X-Men and Theology

Matthew Le Brasseur and Angelo J. Letizia

We invite contributions to an edited volume that explores theological questions and themes in Marvel’s X-Men, such as eschatology, representations of Judaism, and the question of godhood, to name a few. The X-Men universe is rife with possibility for this type of study. We are looking for explorations of religion and theological themes in the X-Men universe across the comics, books, animated series, and film adaptations. This is a proposed volume to be submitted to Bloomsbury Publishing, who require a full outline of chapters and contributors as part of the proposal process.

Current Proposal Ideas Include

1. X-Men and eschatology.-German thinker Karl Lowith put forth the secularization thesis in the mid-20^th century, where he argued that a number of world movements and thinkers (e.g. Nazism and Marxism), while eschewing the dogmatic trappings of traditional Christianity, had nevertheless adopted the linear and eschatological movement of Christianity, of positing a savior waiting at the end of history. Can the X-Men be read as an eschatological work? Are Magneto and Charles Xavier promising a type of salvation for mutant kind?
2. X-Men, persecution and martyrdom.- Jesus was put to death by the very people he tried to save. Likewise, the X-Men are hunted and persecuted by the very people they are trying to save. What do the X-men comics say about martyrdom and persecution?
3. Of Gods and Mutants: Krakoan era X-Men and mutant “godhood” In issue one of House of X/Powers of X, Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larazz’s series that launched the X-Men’s Krakoan era, Magneto declared to humans that mutants had ascended to the level of god. In this new narrative, mutants created new “circuits,” multiple mutants working in tandem achieving new feats of power, terraforming a planet in a single night, creation of instantaneous planetary-scale weapons, and even resurrecting the dead. Comic characters have long had “god-like” abilities or even identities, but an entire pantheon of heroes and villains declaring themselves gods? What does this mean for the rest of that universe? For fans and readers? Can they ever go back to just being heroes? What is the nature of Godhood?
4. Kitty Pryde & Judaism: Is it just a Phase?\ It’s no secret to comic readers, fans, and scholars that the depth of exploration and representation of a character’s identity in any given comic will vary based on the creative team at the helm. Nowhere is that more present than with Kitty Pryde. First introduced in 1980, Pryde is considered Marvel’s first openly Jewish superhero, but just how Jewish she is has come and gone in phases over the forty-plus years since her introduction. Here we explore how her Jewish identity has shifted in its centrality to and from the core of her identity and what it means for the character, the comics, and the narrative.

Topics of Interest:

• Media Adaptations: How have other adaptations of X-Men addressed religious concepts?
• Character Analysis: Deep dives into specific characters and their relationship with religion/theology
• Storytelling: What parallels exist between X-Men storylines and religious stories, scripts, or mythology?
• Storylines: How have various writers, artists, and creative teams treated different theological concepts in various storylines?
• The Comics Medium: How might the comics medium, with its use of frames, encapsulation, sequential art, color, line, fonts, and more, help or hinder the use of theological concepts? How might the medium impact theoolgoy and our understanding of it?
• The list above is not exhaustive. We welcome all ideas.

Submission Guidelines

1. Abstracts. Please submit a 300-word abstract outlining the argument of your proposed chapter by January 15th. Please note the characters, storyline and medium you will examine.
2. Your abstract should showcases some of the relevant scholarly literature you will use to build your argument. (Please note that we are looking for works which do not simply rely on popular sources. Rather, this chapter should engage with relevant comics and theological and philosophical scholarly literature.)
3. A brief (50-100 word) bio and CV.
4. Full Papers: Selected authors will be invited to submit full chapters (approximately 5,000-7,000 words) by
5. Format: All submissions should adhere to Chicago Manual of Style guidelines.