Why has "The Dark Knight," Christopher Nolan’s latest addition to the Batman franchise, been so phenomenally successful? In a review of the film for America, two theology students propose that the film’s religious imagery is what most resonates most viewers. Here is Margaret Stahl, a student at Yale Divinity School:
Perhaps I’m making too much of “The Dark Night.” Maybe it’s just a good flick, entertaining and action-packed. Ultimately, however, I think there is something more behind its popularity. We are made in Christ’s image, and we all have the ability to be like him, to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others. At the same time, we have all fallen prey to the temptations of the “Evil One.” With “The Dark Knight,” Christopher Nolan has tapped into the deep divide in the human heart, and put it all up on the screen for us to see.
Read the full review here.
For another theologian’s take on the Batman phenomenon, watch Father Robert Barron’s video below.
Tim Reidy
