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 PrintableVersion Heroes and villainsUncomfortable with SpidermanHEROES AND VILLAINS Have Spiderman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Yoda got anything to teach us about living better lives? Mike Alsford, senior lecturer in theology at Greenwich University, thinks so. In Heroes and Villains he explores the concept of humanness through the ‘lives’ of popular film, TV, and comic book characters. In doing this Alsford aims to demystify important debates about human morality, and values, which academic jargon often obscures. The author examines qualities which distinguish fictional heroes and villains, such as the possession of unusual powers. Alsford claims that how these characters handle their unique situations provide an opportunity for readers to reflect on their own ethics and values. As a result they learn how to be less ‘villainous’ and more ‘heroic’ in their routine living. In Heroes and Villains, the writer openly takes a pro-postmodernist approach: comic book characters are drawn alongside philosophers, and even religious leaders, as if they should all be regarded as equals. Yet, for me, this daring inclusiveness means that the book lacks any compelling ‘voice of authority’ within it. This in turn leads to a conclusion that is dissatisfying due to its subjective and fuzzy nature: ‘It is possible for any one of us to become heroic or villainous. Furthermore it serves as a reminder to those accustomed to heroism and villainy that they need not be heroes and villains all the time.’ Where do we go with that? While a student of popular culture might benefit from this book, I would hesitate to recommend it to my Christian friends. Although it is well researched and written, much of its reasoning is more philosophical than theological. Finally, I instinctively feel uneasy with a book that seems to imply that ‘what would Spiderman do?’ is just as valid as ‘what would Jesus do?’ Stephen Ridgeway, © Evangelicals Now - February 2007 |
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