Theology and Spider-Man

Engaging themes of sin, salvation, and creedal theology, the contributors to Theology and Spider-Man create a systematic and constructive theology of one of Marvel’s most popular heroes.

Theology and Spider-Man provides a look at the religious themes present in one of the most popular heroes of the past half-century, Spider-Man. In order to create a systematic theology of Spider-Man, the contributors delve into themes of sin, salvation, and creedal theology, while also addressing liberation theology, Black theology, bioethics, and hermeneutics. This volume balances theological depth with discussion of the comics and films, which makes it a perfect collection for those interested in theology, Spider-Man, or both.

Introduction: Theologizing the Spider

George Tsakiridis

1 Sin and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man: A Spider-Harmatiology

Jerome Van Kuiken

2 Tyger, Lamb, Spider, Hunter: “Kraven’s Last Hunt” and The Web of Theodicy

Peter Admirand

3 Untangling the Web of Sins: The Superior Spider-Man as Secular Hagiography

David K. Goodin

4 Let Him Be to You as a Goblin: Forgiveness as the Defeat of Evil in Spider-Man Comics

Travis B. Hill

5 “Look out, here comes the Spider-Man”: An Exploration of the Creedal Theology of Spider-Man

George Tsakiridis

6 Moral Formation in Pedagogies of Violence: Civil War’s Peter Parker

John C. McDowell

7 Peter Parker’s Progeny: Power, Genetics, and Virtuous Parenting in Spider-Girl

Michael Buttrey and Leah DeJong

8 “Not Gonna Turn Invisible”: Into the Spider-Verse and Black Theology

Matthew Vega and Russell P. Johnson

9 A Web of Significations: The Hermeneutics of Theological Anthropology in Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)

Ched Spellman

10 Venom the Liberation Theologian

Josh McDonald

11 Loss, Death, and Afterlife: Thanatology and Theology in Spider-Man Comics

Allan Novaes

12 Spider-Man: An Icon in your Pocket

Joseph E. Gaston