Kristusgestalter och antikristusgestalter i populärkulturen

Abstract

This article focuses on the use of the Western messianic mythème, which has increased during the last decades. In popular culture, Christ figures and Antichrist figures are frequently engaged in dire battles which can only end with the Christ figure’s destruction of his opponent. Although this can be seen as a sacralization of popular culture, one should be careful not to confuse the use of religious metaphors with religion per se. While best selling productions like The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter use the Messiah metaphor to expose a cause worth dying for, they differ from other popular productions like Left Behind, Luther: the Movie and The Da Vinci Code which are parts of a religious quest. Although laden with religious or secular ethics, consumers usually consider productions like these as mere entertainment. In the case of Harry Potter, however, various Christian groups have either considered Rowling as promoting Christianity or propagating the occult. In such cases, religion or anti-religion is constructed from non religious fiction.