Portrayals of god in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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Portrayals of god inBuffy the Vampire
SlayerOr, Die, god, Die!
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• If you meet a god in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, chances are you’ll have to kill it…
• Evil gods - gods are real on Buffy, but they are ALWAYS evil– the “big bad” in Buffy is often divine (or a divine wannabe)– Other “divine beings” also evil - Olaf the Troll God (Triangle, 2001)
Die God Die!
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The Mayor• Nice, polite, psychotic, divine
wannabe• His “ascension” is focus of
season 3• Never trust a politician, they
think they are gods? • Gods/religions devour our
youth?• Evil dwells beneath calm,
bible-belt exterior?• High School is Hell?• Episode foreshadows Buffy’s
solution at end of Season Seven
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Die God Die: The Mayor
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Glory• Psychotic, self-centered,
relentless, multiple-personality (and body!)
• Big Bad of Season Five• Exiled God (parallel to
Satan?)• God/religion looks
attractive, but is deadly?• Religion/god is two-faced?
(Shares her body with Ben)• Even well-intentioned
devotees (Ben) are corrupted by religion?
• Religion is insane?
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Die God Die: Glory
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The First• The first evil, predating
human beings• Takes the form of dead
humans• Origin story of world -
began in evil, only after last demon slain, was room made for humans
• Evil worshipped as divine - root of religion is evil?
• Fear, doubt, lies - root of religion?
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• (Ex)Catholic priest, abuser of women
• Servant of the First• “a woman-hating jerk”• Considers women “dirty,” stained
with “Eve’s sin”• Religion = anti-woman?• Religion destroys women?• Worshipper of evil• Attempting to become a god -
religious quest = evil?• Religion = demonic?• Power of church, clergy = evil?
Caleb
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Caleb: Religion as Anti-Woman?
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Caleb: Religion as Demonic?
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Die [servant of] God Die: Caleb
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Die God Die
• Theological implications of gods in Buffy - evil gods are active in the world - no other kind of god is shown in the Buffyverse
• Even Buffy’s powers are shown to be evil at root
• Evil and male/patriarchal dominance go hand in hand
• Buffy’s solution to divine evil is a feminist answer to religion? We will discuss this more next week!