A conference of Church of England vicars watched a handful of episodes from the sci-fi series to study its religious parallels, particularly its themes of evil, resurrection and redemption.
Similarities between the Doctor and Christ, as well as whether the evil Daleks are capable of changing, were also examined.
“There are countless examples of Christian symbolism in Doctor Who, which we can use to get across ideas that can otherwise be difficult to explain,” The Sunday Telegraph in Britain quoted Andrew Wooding, a spokesman for conference organising group Church Army, as saying.
I have previously admitted to being a life long fan of Doctor Who but I have never considered the Doctor to be a divine figure, apart from being based upon the notion that evil must be opposed, even when the odds seem insurmountable, I don’t see that may convergences with Christianity which has always struck me as being about being caring and compassionate to your fellows in the expectation that they will reciprocate . If anything Doctor Who’s universe is profoundly secular and it denies any concept of an afterlife which I sort of think is the foundation of most religions.
Cheers Comrades
Filed under: Ethical questions, God bothering, Media Matters, Television | Tagged: ask the vicar, Church of England, Doctor Who
