Kindness is Worth the Risk

I want to thank the person who showed me that a kinder universe was out there…

And that kindness is worth the risk.

 - Groot #6

by Jeff Loveness and Brian Kesinger

I Refuse to Strike You Back

I will never hurt...another living soul...

You can do what you like to me, boy...but I refuse to strike you back.

Wolverine #67

By Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Rooting For You Anyway

I know a lot of things about you, Garth.

...And I'm rooting for you anyway.

Ghostopolis

by Doug TenNapel 

Preach Peace and Practice War

But I wanted to be closer to the Christians.  They talk in riddles.  They preach peace and love in the midst of performing incredible violence.
There's a structure, a purpose to what they do that is beyond my ken.  They're changing Norskk, changing it with words and with iron and with blood.  I need to understand them better.

- Black Road #1
by Brian Wood and Garry Brown

I Am God's Regret

You're why this is happening. You ruinous excuses for human life.
You are why everyone will die. Why the rains are coming to wash them all away.
You are God's regret.

 - The Goddamned #2

 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guéra

The Disruption of Christian Patriarchy in The Gospel of Carol and Other Comic Books

Once again I tainted the hallowed halls of Luther Seminary and brought shame upon academic respectability by rambling about comic books at the Upper Midwest joint conference of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature.  It was a really fun time had by all.  Or, at least had by me, since I was rambling about comic books.  Here, presented for your pleasure, or agony, is that paper.

Also, much gratitude to John S. Troutman for letting me bug him so much about The Gospel of Carol.  If you want a fun read, you can snag all the issues from comiXology on the cheap.

Shut Up, You Believe In Talking Snakes

 

Dwayne: PWNER?
Jimmy: Uh...that was one of my hacker names.
Dwayne: Is that even a word?
Jimmy: Shut up, you believe in talking snakes.

-The Tithe #7
by Matt Hawkins and Phillip Sevy

Why Do You Bother?

Father Leone: I mean, people look to you to save them -- probably most of the time -- from their own mistakes.
They do things -- knowingly -- wrong. And they look to you afterward to make them right.
Why do you bother?
Superman: Because I can.
Father Leone: That doesn't mean you have to.
Superman: Yes, it does.
Father Leone: Why...
...if it's not out of love?

- Superman #206

by Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee

Violence Is Stupid

Alana: Why, because you violated some personal pledge against hurting awful people?
Marko: My reluctance to use force isn't ideological, it's practical.
Violence is stupid. Even as a last resort, it only begets more of the same.

- Saga #5
by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

No Other Explanation

Tree: Cedric took the "Vampires Walk Among Us" speech pretty well, I think.
Nick: Might not have been the best time to drop your "Jesus Was A Vampire" theory on him.
Tree: A guy shows up alive three days after being crucified. There is no other explanation.

-Blood Brothers #2

by Mike Gagerman, Andrew Waller, Etan Cohen, and Evan Shaner

God Sweats the Details

People think God sweats the details...
People think He's got time to watch each and every thing we do. Like he really cares what we say and whether or not we're really following his rules. It's such bullshit.
He's not marking down every impure thought or bad word. He doesn't care if you look at your neighbor's wife or drink on a Sunday or masturbate.
He's a little busy waging war on a cosmic level with the devil and the forces of evil.
He just wants us to be good and be good to each other. So really...masturbate all you want.

- Outcast #3
by Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta

Sucked Up To Heaven

Your father was a good man, which is why he got sucked up to Heaven.

See, 'cause of Dukakis and... and all those people, we're finally living through that Bible thing that predicted this was gonna happen.

- Paper Girls #2

by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang

Too Inquisitive

Even as a child I doubted the concept of a Creator...
...But I knew if he really existed and was really somewhere up there in the heavens looking down...
...And if all this was happening because somehow we were too curious, or too inquisitive...
...Well you know what?...Screw him.

- FBP #20

by Simon Oliver and Alberto Ponticelli

Graphic Doubt: The Disruption of Faith in Comic Books and Graphic Literature

On April 17th, 2015, I attended the Upper Midwest Regional Conference of the American Academy of Religion.  During this event, I presented the following paper about faith and doubt in comic books.  Essentially, I sat in a room with respectable religious scholars and professors and talked about comic books for twenty minutes or so.

And of course they selected me to go first.  Which wasn't intimidating at all for someone who was pretty much the least educated person in the room.

Anyway, if you've followed Wednesday Theology for the past year or so you will recognize a lot of these themes.  Doubt has, in a way, become my main message, my strongest expression of my faith, and comic books have facilitated that expression and exploration.  So, I hope you enjoy the following.  I hope you appreciate the proper citations.

But why do this?  Why go to the trouble to write such a thing and present it to only a select few?  Well, this is pretty much an example of the culmination of everything Wednesday Theology strives to be: a legitimation, scholarly or otherwise, of the exploration of the intersection of theology and comic books.

Plus, it also gives me a sense of purpose to my life.

God Who Rules By Threat

But a God who rules by threat does not rule at all.  As I can cause pain, so I can take it away.
I can restore you.  I can make you whole.

-  God is Dead #6 by

Jonathan Hickman, Mike Costa, and Di Amorim

You Sentenced Her to Hell

Dream: Sister -- you know how I felt for Nada once. What I feel for her still. But she defied me. I gave her due warning, and still she spurned me, so...
Death: So you sentenced her to hell.
Dream: ...yes.
Death: Desire was right.
Dream: What?
Death: Well, maybe not about everything. But right about Nada, anyway. You did a terrible thing to that poor girl. You acted appallingly.
Dream: You too? Even you turn on me, my sister?
Death: Oh, just shut up and let me finish. You can shout at me afterwards.
Nada loved you. She really did.
Now, maybe Desire had more to do with that -- and with your reaction to Nada's love -- than it's saying. That doesn't matter.
Because Nada was right.
It is bad for us to get involved with them. You know that.
Dream: I would have made her a goddess.
Death: Maybe she didn't want to be a goddess, little brother. Did you ever consider that?
Anyway, condemning her to an eternity in hell, just because she turned you down...
...That's a really shitty thing to do.   

 - Sandman #21
by Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg

Never Deserved or Earned

We've heard a lot about nature today. By its nature, mercy is never deserved or earned. It can only be given as a gift.

- Fables #93

by Bill Willingham and David Lapham

Halloween Dealie

Satan: So, if candy wasn't the motivating factor, Grim, what made you think I would enjoy this Halloween dealie?
Grim Reaper: Well, I just keep hearing on TV about groups who condemn it as a day in which you're worshipped.
Satan: Really? I haven't been getting any presents or anything.
Grim Reaper: Yeah, I know, That's why I figured we'd come up here.
Satan: Well, let's see if they are right.

- "Candy for All, Justice for None" in Hector Plasm: Totentatz

by Benito Cereno and Nate Bellegarde

You're A Moron

Father Sterling: Of course! And it makes perfect sense that Jesus would choose to come to America! God blessed this nation over all others! That's why he's on our money.
Dr. Clark: You're a moron.

- Punk Rock Jesus

by Sean Murphy

Kill Them All

...Kill them all!!
And remember...God is love.

- Ragmop

by Rob Walton