Comics, Culture, and Religion: Faith Imagined

This book explores the relations between comics and religion from a cultural sociology perspective, covering various religions, rituals, ethics, and worldviews. It offers international examples and is available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 16 November 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Comics and religion have a complex relationship that has been explored in various ways by scholars from different fields. Comics can function as a medium for religious expression, providing a visual and narrative framework for religious stories and beliefs. They can also be used to critique religious institutions and practices, highlighting their flaws and contradictions. On the other hand, religion can also appear in comics, often as a source of inspiration or conflict. This book offers an overview of the relations between comics and religion from the perspective of cultural sociology. It explores how comics function in religions, how religion appears in comics, and how graphic narratives inform us about contemporary society and the changing role of religion. Contributing scholars use international examples to explore the diversity of religions, spirituality, and dispersed notions of the sacred, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Indian, and Japanese religions. In addition, the rituals, ethics, and worldviews that surface in the comics milieu are discussed. With the growing popularity and influence of comics and graphic novels in contemporary culture, this book provides a valuable addition to the discussion of the medium, focusing on religious and sociological aspects. A rich resource for both students and scholars in popular culture, media studies, and religion. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license on www.bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by The Faculty for Humanities and Education and the University Library at the University of Agder, Norway.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350321588