Bibliography
::Issues & Themes I will be Exploring are::
1. Myth - much of Batman’s story can be linked to Christian mythology; I will present, using my sources, my reasoning for why I believe this is true
2. Symbols - the Bat symbol worn on the suits of Bruce and his allies is seen as a sign of justice and “good” in the DC Universe; I will discuss why it is I believe this is akin to that of the cross in Christianity
3. Ritual - the giving of your life to Christ is very reminiscent of Batman’s sidekicks, who are a bunch of broken, tragedy-stricken children putting their total faith/devotion into Bruce; thereby striving to live their lives in a way that Batman would approve of.
Argument : The argument I will make on my website will be that Batman mythology directly uses Christianity as a mirror to explain the significance of Batman. Thomas and Martha Wayne (Bruce’s parents) were working on building a better Gotham (the most crime ridden city in America - aka a city of sinners), unfortunately they were murdered before they had a chance to see their vision through. This leaves their son distraught. Bruce Wayne died in the alley with his parents that night; however he was “reborn” (similar to the resurrection) as Batman, the saviour of Gotham.
Academic Articles [5]
Whalen, Thomas (2010). The Death and Resurrection : Necessary for Salvation? Retrieved from https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&context=ur
Looks at whether or not the death/resurrection of Jesus was an important step in the history of Christian salvation. Explains that the resurrection of Christ was in fact needed to save humanity. Majority of the *main* Batman characters have been killed and resurrected by this point, I wanted to look at this and compare it to Jesus’ resurrection to see if the meanings behind each are the same.
Wittink, Marsha N. & Joo, Jin Hui & Lewis, Lisa M. & Barg, Frances K. (2009, January 21). Losing Faith and Using Faith: Older African Americans Discuss Spirituality, Religious Activities, and Depression. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2642557/
This deals with the losing of one's faith in God and I thought it could be used to compare the young allies of Batman losing faith/hope in him.
Agolia, Grace (2016, March 30). The Mass for Millenials : Sign of the Cross. Retrieved from https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/the-mass-for-millennials-sign-of-the-cross/
Just looks at the meaning of the sign of the cross. Once again, this is going to be used to explain the significance of the cross.
Marrs, Rick R. (2017). Leadership “Jesus Style.” Retrieved from https://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2017/12/leadership-jesus-style/
Talks about the ways in which Jesus led his followers. How he taught them/advised them. This source will be used to compare/contrast the leadership of Jesus to that of Batman.
Cary, Otis & Cary, Frank (date unknown). How Old Were Christ’s Disciples? Retrieved from https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/475815
Asks how old the disciples of Jesus actually were. I thought I could use this source to make a comparison between the allies of Batman and the twelve disciples.
Academic Books [3]
Regnerus, M., & Uecker, J. (2006). Finding Faith, Losing Faith: The Prevalence and Context of Religious Transformations during Adolescence. Review of Religious Research, 47(3), 217-237. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512355
Looks at religious transformations; why they happen, how they occur, and which type of people are more likely to undergo these transformations. (Again) I wanted to use this source as a way to show the allies, specifically the four “main” Robins, losing their faith/belief in Batman overtime, but also rediscovering it when the need arises.
Werbner, R. (1997). The Suffering Body: Passion and Ritual Allegory in Christian Encounters. Journal of Southern African Studies, 23(2), 311-324. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2637624
Looks at the idea of self-sacrifice, martyrdom, redemption and resurrection. This source will just be used as a reference to different Christian rituals.
Magnani, L., & Bertolotti, T. (2015). CHRIST, BATMAN, AND GIRARD: A Philosophical Perspective on Self-Sacrifice. Journal of Religion and Violence, 3(1), 117-136. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/26671453
This piece looks at the theme of self-sacrifice in both Christianity and Batman. I was going to use it to compare these things as well.
“Random” Internet Sources [10]
Stahl, Margaret & Cosacchi, Daniel (2008, August 18). God & 'The Dark Knight': The surprising religious imagery at the heart of Christopher Nolan's blockbuster. Retrieved from https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/664/100/god-dark-knight
I was planning on using this source to show some examples of Christian imagery that can be found within the Batman universe - more specifically the “Nolanverse.” The article overall explains that ‘The Dark Knight’ movie is so intriguing to audiences because it is filled with Chritian theology. I want to use it to see if the same is true for the comic depictions of the Batman universe.
Johnson, John (2012, August 8). The Dark Knight Rises : Sacred Art. Retrieved from https://catholicveritas.com/blog/dark-night-rises-sacred-art
Again this source will also be used to help explain religious imagery within the “Nolanverse.” This post argues that it was Nolan’s intention to “communicate the salvific Christian message in the mode of the receiver (moviegoer);'' I want to use this to help further explore whether or not the same can be said about the comic Batman universe.
Stauffer, Derek (2018, August 15). Batman is an Atheist, DC Comics Confirms. Retrieved from https://screenrant.com/batman-atheist-dc-comics/
This article talks about Bruce losing his faith in God - who for him was Batman (since he had lost his religion when his parents had been murdered); I thought it was interesting how he actually considered himself to be a God-like figure of sorts.
Schreiner, Patrick (2018, March 30). 10 Things You Should Know About The Cross. Retrieved from https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-the-cross/
Helps to explain the significance of the cross in Christian mythology; I was planning on using this to compare it with the significance of the Bat symbol within Batman mythology.
McGill, Jenny (date unknown). What is Discipleship and Why is it Important for Christians? Retrieved from https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/what-is-discipleship-and-why-is-it-important-for-christians.html
This source explains what it means to be a disciple of God, and takes a look into how one could go about becoming a disciple. I thought this could be used to examine Batman’s sidekicks, and see if they could be considered his “disciples.”
mattstaff (date unknown). 18 Facts About the Joker That Prove He's the Most Evil Supervillain of Them All. Retrieved from https://cheezburger.com/1089285/18-facts-about-the-joker-that-prove-hes-the-most-evil-supervillain-of-them-all
Talks about the different feats of The Joker over the years. I was planning on using this to create a comparison between the Joker and the Devil.
Marg (2014, March 14). Jesus Had Many Female Followers-Many! Retrieved from https://margmowczko.com/many-women-followed-jesus-gospels/
Explains that Jesus had many female followers/friends/disciples (although they weren’t referred to this way in the gospel). I was going to compare the lesser known presence of the Batgirls to that of Jesus’ female followers; just like the *male* Robins, the male disciples are the ones whose significance to Jesus is talked about in Christianity, but this article explains that the female followers were just as important.
Ryan, Joel (2020, March 24). How Did Jesus Interact with Children? Meaning and Significance. Retrieved from https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/how-did-jesus-interact-with-children-meaning-and-significance.html
This article takes a look at the relationship Jesus had with children. In particular it talks about the importance/love he shows towards them. Bruce Wayne has taken in a slew of children over his various years in comics and I wanted to look at his relationship with children and compare it to that of Jesus’.
Mullicane, Evan (2020, August 26). Damian Wayne Just Quit Being Robin. Retrieved from https://screenrant.com/damian-wayne-quits-robin-dc-comics/
This article just talks about why Damian stopped being Robin. It explains the wrench that was thrown into his and Batman’s relationship. The betrayal of Damian, the biological son of Batman, could be compared to the betrayal Jesus received from Judas. A once close ally stabbing them in the back.
Johnson, Jim (2018, February 14). Detective Comics #974 Shows the Bat Symbol’s Ultimate Meaning. Retrieved from https://www.cbr.com/detective-comics-bat-symbol-true-meaning/#:~:text=Sure%2C%20the%20symbol%20represents%20a,shines%20in%20Gotham's%20nighttime%20skies.
Talks about what it is that the Bat symbol means to people, both in and out of the comic universe. I wanted to use this to examine what it is that Batman stands for. I was going to use this source to explain the actual meaning of the Bat symbol and, again, compare it to the cross.