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Kristusgestalter och antikristusgestalter i populärkulturen

Author

  • Pierre Wiktorin

Summary, in English

This article focuses on the use of the Western messianic mythéme, which has increased during the last decades.In popular culture, Christ figures and Antichrist figures are frequently engaged in dire battles which can only end in the Christ figure's destruction of his opponent. Although this can be seen as a sacralization of popular culture, one should be careful not to confuse the use of religious metaphors with religion per se. While best selling productions like The Matrix,The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter use the Messiah metaphor to expose a cause worth dying for, the differ from other popular productions like Left Behind, Luther: the Movie and The Da Vinci Code which are parts of a religious quest.

Although laden with religious or secular ethics, consumers usually consider productions like these as mere entertainment. In the case of Harry Potter, however, various Christian groups have either considered Rowling as promoting Christianity or propagating the occult. In such cases, religion or anti-religion is constructed from non religious fiction.

Publishing year

2009

Language

Swedish

Pages

42-46

Publication/Series

Svensk teologisk kvartalskrift

Volume

1

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Gleerups Utbildning AB

Topic

  • History of Religions

Keywords

  • relgion
  • Popular culture
  • Christianity
  • Harry Potter
  • Christ
  • Left Behind
  • Antichrist

Status

Published