The Gospel According to the World's Greatest Superhero

by Stephen Skelton

Book Overview

SUMMER 2006: SUPERMAN RETURNS! From above, a heavenly father sends his only son to save the Earth Sound familiar? It shoulda'because the Superman storytellersbased Superman on Jesus on purpose!... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0736918124
• ISBN13: 9780736918121
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
• Length: 171 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Character evolution ...

While I don't believe Superman was originally created as an allegory for Christianity, he has, nonetheless, evolved over time through the hands of many different creators, to such a standard and it is a very obvious and intentional parallel in the modern cannon. Literary critics apply similiar readings to classic literature throughout history - adapting the reading to fit their own perspective. Frankenstien, for instance, can be read with political themes, feminist themes, religious themes, and more. That doesn't mean Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley originally intended it to be taken in each of those contexts, but it has all the same been taken there. Why should Superman be any different? Comic books are our modern heroes. They are our mythology, and sequential storytelling can be dated back thousands of years. There are good and bad examples, to be sure, but comic books should be considered every bit as much literature and art as anything being taught in the colleges and universities today. And Superman is the grandfather of it all!

Super Sources

This book does a great job of covering the most popular version of the Superman story and how it has been shaped to parallel the Gospel story. Rather than being selective--or cherry-picking--Skelton draws from the who's-who of Superman stories. At the beginning, he clearly presents his sources: early Siegel and Shuster comics (1938), the Superman novel by George Lowther (1942), the George Reeves TV show (1952), two Christopher Reeve movies (1978, 1981), the Death of Superman comic books (1992), the Smallville TV show (2001) and Superman Returns movie (2006). About the two Jewish creators, contrary to some of the criticism here, Skelton plainly states that Siegel and Shuster did not intend to draw from the Christ story--although they did name Ma Kent "Mary" and apparently gave Pa Kent the middle name "Joseph". Given Skelton's sources, those that object to the Christ imagery in the Superman story should take it up with people like Tom Mankiewicz, the screenwriter of Superman: The Movie, who said, "The metaphor was clearly there when Jor-El sends Superman to Earth with God sending Christ to save humanity." Or David Nutter, the director of the Smallville pilot, who said, "I thought there were a lot of metaphors between Clark and Jesus actually. And I tried to throw in as many of them as I could." As another reviewer alluded to, even Bryan Singer, the Jewish director of Superman Returns, said, "Superman is the Jesus Christ of superheroes." In charting the seventy-year history of the Superman story as it was modeled on the Gospel story, this book reveals a blow-by-blow account of how the Superman story has truly become "The Greatest Story Ever Re-Told."

A Super Book! Please read before you review!

It seems there is a misconception that this book is about one man's opinion. It is not. Those who will read the book will quickly realize that the parallels between Christ and Superman are not the random and far-fetched musings of one man with a Christian agenda. Those who have participated in the telling of the Superman story, from writers and screenwriters to producers and directors (across comics, TV shows and movies) have gone on the record as saying that they intentionally based Superman and his story on the gospel story of Christ. That is not to say that they in turn are pushing an agenda of their own, but are simply basing their story on the greatest story ever told. (Pretty good strategy, no?) As an example, Bryan Singer, director of Superman Returns, has said that "Superman is the Jesus Christ of superheroes" and that Superman Returns is a tale of "what happens when Messiahs come back." The research is extensive and intriguing; the points are well-made and thoughtfully outlined. Skelton makes it easy to see why we are drawn to the Superman story - despite how self-sufficient we think we are, we're all in need a Savior!

I believe a man can fly!

This is an amazing-- even "super" little book! Stephen Skelton does an incredibly thorough job of delineating the not-so-coincidental sililarities between the world's most iconic superhero and Jesus Christ. The writer is an obvious fan of both, and really does his homework, giving readers the evidence to back up his supposition that the character we know as Superman can indeed be viewed as a Christ figure. Although Superman was created by two young Jewish friends, his story has been developed over the past almost-seventy years by many comic book, television, and movie writers who have intentionally woven allusions to the story of Jesus, his life, death, burial, and resurrection into the Superman "canon." Skelton is exhaustive and complete in his exposition of these parallels, and it becomes apparent to this reader why so many people worldwide are attracted to the goodness and the amazing powers of Superman. Reading and sharing this book can provide an excellent opportunity for believers to dialogue with non-believers-- either way!

Great work

I just finished reading this. It is not one that you can put down. One of the best descriptions of Superman in this book is that he, like us, are striving to live up to what Christ wants us to do. It even has a closing chapter telling what is supposed to happen in the upcoming movie and how it parallels to the Christ story. The author even tells you that if you do not want the movie to be spoiled, then see the movie then read the chapter. He made some great comparisons of Superman characters to their counterparts in the Bible. E.g. Perry White - John the Baptist Lois Lane - Mary Magdalene Lex Luthor - Lucifer The four Supermen in the Superman Returns saga as the 4 Horseman of the Apocolypse.