American Theology, Superhero Comics, and Cinema

The Marvel of Stan Lee and the Revolution of a Genre

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, Art Technique, Cartooning, Home & Garden, Crafts & Hobbies, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book American Theology, Superhero Comics, and Cinema by Anthony Mills, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Anthony Mills ISBN: 9781135014360
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: October 1, 2013
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Anthony Mills
ISBN: 9781135014360
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: October 1, 2013
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Stan Lee, who was the head writer of Marvel Comics in the early 1960s, co-created such popular heroes as Spider-Man, Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, and Daredevil. This book traces the ways in which American theologians and comic books of the era were not only both saying things about what it means to be human, but, starting with Lee they were largely saying the same things. Author Anthony R. Mills argues that the shift away from individualistic ideas of human personhood and toward relational conceptions occurring within both American theology and American superhero comics and films does not occur simply on the ontological level, but is also inherent to epistemology and ethics, reflecting the comprehensive nature of human life in terms of being, knowing, and acting.

This book explores the idea of the "American monomyth" that pervades American hero stories and examines its philosophical and theological origins and specific manifestations in early American superhero comics. Surveying the anthropologies of six American theologians who argue against many of the monomyth’s assumptions, principally the staunch individualism taken to be the model of humanity, and who offer relationality as a more realistic and ethical alternative, this book offers a detailed argument for the intimate historical relationship between the now disparate fields of comic book/superhero film creation, on the one hand, and Christian theology, on the other, in the United States. An understanding of the early connections between theology and American conceptions of heroism helps to further make sense of their contemporary parallels, wherein superhero stories and theology are not strictly separate phenomena but have shared origins and concerns.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Stan Lee, who was the head writer of Marvel Comics in the early 1960s, co-created such popular heroes as Spider-Man, Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, and Daredevil. This book traces the ways in which American theologians and comic books of the era were not only both saying things about what it means to be human, but, starting with Lee they were largely saying the same things. Author Anthony R. Mills argues that the shift away from individualistic ideas of human personhood and toward relational conceptions occurring within both American theology and American superhero comics and films does not occur simply on the ontological level, but is also inherent to epistemology and ethics, reflecting the comprehensive nature of human life in terms of being, knowing, and acting.

This book explores the idea of the "American monomyth" that pervades American hero stories and examines its philosophical and theological origins and specific manifestations in early American superhero comics. Surveying the anthropologies of six American theologians who argue against many of the monomyth’s assumptions, principally the staunch individualism taken to be the model of humanity, and who offer relationality as a more realistic and ethical alternative, this book offers a detailed argument for the intimate historical relationship between the now disparate fields of comic book/superhero film creation, on the one hand, and Christian theology, on the other, in the United States. An understanding of the early connections between theology and American conceptions of heroism helps to further make sense of their contemporary parallels, wherein superhero stories and theology are not strictly separate phenomena but have shared origins and concerns.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Negotiating Censorship in Modern Japan by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Double Burden: Black Women and Everyday Racism by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Revolutionary Russia by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Price and Financial Stability by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Governing a Common Sea by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Printed Images in Early Modern Britain by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Philo's Alexandria by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Posthumanism and Educational Research by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Teaching in the Primary School by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Bedouin of Northern Arabia by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Bloodrites of the Post-Structuralists by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book New Technology (Routledge Revivals) by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Regional Economic Integration in South Asia by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book The Bid Manager's Handbook by Anthony Mills
Cover of the book Architecture and the Historical Imagination by Anthony Mills
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy