Of Demoniacs and Graphic Novels

— Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 —

Holy Christian Hedonism Batman! Check out this great new resource from Desiring God Ministries.

Christian comic books leave me queasy, having been scarred as a child by things like this and this. And what child of the 1970s and 1980s growing up in conservative evangelicalism can forget when Archie and Jughead were Christians (wait, with perseverance of the saints, I guess they still are, but…).

This is different.

Titled “The Gadarene,” the graphic novel is an adaptation of a John Piper poem about the demonized man’s encounter with Jesus.

Several years ago, a man with years of experience in youth ministry told me that the story of the Gadarene demoniac is the Bible story, he’d found, that unconverted teenagers most identified with, as he was taking them through the biblical narrative. Like the man of the tombs, they found themselves feeling “out of control” and abandoned.

The fictional element of this book, imaginatively told from the basis of the biblical story, touches on just this kind of problem. Matters of father/son relationships, alienation, and the steps toward rebellion are all in here.

This graphic novel could be a good resource for your ministry, especially in starting conversations with teenage boys.

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4 Responses to “Of Demoniacs and Graphic Novels”

  1. Trevin Wax November 30th, 2010 at 9:12 am

    Dr. Moore,

    I remember both of those old comic books you linked to!

    Interestingly enough, they were given to me by independent Baptist friends when my family joined a Southern Baptist Church.

  2. Ryan Szrama November 30th, 2010 at 9:40 am

    I was super excited about this when I saw the announcement / video. No teenage boys in my home, but one twenty-something sure will enjoy it. : D

  3. Chris Land November 30th, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    Saw this on the Desiring God website. Looks great. Love the Batman TV reference.

  4. Rob December 2nd, 2010 at 11:50 am

    Hey, as a hobbyist webcomic creator, I love hearing about news like this. Comic books are definitely a wonderful medium for sharing the gospel.

    There are groups like the Christian Comics Art Society (christiancomicart.ning.com) that specifically focus on fellowship and networking opportunities for Christian comic book professionals, too (and knowing how dark the theme of some comic book shows can be, I think its wonderful that they have a presence at shows like this.)

    And wow, I remember seeing that first Chick comic ages ago at a doctor’s office and it totally freaked me out too.