Religion and Science Fiction

James H. Thrall directs the religious studies program at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he is the Knight Distinguished Professor for the Study of Religion and Culture.

• 1. Introduction: Knowing Things; 2. Re-Presenting Traditions: New and Old; 3. Telling Stories/Acting Them Out (Myth/Ritual); 4. Imagining Divinity; 5. Evil, Sin, and Suffering: Dealing with What’s Wrong; 6. Being Human?; 7. Encountering the Alien Other; 8. Gender Utopia/Gender Dystopia; 9. Race, Science Fiction, and the Future; 10. Running Out of Time: SF Eschatology; Conclusion

"An extensive and diverse approach to significant texts in the world of science fiction and religion, this volume is a wonderful introduction for both students of religious studies and scholars interested in exploring the convergence of these fields."Laura Ammon, Appalachian State University, USA"If you teach a course on science fiction and religion, this is the textbook you’ve been waiting for. We have long needed a book that surveys the breadth and depth of religion in sci-fi, and does so in a manner attentive to representing the diversity of cultures, eras, and religions of the authors and characters in the genre. Thrall’s book offers that and does it well, discussing most or all of the stories you’re likely to assign in a course like this."James F. McGrath, Butler University, USA