The Gospel According to the Simpsons

We started using the Gospel According to the Simpsons with our High School youth group and the response has been awesome. The episodes and questions provide an excellent way to engage the kids in discussions. I highly recommend using this series - although I also recommend sending home a letter to parents explaining what you're doing with the series.

I received this book as a gift. When my eyes first graced it, they were, of course, first drawn to Bart, sitting idly on a cloud on the front cover, but it was really the title of this book that intrigued me. I read the back cover and I was amazed. This is a book that combines the deep world of The Simpsons with the world of religion, and not just Christianity! Pinsky, a journalist on religion for the Orlando Sentinel, writes this book in the style of a research paper, but at no point does it feel as if you're reading one. Every time you pick up the book, it's as if you're attending your favorite class as Pinsky explains how, although on the surface The Simpsons appears to be offensive, crude, and unfair towards religion, it really is very fair and portrays their world in a way that very much reflects our own. He devotes chapters to Lisa, Ned Flanders, Apu, Krusty, and Reverend Lovejoy as characters that may appear to have been lampooned but, in reality, are very much portrayed in admirable fashions. When Pinsky uses his extensive knowledge of the series' episodes to back up his claims, you'll find yourself laughing out loud. I lost count of how many times I did. If you're a Simpsons fan, a Christian, or just look to be more educated, go pick up this book now!

We have been teaching this course at our Episcopal church to an intergenerational group of about 25-30 ranging in ages from 10-77. This is a wonderful course and even if you aren't a Simpsons fan, the series really is an eye-opener.The only small bone to pick is that they use some (two)episodes for viewing that are unavailable via tape or DVD and this requires you to tape it off of TV when it airs, if you know when that is. Also some of the videos are out of print, so E-bay was a big help.But the response to the course has been tremendous. People are really amazed that a "wicked, evil" cartoon can be so enlightening! I would recommend this for any church considering it.

In THE GOSPEL ACCORDING THE THE SIMPSONS, Mark Pinsky shows us that it's possible to find God in some of the most unexpected places. Originally, The Simpsons was largely eschewed by the evangelical Christian community, because of Bart's rebellious ways. But as the show grew older, and the focus turned more towards Homer, Pinsky shows that people of faith who weren't watching were missing out on some of the most "Christian" television around. Seriously.The Simpsons not only contains blatantly Christian characters but it explores issues of faith that other shows would never touch with a 50 foot pole. Ned Flanders, though ragged on by Homer a lot, is perhaps the best depiction of an evangelical-type Christian in mainstream television history. Lisa Simpson seems to present the side of the social Gospel. Marge's real faith in God also shines through. Though characters with faith are often made fun of, in the end the show always seems to prove that the joke is on the joker, not the jokee. The Simpsons isn't trying to evangelize, but it is surprisingly fair and evenhanded in its presentations, and with how it deals out the humor. In its history the show has dealt with subjects like cults, hypocricy, why God allows evil, hell, and forgiveness.THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE SIMPSONS surprised me, made me laugh out loud multiple times each chapter, and was just an all-around enjoyable read. The picture of Christianity that is presented isn't perfect. The writers stumble on theological points many times (such as grace vs. works). This will happen when you're not a theologian and, in most cases, not even a Christian. But in spite of that, Pinsky shows that the Springfield world of Homer is one that is rich in faith and religious devotion. For Christians who can let their hair down and roll with a few jokes, The Simpsons proves that even in the midst of our post-Christian culture, in Hollywood, and even on the Fox Network, God can be found if you dare to look for Him. As Homer might say, "Mmmmm.... a FIVE STAR book..."

As a lover of God and a lover of "The Simpsons", I couldn't resist picking up this book. It's a very entertaining look at a show that deals with religion more blatantly than any other show this side of "Touched by an Angel". But does the show uphold Christianity and other religions, or does it attempt to subvert them? Probably both, but even by trying to be subversive it inevitably affirms the important part religious beliefs and activities play in the life of America.The character most evangelical Christians like myself identify with the most is the Simpsons' next-door neighbor Ned Flanders. While the show often pokes fun at the evangelical subculture at Ned's expense, it ultimately presents Ned in a very positive light, as a sincere lover of God who is portrayed as possessing human foibles at times without being a hypocrite. Lisa Simpson is less obviously religious, seeming to be the most "liberal" of the cast, but in her questioning of faith and championing of causes such as animal rights and environmentalism fits in with the thinking of the more liberal, mainline denominations. Homer is more like a typical churchgoer than many would like to admit: basically a believer who is often wishy-washy, gullible, and theologically clueless but is basically honest and moral when all is said and done. Marge is the most religious and upright of the Simpson family. Other faiths are also portrayed in the characters of Krusty (Judaism) and Apu (Hinduism). Rather than a true evangelical faith of salvation by grace, however, the show displays a religion of works. Of course, works are easier to deal with in a TV show than grace. The author also discusses the place of God, the Bible, Jesus (who is usually alluded to in a more indirect manner than God), and Satan in the Simpsons' universe. God, more than once, has himself interacted directly in the lives of the Springfield inhabitants.This book give a very thorough, entertaining analysis of the role of religion on what has been, in my opinion, the best show on TV over the last ten-plus years. I highly recommend "The Gospel According to the Simpsons" to anyone interested in religion and culture studies, and to all fans of the show.