Superman and the Bible: How the Idea of Superheroes Affects the Reading of Scripture, Paperback/Nicholaus Pumphrey

Description In 1938, Superman debuted, jumping off the pages of Action Comics #1. In the cultural context of the Great Depression and World War II, the U.S. would see the rise of the superhero not only in comic books but in radio programs, animated cartoons and television shows. Superman forever changed our concept of the hero and became permanently engrained in American culture. This study explores the Man of Steel's narrative as a fresh perspective on readings of the Bible--his character is reflected in such figures as Moses, Samson and Jesus. The author argues that we cannot read the Bible without reading Superman. About the author Nicholaus Pumphrey is the Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Curator of the Quayle Bible Collection at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. He has published articles on comic books and religion, and Muslim comic book characters.