False Religions

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I’ve decided to do an on-going series of posts on false religions—or more precisely, fictional religions. It occurred to me today that I’ve recently ruined a number of book reviews by dwelling on the author’s presentation of religion and its reflection on the Catholic Church. I should stop doing that. On the other hand, I read a lot of fantasy novels, and most of them incorporate some kind of religion or religions, and many of them do seem to include some kind of criticism of Catholicism. (In a number of recent books, the description of the local religion seems little more than Bishops Behaving Badly. What am I supposed to think?)

So my plan is this. When I’m reviewing a book, I’m simply going to review the book. And if the book has an interesting, compelling, or repellent religion, I’ll write a post just about that. That way, I can scratch my itch in peace. And in time, I’ll have an interesting little museum of “false religions“.

2 thoughts on “False Religions”

  1. I followed a link from Happy Catholic becauseits such an interesting idea.
    Can we nominate books? Do they have to be fantasy?
    David Weber’s fantasy series (Oath of Swords) has a bunch of discussions between a god trying to recruit someone and the one who just wants to be left alone.
    His Honor Harrington series (military sci-fi) has an extended discussion of a made up Protestant sect and its beliefs
    Lois McMasster Bujold’s _The Curse of Chalion_ and _Paladin of Souls_ have an interesting take on the limitations of gods. _Curse_ is the book that made me stop and say “That’s why she wins all those Hugos. Did she do it in the Vorkosigan books too and I just didn’t notice?” (Yes).

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  2. Fact is, I’ve read all of the books you mention, and over time they’ll likely be mentioned. The religion Bujold invents for Chalion is certainly the most well thought out and presented of any I’ve run across, and is worth a fair amount of discussion. The religion in Oath of Swords has interesting elements as well.

    At the moment, though, I’m primarily planning to add False Religions posts as I read new books.

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