Avatar not for avowed pantheists
February 28th, 2010 § 5 Comments
Avatar is a delightfully inconsequential movie. As many have pointed out plot and character development have been sacrificed for the sake of special effects and impressive action. And I like that. I want to be stunned. The 3d scenery, the blue women – a tad too perfect and sensuous – the floating mountains, the techno monsters and alien beasts did it for me. I don’t like real-life roller-coaster rides, and this was the perfect alternative for me. If I want to be intrigued by deep thoughts, mysterious characters and pervasive plots I can always turn to my ubiquitous books.
The movie is inconsistent too – I might add – on a worldview level, which is where Apologia Christi’s concern comes in. Well, concern; it’s quite funny to say the least. The movie seems to be one grand argument for a new religious consciousness along the lines of current New Age thought. In the movie the human race is in the process of emptying a remote planet Pandora of its minerals. Back home earth is in dire need due to man’s marauding activities that have depleted it of its natural resources.
In their conquest the humans encounter a species of humanoids, the Na’vi. They’re blue and tall, live in unity with nature and have not developed any technologies beyond hunting skills and domestication of dragons. These blue people are not just in sync with nature, they are tuned-in to Eywa, the female goddess who holds life in balance. While herself impersonal she is the sum of the planet and all that lives on it. That’s why when killing an animal the Na’vi will always take a moment to acknowledge the divine in it. Pandora is one great living organism. This is pantheism in its most lush New Age manifestation.
Eventually a war erupts and – bummer – the humans with their technologically advanced weaponry prove too strong. They destroy the towering ‘tree of life’, home to the Na’vi who are dispersed. Under the able leadership of Jake Sully, a human who has temporarily transmigrated to a Na’vi body, a final battle ensues.
Of course the Na’vi realize they are waging an impossible war. Being still human at heart, Jake Sully taps into his Christian archetypal past (or whatever it is that makes him do it) and goes to the Na’vi’s ‘prayer place’ to ask Eywa to intervene. The Na’vi however make clear to him that such intercessory prayer is useless as Eywa is not in the business of answering personal prayers. She is just there to uphold the balance of life.
Now comes the funny part. As the epic battle evolves it becomes clear that in spite of their courage the Na’vi are loosing. It is then that Eywa suddenly turns personal and intervenes through direct divine action on behalf of Jake and the Na’vi. The fierce monsters of the forest are no longer neutral in the battle but turn against the humans on behalf of the Na’vi. Later, when Jake Sully is on the brink of death she intervenes once more to permanently migrate his soul to his blue avatar body.
Not only does it takes a personal God to make reincarnation happen, without such a deity their apparently can be no exciting New Age movie either. One more reason to vote for a personal God, I’d say.
Thanks for the post. Funny article, I did not looked at it this way. Though I find it a great movie.
I found the movie quite interesting as entertainment. I noticed many ties to Christianity in the movie (and Judaism). Take the Na’vi, for example. That’s the Hebrew word for “prophet.” And eywa, if you manipulate the syllables, sounds the same as the Divine Name. I’m not saying it’s a Christian movie (far from it), I just appreciated a movie from Hollywood that didn’t try to tell me there’s no such thing as (a) god.
Interesting post, and thoughtful exposition. It’s true, Eywa did become personal all of a sudden. Perhaps its just that we can’t help but try to relate to divine power on a personal level. I think it has to do with that “sensus divinitatis” built into us.
You’ve got quite a blog going. You should put a little biographical information there too.
Thanks Josh! That’s quite encouraging! I have long been meaning to update the “about” page, but I don’t know how in-depth to make it. I think I may just split it into a short/long version.
Great post, I’m an avid reader of this site, keep up the good work, and I will be a regular for a very long time.