The past two weeks have been overwhelming in terms of just how many articles have been posted relating to anime and religion/spirituality. There’s so much to dig into – I hope you have as much fun reading through these articles as I did!
Are you headed to SuperCon at the end of this month? If so, check out our own Samuru’s panel, “Finding God in Anime and Video Games.” [Gaming and God]
Part of what makes Noragami a fascinating series is how it tells us quite a bit about modern religion in Japan. [Fantastic Memes]
In times of weakness and pain, there we can find strength in something (or hopefully, someone) greater. Just see Iwasawa from Angel Beats as an example. [Old Line Elephant]
Speaking of Angel Beats, the most direct reference to God in the show is from Takeyama, who wants people to call him “Christ.” Mmm…not so fast. [2]
Ciel from Black Butler believes that some people are beyond redemption…but the Bible and many examples from within (like Job) and without (St. Augustine) prove otherwise. [3]
The complete story of Oscar, as presented in Rose of Versailles, reminds us of the value of life itself. [Mage in a Barrel]
In response to Anime Reporter’s essay on homosexuality and the referendum for marriage quality in Ireland, aniblogger JekoJeko takes the question from a Christian point of view [Unnecessary Exclamation Mark!]
D.M. Dutcher offers some advice for Christian speculative fiction writers using Bubblegum Crisis as a basis. [Cacao, put down the shovel!]
For Christians who feel persecution, they might find an odd bedfellow in Naruto. [Lady Teresa Christina]
The world of Haibane Renmei without a doubt shares some ideologies with Christianity. [Kidd’s Anime Blog]
I’m a month late on this article, but it’s more than worth linking to
Oregairu’s Hayato as Satan? In a sense… [Christian Anime Review]
Wiseman from Sailor Moon perhaps has some similarities to 2 Thessalonians’ man of lawlessness. [2]
Episode 3 of Re-Kan! gives us that common anime scene of a character who refuses to cry, then breaks down. But why the resistance? After all, “Jesus wept.” [3]
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As part of the Something More series of posts, Beneath the Tangles links to writings about anime and manga that involve religion and spirituality. If you’ve written such a piece or know of one, please email TWWK to be included.