“Imagining the world or one’s life differently is the first step in changing it.” So states John Markey in his introduction to Christ and the Spirit: Catholic Perspectives Through the Ages. Convinced that people must access God through their own experience if they are to authentically connect to the God of Christianity, and equally convinced of the epistemological power of story, Markey, along with contributor Greg Zuschlag, lace a lucid outline of Western Christianity’s theologies of Christ and the Spirit with illustrations from the film narratives of Beauty and the Beast, Superman, and Star Wars. In the case of Beauty and the Beast, he illuminates the ways in which the story’s heroine, Belle, functions as a Christ figure, returning to her again and again in reflection question boxes that challenge readers to make their own connections and draw their own conclusions on the basis of his elaboration of the developments of the Christian Tradition. In evoking Superman and Star Wars, he acknowledges popular parallels, respectively, to Christ and the Spirit, but counsels caution and invites critical analysis vis-à-vis an authentic understanding of the paschal mystery. Both his boxed reflections and discussion questions lead the reader to recognize the truth-in-contrast between the redemptive power of Belle’s vulnerable love and the myth of redemptive violence perpetuated by Superman and the Force. Recurring references to Jean Vanier’s L’Arche communities reinforce the vision of the world through the lens of the Christian story that Markey so successfully conveys.

This book is a rich resource for undergraduate introductory courses as well as for continuing formation for adults. It provides excellent pedagogical tools for the classroom and for popular pastoral education.