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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 American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
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, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
''. 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 "Bart Sells His Soul" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 8, 1995. In the episode, Bart scornfully dismisses th ...
" 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 Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and ant ...
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 ...
. 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, 2 ...
." 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 reviews ...
'', 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's ''
Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...
'', 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''." In July 2007, ''Christianity Today'' film reviewer Russ Breimeier gave ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman and stars the show's regular cast of Dan Caste ...
'' 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'', 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 Rome ...
'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 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 Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified an ...
. 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 "Bart Sells His Soul" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 8, 1995. In the episode, Bart scornfully dismisses th ...
" (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 cap ...
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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, and was shown by a minister in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
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 (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 fat ...
" criticizes churches that operate for profit rather than practicing Christian teachings. Ned Flanders 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 Creationism is the religious belief that nature, and aspects such as the universe, Earth, life, and humans, originated with supernatural acts of divine creation. Gunn 2004, p. 9, "The ''Concise Oxford Dictionary'' says that creationism is 't ...
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 converts to Buddhism after her church's consumerism 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 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 deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
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 t ...
. In the season 10 episode "
Make Room for Lisa "Make Room for Lisa" is the sixteenth 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 February 28, 1999. The main plot has Homer and Lisa embark ...
", 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 ''Bartholo ...
(
season two Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * ''2econd Season ''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk. Release It was released on November 4, 2008. Guest Performers The album features gu ...
, 1990) –
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 ...
*"
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 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * ''2econd Season ''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk. Release It was released on November 4, 2008. Guest Performers The album features gu ...
, 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, 1991) – Judaism *"
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 ...
" (
season four 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 pola ...
, 1992) – Christianity and faith *"
Treehouse of Horror IV "Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and the fourth episode in the ''Treehouse of Horror'' series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox net ...
" (
season five 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 pola ...
, 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 attes ...
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 t ...
*"
Bart Sells His Soul "Bart Sells His Soul" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 8, 1995. In the episode, Bart scornfully dismisses th ...
" ( season seven, 1995) – Christianity and existence of the soul *"
Hurricane Neddy "Hurricane Neddy" is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 29, 1996 It was written by Steve Young, directed by ...
" ( 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 "In Marge We Trust" is the twenty-second episode of the The Simpsons (season 8), eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States on Ap ...
" ( 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 A ...
" (
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" (
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) – faith, belief of angels, and
Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
*"
The Joy of Sect "The Joy of Sect" is the thirteenth 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 February 8, 1998. In the episode, a cult takes over Spri ...
" (
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 ...
, 1998) – sects 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 ...
*"
Simpsons Bible Stories "Simpsons Bible Stories" is the eighteenth episode of the The Simpsons (season 10), tenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States on East ...
" ( season ten, 1999) – Judaism and Christianity *"
Faith Off "Faith Off" is the eleventh episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 16, 2000. In the episode, Bart believes he has the power ...
" ( 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" ( season twelve, 2000) – Christianity, Heaven and Hell *" I'm Goin' to Praiseland" ( season twelve, 2001) – Christianity *"
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 fat ...
" ( season thirteen, 2001) –
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, Christianity (
Evangelicalism Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...
e.x. Megachurch) 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 "Today I Am a Clown" is the sixth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 7, 2003. The episode focuses on Krusty's relig ...
" ( 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 "Thank God, It's Doomsday" is the nineteenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 8, 2005. Al Jean claims that the recorded comm ...
" ( season sixteen, 2005) – Christianity and Judgment Day *"
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, 2 ...
" ( 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 Wh ...
" ( season seventeen, 2005) – Christianity *"
Bart Has Two Mommies "Bart Has Two Mommies" is the fourteenth 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 March 19, 2006. In the episode, Marge babysits ...
" ( season seventeen, 2006) – Christianity *"
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 ...
" ( season seventeen, 2006) –
Creationism Creationism is the religious belief that nature, and aspects such as the universe, Earth, life, and humans, originated with supernatural acts of divine creation. Gunn 2004, p. 9, "The ''Concise Oxford Dictionary'' says that creationism is 't ...
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 “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore” is the seventeenth 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 April 9, 2006. Dan Castellaneta & D ...
" ( season seventeen, 2006) – Hinduism and Involuntarily deification *"
Treehouse of Horror XVIII "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" is the fifth episode of the nineteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 4, 2007. In the eighteenth annual Treehouse ...
" ( season nineteen, 2007) – Christianity, Seven deadly sins *"
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 suspi ...
" ( season twenty, 2008) –
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
*"
Gone Maggie Gone "Gone Maggie Gone" is the thirteenth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 15, 2009. The episode was written by both Billy ...
" ( season twenty, 2009) – Christianity (Catholicism) *"
Rednecks and Broomsticks "Rednecks and Broomsticks" is the seventh episode in the twenty-first season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 29, 2009. In the episode, Lisa befr ...
" ( 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 was ...
*"
The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" is the sixteenth episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 457th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March ...
" ( 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 "Dark Knight Court" is the sixteenth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 524th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 17, 2013. Th ...
" ( season twenty-four, 2013) - Christianity (
Orthodoxy Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churc ...
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 "Clown in the Dumps" is the twenty-sixth season premiere of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and the 553rd episode of the series overall. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on September 28, 2014, with t ...
" ( season twenty-six, 2014) – Judaism and the
afterlife The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
*" My Way or the Highway to Heaven" ( season thirty, 2018) – Christianity,
Atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...
, and Buddhism *"
E My Sports "E My Sports" is the seventeenth episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 656th episode overall. The episode was directed by Rob Oliver and written by Rob LaZebnik. It aired in the Unit ...
" ( season thirty, 2019) – Buddhism (
Korean Buddhism Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what its early practitioners saw as inconsistencies within the Mahayana Buddhist traditions that they received from foreign countries. To address this, the ...
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), and ...
) *"
Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? "Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" is the ninth episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 671st episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on December 1, 2019. The epis ...
" ( 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 "Warrin' Priests" is a two-part episode of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. Part One is the 19th episode of the The Simpsons (season 31), thirty-first season and the 681st episode overall, having originally premiered on th ...
" ( season thirty-one, 2020) – Christianity


See also

*
List of fictional religions Fictional religions are religions that exist only in works of fiction. B * Bene Gesserit – '' Dune'' series * Bokononism – ''Cat's Cradle'' by Kurt Vonnegut C * Carpathianism – ''Left Behind'' series * Chaos Gods &nbs ...
* Politics in ''The Simpsons'' * Religion in ''Futurama''


Notes


Bibliography

*


Further reading

* *


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