Superman Bible Study Attracts New Christians
Following the successful launch of Biblezines and Biblebooks for teens, Christian educators released yet another pop-influenced tool for learning: the Superman Bible Study (SBS). The four-week program, which uses parables about the all-time-favorite hero to teach about the savior-of-all-time, has been attracting Christians young and old from across the nation.
“It was designed for people who grew up with the show, but now we get more interest from children,” said Steve Skelton - the author of SBS, during an interview with Christian Post. “Using the parable approach is ageless; whether you are 5 or 50, you can gain something from it.”
In SBS, Skelton recognizes the parallel between Jesus and Superman, in that both of them were sent to Earth by their Heavenly fathers. Nevertheless, Skelton does not equate the two Superheroes.
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“Superman is not Jesus Christ. But he is a Christ Figure — as we all should be. Thus, this 3 Volume study reveals the striking parallels between Jesus Christ and Superman, applies those points to our personal lives and equips us to reach those who are attracted to a Superman but don’t know who their true Savior is The Super Man, Jesus Christ,” Skelton wrote on the website.
"It's a matter of pointing out gospel signifiers that are embedded in the Superman story," Skelton said in a phone interview with The Paducah Sun, "It's amazing when I talk to people about Superman and ask them why they like Superman. They say, 'He fights evil' or 'Well, because he's good.' All of these things obviously mirror Jesus. Then I ask, 'Why do you like Jesus?' and it's the same conversation."
Skelton also said he hopes the SBS could be used as a good tool to bring Christ closer to the people who are uncomfortable with going to church.
"We hope that people will have a good time of fellowship, and for the folks that won't usually come to a class, we hope that they'll feel comfortable enough to come to a Superman study," he said.
At the Eastland Baptist Church in Metropolis, Ill. – one of many congregations that adopted the SBS course – the result reflected Skelton’s hope.
“Each lesson is 10-page long - it’s a very deep study. The correlation between Jesus and Superman inspires people. If you look deep inside, you see more of the Bible. It uses Superman to bridge gap between Jesus and those who don’t come to church. It’s a good program for non-Christians, for those who are harder to reach,” said the Rev. Justin Reynold of Eastland church.
Meanwhile, according to Skelton, the general response to the program has been phenomenal.
People say to me, “I’ve never realized you can use that [Superman] as a parable!” explained Skelton.
For more information about the program, please visit Skelton’s website at: www.entertaintmentministry.com
