includes questions for small-group discussion and features photos of actual cosplayers to introduce each character. Great for older teens and young adultsand beyond! And, hopefully, you'll discover Jesus is the greatest superhero of them all!

Superheroes Can’t Save You

Superheroes Can’t Save You
Author: Todd Miles
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Total Pages: 195
Release: 2018-04-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 146275080X

Comic superheroes embody the hopes of a world that is desperate for a savior. But those comic creations cannot save us from our greatest foes—sin and death. Throughout the history of the Church there have been bad ideas, misconceptions, and heretical presentations of Jesus. Each one of these heresies fails to present Jesus as the Bible reveals him. In Superheroes Can’t Save You, Todd Miles demonstrates how these ancient heresies are embodied in contemporary comic superheroes. Miles compares something everybody already knows (who the superheroes are) with what they need to know (who Jesus is), in a book that makes vitally important Christian truths understandable and applicable to a wide audience.

Evangelical Christians and Popular Culture

Evangelical Christians and Popular Culture
Author: Robert H. Woods Jr.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 1097
Release: 2013-01-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0313386552

This three-volume collection demonstrates the depth and breadth of evangelical Christians' consumption, critique, and creation of popular culture, and how evangelical Christians are both influenced by—and influence—mainstream popular culture, covering comic books to movies to social media. Evangelical Christians and Popular Culture: Pop Goes the Gospel addresses the full spectrum of evangelical media and popular culture offerings, even delving into lesser-known forms of evangelical popular culture such as comic books, video games, and theme parks. The chapters in this 3-volume work are written by over 50 authors who specialize in fields as diverse as history, theology, music, psychology, journalism, film and television studies, advertising, and public relations. Volume 1 examines film, radio and television, and the Internet; Volume 2 covers literature, music, popular art, and merchandise; and Volume 3 discusses public figures, popular press, places, and events. The work is intended for a scholarly audience but presents material in a student-friendly, accessible manner. Evangelical insiders will receive a fresh look at the wide variety of evangelical popular culture offerings, many of which will be unknown, while non-evangelical readers will benefit from a comprehensive introduction to the subject matter.

From Star Wars to Superman

From Star Wars to Superman
Author: James Papandrea
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2017-11-16
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1622823885

When cultures such as ours toss Jesus out one door, He comes in – albeit disguised – through another. That’s why author Jim Papandrea turned to Star Wars, Star Trek, The Matrix, Terminator, Spider-Man, Batman, Dr. Who, and half-a-dozen other modern shows, discovering in each one powerful images of Christ and salvation. Nor is that surprising. In stories of alternative universes, people always need rescuing; somebody needs to save the day; and sometimes the whole world cries out for a savior . . . which is just what a hero is. About the heroes of some of the most popular sci-fi stories of all time, author Papandrea here answers questions that concern Christians who are also Trekkies, Whovians, Matrix Dwellers, or aficionados of popular science fiction: What kind of “Christ-figure” is the hero of this story, and what does that say about the show’s vision of Christ, humanity and salvation? In the interest of being scientific, Papandrea even gives each hero a Numerical Orthodoxy Score based on the description of Christ in the Nicene Creed, Christianity’s common definition of orthodoxy. Included herein are astute Christian analyses of: Batman * Captain * America * Doctor Who * The Fifth Element * I, Robot * Iron Man * LOST * The Matrix * Planet of the Apes * Pleasantville * Spider-Man * Star Trek * Star Wars * Superman * The Terminator * The Time Machine * Tron * Wonder Woman Here you’ll read about: The pervasive Christian imagery in Doctor WhoStar Trek’s predicted “death of God”Free-will: the stumbling block in the first MatrixThe crucifixion of Spider-ManWhy Wonder Woman is an image of a gnostic saviorThe meaning of salvation in Star Wars (It masquerades as Christian)How Superman’s life begins as a parallel of Moses.I, Robot: the religious reason why the robot is called “Sonny”Whether, in any Christian sense, Neo is The One?Captain American and Iron-Man: one defends the innocent, the other brings justice to the guiltyThe tomb scene in the Fifth Element: it’s not the resurrection we needMatter vs. Spirit in Tron: gnostic to the coreThe anti-Christian bias of Planet of the ApesWhy the Force in Star Wars is no analogy to Grace or the Holy SpiritThe Star Wars Christ figure: Obi-Wan? Luke? Or even, ultimately, Darth VaderWhat Heaven is understood to be in the LOST universeTime travel as incarnation in The Terminator: a compelling analogyRegeneration as resurrection in Doctor Who: Is it Christ-like?How Pleasantville reverses the dynamism of the FallThe baptismal significance of the plane crash in LOSTPleasantville: a twisted version of EdenThe incarnation of the Christ-figure in Planet of the ApesTron’s parallels between Christianity and the Roman Empire . . . and much more about other science fiction and superhero shows! Christians who enjoy popular culture will greet this fun book with interest and acclaim.

The Myth of the Superhero

The Myth of the Superhero
Author: Marco Arnaudo
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2013-05
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1421409534

Translated for the first time into English, The Myth of the Superhero looks beyond the cape, the mask, and the superpowers, presenting a serious study of the genre and its place in a broader cultural context.

Superman and the Bible

Superman and the Bible
Author: Nicholaus Pumphrey
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 215
Release: 2019-02-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1476665028

In 1938, Superman debuted, jumping off the pages of Action Comics #1. In the cultural context of the Great Depression and World War II, the U.S. would see the rise of the superhero not only in comic books but in radio programs, animated cartoons and television shows. Superman forever changed one's concept of the hero and became permanently engrained in both American and worldwide culture. This study explores the Man of Steel's narrative as a fresh perspective on readings of the Bible--his character is reflected in such figures as Moses, Samson and Jesus. The author argues that if we read the Bible it can be said we are reading about Superman.