The Christian community has been all abuzz at the coming release of the newest addition in the fantasy movie trend, The Golden Compass. While the movie has stirred up fresh outrage at the anti-Christian elements in the plot, the story is hardly a new arrival on the literary scene. The book, written by Philip Pullman (boldly proclaimed agnostic and critic of C.S. Lewis), upon which the movie is based, has been around since 1995.
The story follows eleven year old Lyra Belacqua as she endeavors to save her friend Roger from the mysterious, child-snatching Gobblers. With the help of gypsies, a giant arctic bear, witches, and a golden compass, called an alethiometer, that always reveals the truth, Lyra sets off for the Arctic North to rescue her friend. Her adventure draws her into something much larger than anything Lyra could have imagined. At the center of the conflict is the mysterious Dust, an extraordinary particle that is drawn to adults, but not children, and may have the power to unite the many worlds in the universe. Many people seek to destroy it, and their struggle to do so takes on a horrific taint.
The Golden Compass is the first in Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. It takes place in a vibrant world, not so unlike our own, where the Church is the highest authority and every human has a dæmon, small animals that are the physical embodiments of the humans’ soul. Perhaps the most touching aspect of the book is the relationship between a human and his or her dæmon; Pullman portrays the bond so well that when it begins to be violated, it is heartrending. The world they inhabit is as well developed as the characters themselves, and although it mirrors our Europe, the difference is stark. The story is engaging, magical, and exciting as it keeps the reader engaged through every twisting story plot.
But the aspect of The Golden Compass that has so many Christians up in arms is its underlying agnostic themes. The book's portrayal of Christianity is obviously colored by Pullman's theology. Because the world in which the story is set is very similar to our world, but not quite the same, Pullman was easily able to reconstruct a religion that vaguely resembles Christianity, yet that suited his plot. The religion is similar only in name; though there are mentions of clergymen, original sin, God, and prayer, Jesus and salvation are never mentioned.
Though the world is colorful and imaginative, the moment that Pullman begins to inject the underlying theological statements it becomes forced. Unlike C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, which seamlessly weaves Christian allegory into the story, Pullman's blatant statements are jagged in their placement. For instance, near the end of the book - after the reader has been informed that Dust is actually the physical form of sin - Lyra and her dæmon come to the conclusion that Dust is actually good. The idea is drawn out of midair so abruptly that it almost jars the reader out of the story. Lyra’s reasoning is childish (appropriate, since she is a child): if the Church and all of the people who have been doing terrible things say Dust is bad, it must obviously be good. Many of the major theological "twists" in the story occur in the same way. The scenes in which Pullman is not trying so hard to impart his views upon the reader - such as the scenes detailing the deep bond between a human and his daemon, or the fantastic fights between the witches and the bears - are far more engaging. To parents and students considering whether or not to see the movie, it is important to mention that The Golden Compass does not have as much heresy in it as the final two books. The statements are not so much dangerous as they are wrong. Instead, they might lead to interesting discussion on the role the church should play in society, the dangers of legalism, and the lengths to which people should be allowed to go in the name of progress.
The story follows eleven year old Lyra Belacqua as she endeavors to save her friend Roger from the mysterious, child-snatching Gobblers. With the help of gypsies, a giant arctic bear, witches, and a golden compass, called an alethiometer, that always reveals the truth, Lyra sets off for the Arctic North to rescue her friend. Her adventure draws her into something much larger than anything Lyra could have imagined. At the center of the conflict is the mysterious Dust, an extraordinary particle that is drawn to adults, but not children, and may have the power to unite the many worlds in the universe. Many people seek to destroy it, and their struggle to do so takes on a horrific taint.
The Golden Compass is the first in Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. It takes place in a vibrant world, not so unlike our own, where the Church is the highest authority and every human has a dæmon, small animals that are the physical embodiments of the humans’ soul. Perhaps the most touching aspect of the book is the relationship between a human and his or her dæmon; Pullman portrays the bond so well that when it begins to be violated, it is heartrending. The world they inhabit is as well developed as the characters themselves, and although it mirrors our Europe, the difference is stark. The story is engaging, magical, and exciting as it keeps the reader engaged through every twisting story plot.
But the aspect of The Golden Compass that has so many Christians up in arms is its underlying agnostic themes. The book's portrayal of Christianity is obviously colored by Pullman's theology. Because the world in which the story is set is very similar to our world, but not quite the same, Pullman was easily able to reconstruct a religion that vaguely resembles Christianity, yet that suited his plot. The religion is similar only in name; though there are mentions of clergymen, original sin, God, and prayer, Jesus and salvation are never mentioned.
Though the world is colorful and imaginative, the moment that Pullman begins to inject the underlying theological statements it becomes forced. Unlike C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, which seamlessly weaves Christian allegory into the story, Pullman's blatant statements are jagged in their placement. For instance, near the end of the book - after the reader has been informed that Dust is actually the physical form of sin - Lyra and her dæmon come to the conclusion that Dust is actually good. The idea is drawn out of midair so abruptly that it almost jars the reader out of the story. Lyra’s reasoning is childish (appropriate, since she is a child): if the Church and all of the people who have been doing terrible things say Dust is bad, it must obviously be good. Many of the major theological "twists" in the story occur in the same way. The scenes in which Pullman is not trying so hard to impart his views upon the reader - such as the scenes detailing the deep bond between a human and his daemon, or the fantastic fights between the witches and the bears - are far more engaging. To parents and students considering whether or not to see the movie, it is important to mention that The Golden Compass does not have as much heresy in it as the final two books. The statements are not so much dangerous as they are wrong. Instead, they might lead to interesting discussion on the role the church should play in society, the dangers of legalism, and the lengths to which people should be allowed to go in the name of progress.
