Superman and the Bible

Summary

In 1938, Superman debuted, practically jumping off the pages of Action Comics #1. During 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, cartoons, and television shows. Superman forever changed our concept of hero and became permanently engrained in American culture. A primary location of Superman is in readings of the Bible. Readers attempt to determine the characters within the Bible that Superman is based on or read biblical figures as Superman, such as Moses or Jesus. No one can read the Bible without placing the Man of Steel, the first superhero, within in the text. [Superman and the Bible] analyzes how we make meaning while reading comics and the primary factors that influence our readings of the Bible. First, this is evident in the way biblical scholars treat Samson, and second, through readers claiming Superman is Jewish or Christian. [Superman and the Bible] shows we cannot read the Bible without reading Superman.