Batman Begins

Batman The Heros Story Batmans story is the archetypal Heros Story that is repeated in many novels and films, and especially prevalent in super hero stories. A) Ordinary World: The heros world is ordinary, but is then shaken by events outside of his control. We see this in the murder of Bruce Waynes parents. Jesus, though of supernatural origin, also lived a normal life until the age of thirty. B) Call to a Cause: The hero is thrust into this new world but is not truly ready for it, which leads them to a period of reflection and solitude. This is evident in Bruces time away from Gotham which leads him to the League of Shadows. Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness. C) The Mentor: The hero is trained or mentored by another character, seen as Bruce is trained by Ras al Ghul. Jesus, though not mentored by John the Baptist, was helped by him as He entered ministry. D) Crossing the First Threshold: This period of solitude usually ends with some character defining temptation which the Hero resists. For Batman, he resists the urge to turn his anger and vengeful feelings into active vengeance, opting for true justice. For Jesus, His 40 days in the wilderness ended with a direct encounter with Satan who tempted Him to glorify Himself outside of Gods plan.

E) Resurrection Hero: Our Hero faces death, either dying and resurrecting or having a near death experience. Bruce is down and out in Wayne Manor as Ras al Ghul has set fire to it, and pinned Bruce under a wooden beam. Jesus actually dies on a wooden beam, resurrecting three days later. F) Return with Elixir: Batman has the cure for the chemical agent being dispersed into the air of Gotham. He gives it to his closest allies first, and instructs them to distribute it widely. Jesus gives His followers new life and commissions them to be about bringing that to others.

We can see that Batmans story follows along a common thread that is prevalent in almost every Heros Story that is written. This is because the ultimate story of life, Gods stor y of His whole creation, is weaved into our very being it is a part of our Imago Dei as we are made in Gods image and reflect His qualities, even when that image is blurred by sin.

This thread that is present in all of our stories finds ultimate fulfi llment in The Story, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Truly I say to you dear reader; we are all image bears of our Creator, the master Storyteller, whose narrative spans all of creation, a story in which we all play a part. Made in the image of, and for the pleasure of, that Creator, we thusly have an ingrained yearning to both create, and be entertained, by narrative. Knowing this, and more importantly knowing Him, makes all the difference. James Harleman

Batman and Justice The League of Shadows seeks to bring what they call justice to Gotham, by ridding it of all people. They are correct in thinking that removal of the sinful people in Gotham would rid Gotham of sin. But then there would be no people. Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. - Proverbs 14:4 Do we sometimes try to rid ourselves of problems, issues of sin, or inconveniences in the same manner as the League of Shadows? Are we trying to eliminate all these problems by ridding ourselves of the people who cause them, or are we trying to help those people to become better? Bruce Wayne believes that the people of Gotham are worth saving, despite the rampant problem of evil. He wants to enter into the city as the hero, fighting the evil from within. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us -John 1:14a Bruce Wayne rejects the methods of justice proposed by the League of Shadows, and instead decides to step into Gotham as an agent for change bringing justice to whom it is due, and saving others. Likewise, Jesus Christ entered into human history on a rescue mission to save us. He could have stayed back and sentenced our entire world to Hell and rightly so. He didnt do that, and the character of Batman echoes this sentiment.

Batman and Identity The idea of identity as presented in Batman is that a person is not what they are inwardly, but what comes out of them in their behavior. This is, to a degree, true biblically. Jesus tells us that we produce our good (or bad) treasure out of our good (or bad) heart. James tells us that we have no faith if it is not evidenced in works, and are really just deceiving ourselves.

Its not who you are underneath. It is what you do that defines you. Rachel Dawes

Our identity does not need to be wrapped up in our past hurts or circumstances. This idea is evident in the story of Batman. The story begins with him being hauntingly dominated by the grisly memory of his parents murder so much so that he plots to kill the murderer. As the story progresses, Bruces past circumstances are used to motivate him towards something good and no longer dominate his entire personhood. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good - Genesis 50:20a And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28

Batman and Election The culmination of Batmans fight with Ras al Ghul includes a very vivid image of the doctrine of Election. The Bible teaches that all have sinned, and that God by grace predestines some of us to receive salvation and eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. This election is based not on anything good within us, but just on God who gives grace. God is not culpable for our sin or our eternal destiny in Hell; we all actively choose that for ourselves. It is by grace that God saves any of us from our own actions and removes us from the train headed for destruction, placing us on the train headed for life. Batman exercises a similar right to election as he concludes his fight with Ras al Ghul. Though he could have saved Ras, he does not do so. He also does not physically kill Ras; Ras is on the train headed for destruction by his own evil actions. Batman simply leaves, allowing him to continue on his path to death.

How does this scene give an accurate portrayal of Gods election of the saved? In what ways does it fall short of being an accurate picture of Gods election? Is Batman guilty of killing Ras al Ghul, or is his blood upon his own hands?