And Reconcile Us with Evil a Critical Investigation of the Imagery of Good and Evil in Western Religion, Film, and Politics
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...And Reconcile Us With Evil A Critical Investigation of the Imagery of Good and Evil in Western Religion, Film, and Politics Religion in Peace and Conflict Uppsala Universitet, Teologiska Fakulteten Author: Arne L Gellrich Supervisor: Nils Billing Examinator: Kajsa Ahlstrand Abstract With an eye on the current social and political situation in Europe, and with regards to the so-termed refugee crisis, this study aims to map the discourse on assumed good and evil shared among Western cultures, as represented by Sweden, Germany and the United States. The thesis takes its point of departure from essayistic reflections of the philosophical tradition and theological and religious analytical positions respectively. These are then followed by two in- vestigative main chapters, designed along the lines of Norman Fairclough’s approach to critical dis- course analysis (CDA). The first of these chapters studies the narratives of good and evil employed in the mainstream cinema of the past ten years in the mentioned countries. The second analysis is made up of three case studies, in turn looking at similar narratives in the campaigns of the two main competitors in the 2016 presidential race, a German protest movement against free trade agreements, and the everyday political communication of Swedish Facebook us- ers. In a final chapter, findings from all four preceding chapters are brought together in an attempt to sketch an image of the congruences and discrepancies of narratives on good and evil in the overall discursive field. The thesis finds that the discursive field shared by the three investigated societies is largely ho- ...And Reconcile Us With Evil mogenous, with certain imagery permeating all analysed orders of discourse. Many of the reoccurring A Critical Investigation of the Imagery of Good and images are however likely rooted in the human psyche and therefore less dependent on discourse Evil in Western Religion, Film and Politics practice. Furthermore, certain principles are agreed upon in theory while not reproduced in social Religion in Peace and Conflict practice. Themes assigned to either good or evil often seem to take on secondary functions next to Uppsala Universitet, Teologiska Fakulteten assumed fixed identities of in- and out-groups. Author: Arne L Gellrich Supervisor: Nils Billing Being a qualitative study, this thesis aims at giving an overview and delivering a base for further Examinator: Kajsa Ahlstrand investigations rather than providing definitive answers. Cover illustration using material from the film Nosferatu – Symphonie des Grauens (1922, directed by F W Murnau, DR: Jofa-Atelier Berlin-Johannisthal/Prana-Film GmbH.) Acknowledgements I would like to thank Nils Billing for his tutoring and criticism. Also, for his criticism and theologi- cal expertise, Knut Wormstädt is deserving of sencere thanks. Finally, I am, as always, indebted to Annemieke Munderloh for her unwavering personal, intellectual and editorial support, as well as my dear friend Julian Heno for more of the same. Contents LIST OF FIGURES IV LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VI INTRODUCTION 1 1. Presentation of the research topic 1 2. Aim and Research Question 3 3. Analytical framework 3 3.1 Methodology 3 3.2 Method and structure 4 3.3 Selection of case studies 5 3.4 Limitations, delimitations, and ethical considerations 6 CHAPTER 1 — EVIL AND GOOD IN PHILOSOPHY AND THE HUMANITIES 9 1. Attempts at definitions 9 2. Morality and group cohesion 10 3. Beyond morality 12 4. Skotos and the evil entity 13 5. Subordination, domination or integration? 14 6. Outside villains 15 7. Revenge and Punishment 16 CHAPTER 2 — GOOD AND EVIL IN CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM 17 1. Creation and negation 17 2. Morality and divine law 19 2.1 The commandments 19 2.2 Original sin and evil inclination 22 2.3 Forgiveness and brotherly love 24 3. The Enemy 25 3.1 Evil personified 25 3.2 The Powers of Chaos 25 3.3 The Adversary 26 3.4 The Fallen Angel 27 4. The Traitor Overcome 28 4.1 Devilry: manipulation or confrontation 29 4.2 In-group/out-group behaviour 30 5. Conclusion and identification of themes 31 ii ...And Reconcile Us with Evil iii CHAPTER 3 — GOOD AND EVIL IN THE CONTEMPORARY WESTERN FEATURE FILM 33 2.2 Unmasking evil 65 1. Mythical themes 34 2.3 Puppet mastery and evil entities 66 1.1 Devilish figures 34 2.4 Illness, weakness, and incompetence 67 1.2 Messianic figures 35 2. Social functional themes 35 CASE STUDY III: FACEBOOK COMMENTS SECTIONS 69 2.1 Morality and group cohesion 35 1. General observations 69 2.2 Licensed deviance 36 2. The Good 69 2.3 Entitlement 37 2.1 Punishment, liberty and democratic legitimacy 69 2.4 Fixed values 38 2.2 Fixed values 72 2.5 Betrayal 39 3. Evil 74 3. Evil inclination and negotiation of the shadow 39 3.1 Puppet masters and betrayal 74 3.1 Character corruption and reformation 39 3.2 Naming and banning 75 3.2 Integration and suppression 41 3.3 Excrement, disease and incompetence 79 3.3 Disease and healing 41 CHAPTER 5 — EVALUATION 81 4. Woe 42 1. Synthesis 81 4.1 Motivated by malevolence 42 2. Interpretation 83 4.2 Motivating malevolence 43 3. Summary and conclusion 86 5. Heroes 44 4. Prospects and suggestions for further study 87 5.1 Shared characteristics 44 5.2 Avengers, innocents, victims 44 LIST OF REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 91 6. Further motifs 45 1. Non-fiction books, scientific publication and contributions to edited works 91 6.1 Liberty 45 2. News Articles 94 6.2 Puppetmastery 46 3. Scripture 95 6.3 Creation and Nature 46 4. Other non-fiction sources 95 6.4 Compromise 47 5. Novels 98 6. Feature films, radio and television productions 98 CHAPTER 4 — SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DISCOURSE 49 PPENDICES CASE STUDY I: SPEECHES OF US PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES 49 A 103 1. Social functional themes 49 Appendix I. Full List of analysed films A001 1.1 Group cohesion 49 Appendix II. Speeches by US Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump A002 1.2 Liberty and democracy 50 Appendix III. Speeches by US Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton A030 1.3 Justice 51 Appendix IV. Newsletter by the NGO Campact e.V. A056 2. Entitlement 51 Appendix V. Excerpt from users’ commentary A074 2.1 Legacy and destiny 51 2.2 Licensed deviance 52 3. Malevolence 54 3.1 Antagonists and villains 54 3.2 Puppet mastery, conspiracy, betrayal 54 3.3 Dishonesty 55 4. Woe 56 4.1 Systemic shortcomings 56 4.2 Illness, weakness, and incompetence 56 5. Heroes 57 6. Further motifs 58 CASE STUDY II: CAMPACT E.V. AND THE GERMAN TTIP AND CETA PROTEST MOVEMENT 60 1. We, the good 60 1.1 Group cohesion 60 1.2 Heroes 61 1.3 Entitlement, betrayal, and fixed values 63 2. Evil entities 65 2.1 Iconography 65 Figures, Abbreviations v Figures Fig. 1: Die Linke canvas portraying fictional villainDarth Vader 2 Source: private photo, taken 27 August 2016. Fig. 2: Logo of the Italian MoVimento 5 Stelle 2 Source: MoVimento 5 Stelle, Accessed 7 October 2016. Fig. 3: John Kerry tweets about meeting film executives 2 Source: Kerry, J. (JohnKerry), 17 February 2016. (Twitter post) Fig. 4: Flyer for the defiant TTIP protest march on April 24th 2016 63 Source: collected in Hanover, 23 April 2016. Fig. 5: Banner put up in Hanover by the Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft 63 Source: private photo, taken 23 April 2016. Fig. 6: Banner put up in Hanover by Greenpeace 63 Source: private photo, taken 23 April 2016. Fig. 7: Wooden figure portraying the Trojan horse at the demonstration at Hanover. 64 Source: Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Accessed 7 October 2016. Fig. 8: Placard portraying Mr. Burns 65 Source: Nocun, K. (Kattascha), 11 October 2011. (Twitter post) Fig. 10: Protesters dressed up as monsters representing freetrade agreements 65 Source: Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Accessed 7 October 2016. Fig. 9: Using imagery from The Godfather 65 Source: BBC World Service, 11 October 2016. Fig. 11: Placard combing the association of excrement and disease 67 Source: Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Accessed 7 October 2016. vi ...And Reconcile Us with Evil TTIP Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (Agreement) List of Abbreviations SPD Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, Social Democratic Party of Germany SSA Sub-Saharan Africa UN United Nations (Organisation) UK United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) AfD Alternative für Deutschland, German EU-sceptic right wing party UNHRC United Nations Human Rights Council AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome UNSC United Nations Security Council Brexit the (process of) separation of the UK from the EU US, USA United States (of America) BUND Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz, German NGO dedicated to the protection of the natural environment WWF World Wide Fund for Nature, NGO dedicated to the protection of natural environ- ment, specialising in biodiversity CDA Critical discourse analysis according to Fairclough CE Common Era, the internationally agreed upon calendar CETA (EU-Canada) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement CSU Christlich-soziale Union, conservative majority party in the German Free State of Bavaria D Democratic Party of the US Daesh (simplified anglophone Latin transliteration)ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah fīʿl-ʿIrāq wa- translating to “Islamic State of Iraq and ,( ﺍاﻟﺪﻭوﻟﺔ ﺍاﻹﺳﻼﻣﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍاﻟﻌﺮﺍاﻕق ﻭوﺍاﻟﺸﺎﻡم) sh-Shām the Levant”, Middle Eastern guerilla organisation claiming the status of the Cali- phate DGB Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, the Confederation of German Trade Unions EIC (British) East India Company EU European Union FDR Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the US 1933–45 GDR German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische