Religion in SK Books

[strange]

I a lot of his books or short stories e.g. cell, children of the corn, carrie, the mist etc Stephen King seems to explore religion from an extremist and strict point of veiw with the chacracters no being the most likeable in some cases. Over here in England there aren't that many (to my knowledge or in my area) that sort of religious groups with extreme beliefs and dogma but what's everyone's opion on this in his book about what he might want to show or what you think about it.

[irisahart]

like the old saying goes everyone has a right to there own opinion but i dont think sk puts it in there to make you think of religion or to rethink yours. he is not being blasphomous. he is using what he knows and i think that is great. we all choose to read his work so he is doing something right. dont you agree?

[staropeace]

Dont think he is making any statement about religion really. Sometimes good overcomes evil in his books. He shows extreme behaviors and opinions of characters to fit the situation.

[Srbo]

IMO, he expressed his view on that matter the best in " Desperation ".

A lot of talk about God in there.

[cwalrus]

Very good topic. Of the books that I've read, The Stand and The Dead Zone contain the most provocative themes on religion where characters deal with concepts of God (mostly from the Christian perspective). Faith plays a role in these stories and in the lives of the characters in a way that could make readers question what role faith may play in their own lives. In other stories like Carrie and The Mist (I haven't read The Mist but I've seen the film), religiously fervent characters are set up as antagonists with fundamentalists beliefs creating obstacles for the main characters. I think perhaps what SK may be trying to convey is that maybe faith and religion are good things in moderation but that fundamentalism and the things that people do in the name of faith or religion can be very dangerous as evidenced by Carrie's mother and Ms. Carmody.

I think The Dead Zone and The Stand are more representative of how readers are called to question the role of faith or religion in their lives. In The Stand, you have a character like Mother Abagail who believes she was called by God to help lead the good side of the fight against Randall Flagg. People follower her but soon get caught up in the secular aspect of building a new society distracting them. Religion in this story is actually an asset although it ultimately involves self-sacrifice. The Stand is too big of a story to go into too much detail but one of the main things I came away with is the sense that through faith, ordinary people can be called to do extraordinary things and that while the Christian God can demand more from us that what we want to give, ultimately faith and the desire to be truly good is what saves the characters from a fate worse than death. Even though many characters die trying to defeat evil, the sacrifice of those characters is sort of like what martydom was to early Christians: unfortunate but necessary for the good of mankind. The Stand is the most religious I've seen SK get and it's very thought-provoking for that reason and for the sociological reasons which I won't get into here.

In The Dead Zone, Johnny's mother becomes a Bible pounding religious kook after her sons accident, but Johnny later rationalizes that his mother might have been onto something despite her mental instability. His mother tells him not to hide and that his gift his a gift from God. Being a more liberal and mentally stable person, he doesn't really think much of it until events of the story make him consider his mother's final words. So even though he disagreed with the fundamentalist views of his mother, he forced himself to realize that he must act for the good of mankind. Plus the book also explores the whole aspect of chance and what if any role God plays in the random things that happen in the world both good and bad. While it's not necessarily the central part of the story, it's an overarching theme through the stry that continually gets revisited.

Judging from the stories I've read, I think SK probably has some very personal beliefs that have been explored in his writings, but its hard to say what those beliefs are since the stories may not exactly fully represent his beliefs so its very easy to internalize what you read and have it mean what you want it to mean. For my part I'm a liberal and while I respect all religions I think that most organized religions lack a certain flexibility in their dogma. I grew up Roman Catholic but my wife turned me on to Anglicanism, which more closely reflects my views since women can be priests and they don't exclude gays and lesbians, but no religion is perfect. There is only faith. I'm not sure if Sk believes that faith is something you have to have. I'm not sure I do for that matter, but when practiced honestly and with regards and respect for others, faith can be a good thing even if organized religions tend to get things wrong.

[GravemakersAndGunslingers]

He used religion for his good vs evil theme in Desperation and also its one of the many themes in The Dark Tower the White vs the Red etc. but I think that in all of his novels he shows religion from a lot of different angles - the extremist religious views of that woman in The Mist for example.

He certainly doesn't seem to nail his colours to any mast in this regard, its not like C.S Lewis' Christian themes that prevail in his Narnia books, or Phillip Pullman's Athiest expressions in His Dark Materials books, although I do believe Stephen King goes to church and his daughter is a member of the clergy.

Its refreshing to see a balanced view if an author is going to touch on religion in his work.

[Cowboy]

I agree with Star on this about him not trying to make a statement. We tend to have a lot of fanaticism here and it makes it an interesting point to explore. With religion, you get the whole "Good vs. Evil" and "God vs. Satan" which really is what the majority of fictional stories boils down to.
I must admit that I am sometimes very impressed with how close Sai King gets to what I consider "the truth".

[OhmyGod!]

Religious people aren't automatically okay. They are not automatically wrong also. I think Stephen King shows both side of that coin. Specially in 'tight' situations both sides can get really the best or worse of people, like in the stand, the mist, carrie, desperation etc.
I think he uses it a lot because it's such an important factor in our culture.

[wally wonder]

I posted something in The Stand social group earlier related to this, to good and evil, and to another aspect of that present in SK stories, something other than good or evil, but a force with malignant intent. The long quote posted there, from The Green Mile, had Paul's thoughts on that other force, demonic demon, glee, check it out if you're a mind to do so.

Religion is a hot button for many folk. There's been times reading SK that I've taken some offense at what was written. Others, I'm sure, have as well. Still others, have been delighted with those passages. When reading them, it's been difficult not to wonder where SK stands on the matter. I mean, you love the guy's stories and you'd like to think you and he could be friends, and probably so. There are extremes out there in the world. I've come across many of them. Read somewhere that SK has a problem with those who think their God is bigger than your God. All the time. All the time I've seen those kind of people. I don't agree with them anymore than I agree with those who say those kind of people should have no voice, or the kind that take delight in another's injuries.

SK's stories have a wide range of characters with a wide range of religious beliefs. Once you've read all of them, maybe you'd be better able to see that he's imitating life, the world in which we live.

[TheHardcase]

In other stories like Carrie and The Mist (I haven't read The Mist but I've seen the film), religiously fervent characters are set up as antagonists with fundamentalists beliefs creating obstacles for the main characters.

There seems to be something of a consistent pattern in this, I think. It would appear that SK doesn't think much of traditional evangelical Christians. We see it in The Stand, Carrie, The Talisman, even as recently as in Duma Key.

When they appear, it is often as narrow-minded, Bible-thumping sky pilots -- intolerant bigots with a lust for power and obsession with control.


I think perhaps what SK may be trying to convey is that maybe faith and religion are good things in moderation but that fundamentalism and the things that people do in the name of faith or religion can be very dangerous as evidenced by Carrie's mother and Ms. Carmody.


I think you're really on to something here. But I don't think that practice is confined strictly to evangelicals. There's plenty of misery to go around, people being what they are.

There are some differences between SK and the evangelical community that may account for the . . . what shall I call it . . . antipathy? For lack of a better term.


Evangelicals tend to see the world in terms and black and white. SK tends to see it in shades of gray. Witness the agonizing struggle Larry Underwood endures, constantly questioning his own motives in The Stand.
Evangelicals tend to be social and political conservatives. SK, the polar opposite.
Evangelicals are perceived as big-money fat cats, and this may (I'm speculating now) offend SK's humble origins.
And finally, evangelicals are often taken to be power-hungry control freaks, something that goes contrary to just about any main character you want to name in most, if not all of SK's books.


Incidentally, I count myself as a member in good standing of the evangelical community, if not the vast right-wing conspiracy itself.
I would add, that he has something of a point. We have our share of Bible-shouting, narrow-minded bigots, control freaks with a mania to run everything. We also have our share of some of the most supportive, caring, and dare I say forgiving people on the face of this planet.

For all that, I consider Stephen King a master story-teller, who has penned some of the finest works of fiction of this or any other time. My religious affiliation has done nothing to dampen my appreciation of his talent, my enjoyment of his works, or my respect for him as a major cultural figure of the second half of the 20th century.

May he continue to grace us with the same quality of storytelling that we've been blessed with all along. Besides which, I finally finished the lats SK book I hadn't read (Firestarter). Until Under The Dome comes out, I have nothing new to read. :sad:

[Tery]

Well really, it's not interesting unless it is extreme. Nobody wants to read about someone who cleaves to a moderate stance on anything. They're just not interesting in the context of a novel.

[Queen Judia]

I think SK, being an excellent writer, knows how to respect through his careful writing, religion and culture by simply writing based from facts but actually telling that it is fiction. So i don't think he is anywhere beyond blasphemy and anti-Christ, rather, he's just a good writer who has to use the context of religion in order to make sense. :)

As a Catholic, i don't find any of his books yet offensive to the dogmas of the Church but i believe SK seeks balance between the scary works of Evil but the sweet salvation of the Good.
:wink2:

[Robert DeSoto]

I actually think its kind of funny (in a sick kind of way) i really like the way he portrays these extremist characters; if you've seen "the mist" you will notice "Mother" Carmody, she is one of my favorite characters because she made me laugh the whole time! and the way these characters all get what they deserve, it's great

[tillyn]

It makes for good story telling, good vs evil, god , devil, mans struggle with being a good person or a bad one. Works well, most of his stories have something to do with the subject.

[Wynter_21]

I don't think SK is 'for' any particular view. From what I've picked up from SK, he finds religion and faith extremely interesting, but isn't too clear where he stands- probably a mix of science, psychology, paranormal phenomena (psychics, ghosts...) and faith. I think he believes there is more to it than meets the eye. There are characters like Nick Andros who doesn't believe in God, Abigail who does... etc. Mixing all these characters together with different belief systems prods the reader to think about what they believe. Which person do they most relate to?

I'm really glad he mentions religion in his books. It shows a different perspective, because there's always those characters that take up a whole page ranting on about science or psychology. I think his views are best summed up with Jack Torrence in The Shinning.
"The mind is capable of doing lots of amazing things"- something like that anyway. If anyone finds it, posting it wouldn't be too bad.

I hope this post didn't turn out confusing in any way.

[SKfan2006]

i believe it shows that if you cling to your religion like you'll die without it it'll make you evil but if you do it where it's not as important it's okay.
like i had a friend who was one of those who put their whole life into being religous. like she wouldn't do normal teenager stuff like wear a bikini or date or accept something for what it is. me i'm not religous and i've gone my whole life living like that. if someone trys to push their belives literally in my face i'll get on the offensive since for me the more you push the more likely that person will go over the cliff.

[wally wonder]

I don't think SK is 'for' any particular view. From what I've picked up from SK, he finds religion and faith extremely interesting, but isn't too clear where he stands- probably a mix of science, psychology, paranormal phenomena (psychics, ghosts...) and faith. I think he believes there is more to it than meets the eye...

... I think his views are best summed up with Jack Torrence in The Shinning.
"The mind is capable of doing lots of amazing things"- something like that anyway. If anyone finds it, posting it wouldn't be too bad...


The wonder of the world is that we can change our mind and what we believed yesterday was the gospel truth may very well be considered utter rubbish the day after tomorrow. looked a bit for that quote, wynter, quick look, no can find at the moment, but there is this in The Shining, this inhuman place breeds human monsters. chapters 17 and 21, repeated several times. and maybe the biggest wonder of all is that we don't all go insane with the world in which we live.

[strange]

I just see it as a way of making interesting stories. I'm a believer myself but I don't feel offended but its adds something when SK choices to use religious sectors as part of his stories or characters because it adds something more to relate to and adds more hate or sympathy maybe for the characters. I hope no one who read my opening paragraph thought I find it offsenive because in a society where faith is imporant (or to a lot of peopel, not) its good to see a writer who uses it and doesnt avoid it coz its a black listed subject.

[The Marsten House]

Tery above says pretty much what I was about to say. You don't have too many characters who are down the middle as far as religion goes. They're either extreme--and in a way, bad--or very, very good, in which case they're the heroes of a religious themed book like Left Behind.

Same goes for religious practices. Speaking in Christian terms only, if a character is rigid, they tend to be evangelical. Strict or guilty point to Catholicism. All the dogma and ritual people go through is much more dramatic then moderate stuff.

It's also easy to hang your hat on, both as a writer and a reader. People understand these extremes and can relate to them. They may not be Catholic, but they understand the blood and wine and all that goes with it. Or they've heard about the fire and brimstone others preach. What do the Methodists do? Or the Episcopalians? A quick mental image doesn't come to mind.

Besides, if your character isn't doing anything religious, there's not a reason to make a point of it. A quick "Thank God" after a tough situation is enough. But to make them interesting and quirky, maybe even dangerous, writers tend to ratchet it up a little bit.

[adrianmarley]

I don't know what SK's religious affiliations (if any) are, nor do I care. I think his treatment of religion in his novels ranges from both ends of the spectrum: from Carrie White's mother in Carrieto Mother Abigail in The Stand. He does seem to have a healthy distrust of religious fanatics as seen in The Mist, Carrie and others.

[The Marsten House]

I am just finishing a pretty good horror title I picked up for the Kindle called "Stalker" by Dave Dykema. It has some religious themes running through it. It's not the main theme, but more like sub-themes. The main threat has to do with a cult though. That's an example of the extreme religious wackos that often show up in novels, like Carrie's mother and some of the other examples in this post. So it shows up everywhere. "Stalker" did try to show some other points of view to keep things balanced. I'm not sure how well it succeeded, but at least this author tried.

[karend3]

He is just proving there are extremes on both sides. Fanatics can use religion to justify their own sins. Judging others, blowing up abortion centers, etc...

[michal]

I have to admit I used to find Mr. King's book ever so slightly "Too Christian" is there is such a thing. The boy in desperation, the haunted priest in the cycle of werewolves, the lit cross in Salem's lot, Mother Abigail and her "Let Your Will Be Done" God, they all seemed to taste very Christian when I was 14 and reading them for the first time.

My opinions have changes though, since then. I've learned to identify more with the God figure in Mr. King's books. I now find it more of a Jewish God -not in the sense of "the god of the Jews", nut as in - an "Old Testament God". He does not forgive, turn the other cheek, embrace or does right. He is an angry God, a vengeance God that wipes the just and unjust in the same ball of lightning and makes his loyal followers suffer the most. He is, in some way, The One who Walks Behind the Rows, and I, like that girl at the end of Children of the Corn, feel equal amounts of Love, Fear and Hate towards him.

Sorry if I've trampled on anyone's religious believes in my hectic enthusiasm - I assure you if I did it was purely out of literary zealotry and very unintentional.