Books : The Gospel According to the World's Greatest Superhero

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Georgia FlyBoy
This book is very insightful and informative. It will make you view the Superman mythos in a radically different light. The many references to my favorite television show, "Smallville", gave me an even greater appreciation for the heart-warming morality tales that are the hallmark of this groundbreaking series. I am certain that any person's spiritual growth will be greatly enhanced by this awesomely cool book!

Rating:

- Great for any Superman Fan
A well-researched book. The author knows his sources very well. References C.S. Lewis, which is good since Lewis thought and wrote about how myths and God's use of them interrelate.

This book is a quick-read, but there is a lot of information in there. I'm not sure if all types he finds in the Superman canon are great, but the vast majority of them make sense to me. And we are playing with shaddows, not the real thing. We must always keep in mind that works of fiction do not have to intentionally pattern themselves in order for their to be a real parallel or type present.

The author made the following point but it is hard to grasp: We are made in God's image. There are themes which resonate with us because of this. Superman is one of them, since it touches on Christian themes and types. We should expect to see Christ-like figures in fiction because we are built that way (both before and after Christ). That doesn't make the message of Christianity false. That was based on a historic witness.

One thing I would suggest to the author. Lois Lane is more of a figure of the bride of the Messiah (the elect, the church) than it Mary Magdalene. Lois Lane reminds us of Mary Magdalene because Mary Magdalene was a faithful follower who was rescued by Jesus. But that can be spoken about of the church in general. In this way, marriage and relations between Lois Lane and Superman is no problem and no Gnostic teaching need be considered. Initmate relations between a husband and wife is a biblical type of Jesus's intimate relation with the church and God's relations with his people. That seemed to be a miss by the author's part, but I do not wish to suggest this is a big deal.

I hope this book helps Superman fans (whether believers in Jesus or not) realize a lot of their attraction to this character is rooted in the character and nature of Jesus.

Rating:

- Great Comparison and Analysis!
This is a great analysis and comparison of the Gospel message and the story of Superman! Though, there were many details and comments where the author is reading too much into the simple story of Superman. But it's still a wonderful read!

Rating:

- Superman/Super Star
Interesting back story on the creation of The Man of Steel mythos. At times, maybe a bit of a stretch to match with the Bible/Jesus. All in all, I enjoyed it and have passed it on to my my pastor.. he plans a sermon on it.

Rating:

- Character evolution ...
While I don't believe Superman was originally created as an allegory for Christianity, he has, nonetheless, evolved over time through the hands of many different creators, to such a standard and it is a very obvious and intentional parallel in the modern cannon.

Literary critics apply similiar readings to classic literature throughout history - adapting the reading to fit their own perspective. Frankenstien, for instance, can be read with political themes, feminist themes, religious themes, and more. That doesn't mean Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley originally intended it to be taken in each of those contexts, but it has all the same been taken there.

Why should Superman be any different?

Comic books are our modern heroes. They are our mythology, and sequential storytelling can be dated back thousands of years. There are good and bad examples, to be sure, but comic books should be considered every bit as much literature and art as anything being taught in the colleges and universities today.

And Superman is the grandfather of it all!

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