Superheroes and religion collide during upcoming Religious Studies event

Mysterious origins, performing miracles, saving people, making sacrifices, and even death and resurrection, are all traits that can be used to describe some of today's most popular superhero storylines. 

Ken Derry, associate professor of religious studies at the University of Toronto, will showcase how the religious nature of these themes can be found in non-religious aspects of life, specifically superhero movies, when he presents, “Tony Stark Wants to Save the World! Religion, Violence and Superheroes,” on September 28. The presentation will take place at noon in the Mary Idema Pew Library Multipurpose Room on the Allendale Campus.

Derry said many superheroes appear to exemplify biblical models of zeal, primarily via the “good versus evil” worldview through which a lone savior uses immense power to defeat enemies.

“This power is often used in superhero narratives to liberate people in a manner analogous to the way in which it was imagined that the Messiah would liberate the Jewish people from the oppression of various occupying forces,” Derry said. “2008’s ‘Iron Man,’ for example, finds Tony Stark liberating his company from the evil usurper Obadiah Stane, who died by falling into an exploding fireball – recalls the book of Revelation, which says, ‘And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire.’”

Derry will also conduct a teaching workshop from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center (room 1142) where he will discuss the notion of teaching “with” students, rather than “at” them.

The Religious Studies Program, Kaufman Interfaith Institute, School of Communications, Frederik Meijer Honors College, Liberal Studies Department, Anthropology Department and Philosophy Department are sponsoring these presentations.

For more information or to register for Derry’s workshop, contact Sarah King, Religious Studies Program coordinator, at [email protected] or (616) 331-8049.