Religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

is one of many recurring themes on the American animated television series ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

''. Much of the series' religious humor satirizes aspects of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

and religion in general. However, some episodes, such as " Bart Sells His Soul" and "

Alone Again, Natura-Diddily "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" is the fourteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American television series ''The Simpsons'', and marks the final regular appearance of the character Maude Flanders. In the episode, she is killed in an acciden ...

", can be interpreted as having a spiritual theme. The show has been both praised and criticized by atheists, agnostics, liberals, conservatives and religious people in general for its portrayal of faith and religion in society. The show can function as a mediator of biblical literacy among younger generations of irreligious viewers. In the series, the Simpson family attends services led by

Reverend Lovejoy Reverend Timothy "Tim" Lovejoy, Jr. is a recurring character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Rev. Lovejoy is the minister at The First Ch ...

. The church's denomination is identified as the "Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism" in the episode "

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" is the twenty-first and the last episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 15, 20 ...

." This is generally interpreted as representing the multitude of American Protestant traditions in general and not one specific denomination.

Analysis

Although ''The Simpsons'' often mocks religion, it has received support from some groups claiming to be religious. In a 2001 article for ''

The Christian Century ''The Christian Century'' is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of US mainline Protestantism, the monthly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and review ...

'', John Dart argued that

" e enormous popularity of ''The Simpsons'', now in its 12th television season, suggests that religious people have a sense of humor — contrary to the usual wisdom in Hollywood. The program takes more satirical jabs at spiritual matters than any other TV show, yet the erratic cartoon family has an appreciative audience among many people of faith and among many analysts of religion. The reason? Perhaps it’s because ''The Simpsons'' is an equal-opportunity satire: it shrewdly targets all sorts of foibles and hypocrisies, not just religious ones. Perhaps it’s also because the show is exceptionally aware of the significant place religion has in the American landscape."

The February 5, 2001 edition of

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...

's '' Christianity Today'', titled ''Saint Flanders'', featured Ned Flanders, Homer, and Marge on the cover and described Flanders as "the most visible evangelical to many Americans." In one of the issue's articles, Dart argued, among other things, that "At home, the less devout are probably tuned to the competition, ''

Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced ...

''." In July 2007, ''Christianity Today'' film reviewer Russ Breimeier gave ''

The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman (animator), David Silverman and star ...

'' a positive review, stating "Most television shows don't translate well to the big screen, and that's especially true for 15- or 30-minute cartoons that don't have the depth or nuance to expand into feature length. But ''The Simpsons'', with its broad range of slapstick and satire, effortlessly stretches to four times the usual length of a 22-minute episode, yielding one of the most successful television-to-cinema transplants I've ever seen: "Best ... feature-length ... episode ... ever" and that "If you agree that ''The Simpsons'' has soured somewhat over the last five years, fear not. ''The Simpsons Movie'' reunites several of the veterans responsible for the golden age of the series, including creator Matt Groening, director David Silverman (''Monsters, Inc.''), and contributing writers James L. Brooks, Al Jean, John Swartzwelder, David Mirkin, Ian-Maxtone-Graham, among others—eleven writers, four consultants." In December 2009, an article published in ''

L'Osservatore Romano ''L'Osservatore Romano'' (, 'The Roman Observer') is the daily newspaper of Vatican City State which reports on the activities of the Holy See and events taking place in the Catholic Church and the world. It is owned by the Holy See but is not ...

'', the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

's official newspaper, praised ''The Simpsons'' for its "realistic" way of dealing with religion. "

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

finds in God his last refuge, even though he sometimes gets His name sensationally wrong. But these are just minor mistakes, after all; the two know each other well", the article said. The Simpson family is often seen attending church, a practice described by Dart as "rarely seen or mentioned in other TV shows." ''Simpsons'' creator

Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...

has also stated that ''The Simpsons'' is one of the few shows on television where the family attends church regularly. The characters in the family are often seen praying. William Romanowski, author of the book ''Pop Culture Wars: Religion and the Role of Entertainment in American Life'', noted that "''The Simpsons'' is not dismissive of faith, but treats religion as an integral part of American life. Episodes that I’ve seen are not so much irreverent toward religion, but poke fun at American attitudes and practices." One episode that heavily features religion is " Bart Sells His Soul" (1995). While discussing ''The Simpsons'' treatment of religion in his ''Drawn to Television'' book, M. Keith Booker cites a scene from the episode where Milhouse asks Bart what religions have to gain by lying about concepts such as the existence of a soul – and then the scene cuts to Reverend Lovejoy counting his money. Booker believes that this implies that religions create mythologies so that they can gain money from followers. He juxtaposes this with Bart's realization later in the episode that "life suddenly feels empty and incomplete" without a soul, which suggests "either that the soul is real or it is at least a useful fiction". The episode has been used in church courses about the nature of a soul in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

and in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and was shown by a minister in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

in one of his sermons. A 2005 report on religious education in secondary schools by the UK education watchdog group

Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a Non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...

(Ofsted) noted that the episode was being used as a teaching tool. As of 2017, more than 95% of ''The Simpsons'' episodes explicitly referenced religion. The show advocates ideas of religious pluralism and exploring spiritual beliefs independently, while it criticizes the use of religion and spirituality to avoid responsibility.

Religions

Christianity is heavily parodied by the show, and it is often portrayed as failing to meet the standards set by its messaging. The season 4 episode "

Homer the Heretic "Homer the Heretic" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 8, 1992. In the episode, Homer decides to forgo going ...

" challenges the necessity of attending church in order to be a good Christian, exploring topics of religious individualism and religious certainty. The season 13 episode "

She of Little Faith "She of Little Faith" is the sixth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on December 16, 2001. In the episode, Bart Simpson and his fa ...

" criticizes churches that operate for profit rather than practicing Christian teachings.

Ned Flanders Nedward "Ned" Flanders Jr. is a fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', voiced by Harry Shearer and first appearing in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." He is the good-natured, ch ...

is the show's archetype of an evangelical Christian. He is often used to portray evangelical Christianity in a negative light, with the show suggesting that he is not capable of thinking outside of his Biblical framework. In the season 12 episode "

HOMR "HOMR" (styled as "HOMЯ") is the ninth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The 257th episode overall, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 7, 2001. In the e ...

", he burns a document proving that God does not exist. In the season 17 episode "

The Monkey Suit "The Monkey Suit" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 14, 2006. In the episode, Ned ...

", he leads a movement to teach creationism in schools before being proved wrong in a trial that parodied the Scopes trial. In the season 13 episode "She of Little Faith",

Lisa Simpson Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. She is the middle child and most accomplished of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa was born as a character in '' The Tracey Ullman ...

converts to Buddhism after her church's

consumerism Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the su ...

causes her to lose faith. The episode portrays her adoption of Buddhism as spiritually fulfilling in contrast to her poor experience in church, and it serves as an example of how religion can accept consumerism without being overtaken by it.

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a recurring character in the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is an Indian immigrant proprietor who runs the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and is known for his catchphra ...

is the most significant Hindu character on ''The Simpsons''. He keeps a shrine to

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...

in his store, the

Kwik-E-Mart The Kwik-E-Mart (spelled "Quick-E-Mart" in "Bart the General") is a convenience store in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It is a parody of American convenience stores, such as 7-Eleven and Cumberland Farms, and depicts many of th ...

. In the season 10 episode " Make Room for Lisa", Homer and Lisa visit a New Age store that is portrayed as a compilation of appropriated religious practices and cultures, though Lisa ultimately creates meaning for herself while in the store.

Episodes with focus on religious topics

Bart Gets an 'F' Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Barth ...

( season two, 1990) –

Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The 26th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United Stat ...

" ( season two, 1991) – Christianity *"

Like Father, Like Clown "Like Father, Like Clown" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 24, 1991. In the episode, Krusty the Clown revea ...

" (

season three A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

, 1991) – Judaism *"

" ( season four, 1992) – Christianity and faith *" Treehouse of Horror IV" ( season five, 1993) – the

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

and the

Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...

*" Bart Sells His Soul" ( season seven, 1995) – Christianity and existence of the soul *" Hurricane Neddy" ( season eight, 1996) – Christianity and

theodicy Theodicy () means vindication of God. It is to answer the question of why a good God permits the manifestation of evil, thus resolving the issue of the problem of evil. Some theodicies also address the problem of evil "to make the existence of ...

*" In Marge We Trust" ( season eight, 1997) – Christianity *"

The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons" is the eighth episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 16, 1997. It was written by Richard ...

" (

season nine A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

, 1997) -

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

Lisa the Skeptic "Lisa the Skeptic" is the eighth episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 23, 1997. On an archaeological dig with her class, Lisa ...

" (

, 1997) – faith, belief of angels, and Judgment Day *" The Joy of Sect" (

, 1998) –

sect A sect is a subgroup of a religious, political, or philosophical belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger group. Although the term was originally a classification for religious separated groups, it can now refer to any organization that ...

s and

cults In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This s ...

Simpsons Bible Stories "Simpsons Bible Stories" is the eighteenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on Easter Sunday, April 4, 1999. It is the first of ''The ...

" ( season ten, 1999) – Judaism and Christianity *" Faith Off" ( season eleven, 2000) –

faith healing Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

Treehouse of Horror XI "Treehouse of Horror XI" is the first episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', the 249th episode overall, and the eleventh Halloween episode. The episode features "G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad", "Scary Tales ...

" ( season twelve, 2000) – Christianity, Heaven and Hell *"

I'm Goin' to Praiseland "I'm Goin' to Praiseland" is the nineteenth episode of the The Simpsons (season 12), twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States ...

" ( season twelve, 2001) – Christianity *"

" ( season thirteen, 2001) –

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

, Christianity ( Evangelicalism e.x.

Megachurch A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...

) and leaving one's religion *"

Pray Anything "Pray Anything" is the tenth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 9, 2003. In the episode, Homer sues the church and ...

" ( season fourteen, 2003) – Christianity *" Today I Am a Klown" ( season fifteen, 2003) – Judaism *"

Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" is the eighth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 6, 2005. It is a Super Bowl-them ...

" ( season sixteen, 2005) – Christianity *" Thank God It's Doomsday" ( season sixteen, 2005) – Christianity and Judgment Day *"

" ( season sixteen, 2005) – Christianity (

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

) *"

Simpsons Christmas Stories "Simpsons Christmas Stories" is the ninth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 18, 2005. Plot The First D'oh-El Whe ...

" ( season seventeen, 2005) – Christianity *" Bart Has Two Mommies" ( season seventeen, 2006) – Christianity *"

" ( season seventeen, 2006) – Creationism vs.

Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

*" Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore" ( season seventeen, 2006) – Hinduism and Involuntarily deification *" Treehouse of Horror XVIII" ( season nineteen, 2007) – Christianity,

Seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...

MyPods and Boomsticks "MyPods and Boomsticks" is the seventh episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 30, 2008. In the episode, Homer becomes sus ...

" ( season twenty, 2008) – Islam *" Gone Maggie Gone" ( season twenty, 2009) – Christianity (Catholicism) *" Rednecks and Broomsticks" ( season twenty-one, 2009) –

Wicca Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and w ...

*" The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" ( season twenty-one, 2010) – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam *"

A Tree Grows in Springfield A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

" ( season twenty-four, 2012) – Faith *" Dark Knight Court" ( season twenty-four, 2013) - Christianity ( Orthodoxy and "Scottish Old Believer

Presbyterianism Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

") *"

Pulpit Friction "Pulpit Friction" is the eighteenth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 526th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 28, 2013. The ...

" ( season twenty-four, 2013) – Christianity and faith *" Clown in the Dumps" ( season twenty-six, 2014) – Judaism and the afterlife *"

My Way or the Highway to Heaven "My Way or the Highway to Heaven" is the 642nd episode of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and the third episode of season 30. Plot In heaven, in apparent homage to the show's traditional opening segment’s couch gags, G ...

" ( season thirty, 2018) – Christianity, Atheism, and Buddhism *" E My Sports" ( season thirty, 2019) – Buddhism ( Korean Buddhism and

Zen Buddhism Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), an ...

) *" Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" ( season thirty-one, 2019) – Atheism,

Doubt Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, unable to be certain of any of them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and disbelief. It may involve uncertainty ...

, and Christianity *" Warrin' Priests" ( season thirty-one, 2020) – Christianity

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Guide to Religion on The Simpsons
at

The Simpsons Archive The Simpsons Archive, also known by its previous domain name snpp.com or simply SNPP (named for the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant), is a Simpsons fan site that has been online since 1994. Maintained by dozens of volunteers from—amongst other ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Religion In The Simpsons The Simpsons Religion in popular culture