The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman comes to theaters December 7th and discerning Christians should be prepared. Pullman is a self-avowed atheist who uses his writing to attack organized religion. The Golden Compass is the first book in the His Dark Materials series which becomes progressively more offensive to those who believe in God. However, it also provides an excellent opportunity for Christians to engage in discussion of popular culture.

At FacingtheChallenge.org many pop culture issues from The Matrix to Harry Potter are dealt with and a section is reserved just for Philip Pullman. The sections entitled “How he describes the church” and “How he describes God” will help Christians better understand the ideas Pullman portrays in his books.

Christian Spotlight on Entertainment is a favorite of mine through Christiananswers.net and I rarely see a movie without checking here first. There is a short synopsis with links to articles on relevant issues addressed in the movie such as “atheism” and “daemons”. After the movie premiers there will be an official review posted, however, visitors are already giving their opinions on this controversial movie.

Sntjohnny.com provides access to many resources on Philip Pullman including a detailed analysis of the His Dark Materials series, archived interviews with Pullman himself and opinions of Christians from all over the internet.

Also, because this blog focuses on books and libraries I'd like to introduce a few books that are worth investigating. Shedding Light on His Dark Materials by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware explains that, while trying to do the opposite, in the end Pullman actually proves that God exists. In Dark Matter: Shedding Light of Philip Pullman’s Trilogy by Tony Watkins the author investigates the author, the books and finally discusses the controversial topics that concern many Christians.

As Christians it is important to be aware of what is going on in the world. Don’t miss this important opportunity!