Rating: 
Summary: The case for Buffy the Vampire Slayer as spiritual guide
Review: "The Gospel According to Peanuts" by Robert L. Short is the book that I remember beginning the long string of books look at popular culture artifacts for their spiritual value. You can find similar volumes on everything from Harry Potter and the Simpson to Tony Soprano and ESPN, so it is not surprising that a volume has come out looking at "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Jana Reiss has a masters of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary to go with a Ph.D. in religion from Columbia University and is the religion book review editor at "Publisher's Weekly." She is also a fan of Buffy, although she also likes Giles and Spike, so it is not surprising that she would decide to pursue the spiritual, religious, and mythological ideas of the television series. For me the pivotal episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in terms of the religious implications was "Amends," the third season episode written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon in which Angel is tormented by apparitions of three of his victims, including Jenny Calendar, which are really manifestations of the First. Just before dawn Buffy finds Angel on a bluff overlooking Sunnydale, waiting for sunrise so that he can die and have peace. Buffy pleads and then lashes out in anger at Angel, but before the sun can rise it starts to snow. The sun will not shine in Sunnydale that day because of the freak snowstorm. Before this episode was over I was pointing out that Whedon had just worked God into the Buffyverse. After all, who else could make it snow besides God? Well, now we know the answer would be the Powers That Be, which are certainly god-like beings, but not the Judeo-Christian creator. Yet given that Buffy usually wears a cross that burns vampires when it comes into contact with them (e.g., "Angel") and that holy water burns vampires too (e.g., "Helpless"), it seems strange to ignore the implications of Christianity for "BtVS." After all, Willow Rosenberg often talks about the fact that she is Jewish, which at least gets you in the theological ballpark. But where Riess wants to make the connection between Buffy and Christianity are the show's elements of apocalypse and sacrifice as well as those of redemption and resurrection. After all, Buffy, the "Savior in a Micro-Mini," has been resurrected twice, in "Prophecy Girl" and "Bargaining, Part I," and that is a hard parallel to ignore. Besides, Riess is also interested in exploring the need for humor in fighting spiritual battles, so this is not a book that is focused on scriptural analysis. Yes, there are Bible verses in this book, but Giles the Watcher is quoted a lot more than the apostle Paul, and you will also get great thoughts from the Buddha, Sophocles, William Shakespeare, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson as well. "What Would Buffy Do?" has three main sections. The first deals with issues of Personal Spirituality and the reader's own spiritual journey: (1) Be a Hero Even When You'd Rather Go to the Mall: The Power of Self-Sacrifice; (2) Changes Make Us Human: Embracing the River of Change; (3) Death is Our Gift: What Death Can Teach Us About Living; (4) "The Anger Gives You Fire": Can Negative Emotions Be Constructive?; and (5) The "Monster Sarcasm Rally": Humor as Power. The lessons here have to do with embracing change as a spiritual teacher and balancing emotions. The second section, Companions on the Journey, expands to look at relationships with families, friends, and mentors: (6) "What Can't We Face If We're Together?": The Power of Friendship; (7) Obey Your Teacher, Except When He's Wrong: Spiritual Mentors on the Path to Maturity"; and (8) The Higher Way: Choosing Forgiveness over Revenge." The final section, Saving the World, looks at the biggest issue of a social engaged spirituality: (9) What Goes Around Comes Around: Consequences; (10) The Monster Inside: Taming the Darkness Within Ourselves; and (11) "Redemption Is Hard": Personal Deliverance in the Buffyverse," which focuses on the fates of Angel, Faith, and Spike. What I like about this book is that it is grounded in analysis of the episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Angel" to a lesser extent. When Whedon created Buffy the idea was to flip the stereotype of the blonde girl falling victim to the monster when she walks down the ally, but the subtext of the television version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was the simple reality that "high school is hell." That idea was expanded to include college in particular and life in general, but that fundamental idea becomes the best foundation Riess has for making the case for Buffy's spirituality. In the end her point is that the message of "BtVS" is that although it is great for us to have our own quests and spiritual journeys such things are meaningless unless they are in the service of others. I am not troubled by how Riess tries to speak to the Buffy faithful as well as the neophytes who come late to the party. The back of this volume includes A Guide to Buffy's Seven Seasons, which looks at each season thematically as well as chronologically, and a Buffy Character Guide arranged season by season, which explains the characters rather than just describing them. There is also an interview with Eliza Dushku (Riess interviewed the actresses' mother, Judy Dushku, for her undergraduate thesis many years ago). There have been several academic looks at "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in the last couple of years, from a look at "Slayer Slang" to approaching the series from a philosophical perspective. "What Would Buffy Do?" has the virtue of being one of the more accessible books attempting to find great meaning in the series. The appeal here will be for fans who always knew that Buffy mattered to their lives and can now understanding how its ethics and morality come into play even if you are not out there saving the world (a lot).
Rating:
Summary: The case for Buffy the Vampire Slayer as spiritual guide
Review: "The Gospel According to Peanuts" by Robert L. Short is the book that I remember beginning the long string of books look at popular culture artifacts for their spiritual value. You can find similar volumes on everything from Harry Potter and the Simpson to Tony Soprano and ESPN, so it is not surprising that a volume has come out looking at "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Jana Reiss has a masters of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary to go with a Ph.D. in religion from Columbia University and is the religion book review editor at "Publisher's Weekly." She is also a fan of Buffy, although she also likes Giles and Spike, so it is not surprising that she would decide to pursue the spiritual, religious, and mythological ideas of the television series. For me the pivotal episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in terms of the religious implications was "Amends," the third season episode written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon in which Angel is tormented by apparitions of three of his victims, including Jenny Calendar, which are really manifestations of the First. Just before dawn Buffy finds Angel on a bluff overlooking Sunnydale, waiting for sunrise so that he can die and have peace. Buffy pleads and then lashes out in anger at Angel, but before the sun can rise it starts to snow. The sun will not shine in Sunnydale that day because of the freak snowstorm. Before this episode was over I was pointing out that Whedon had just worked God into the Buffyverse. After all, who else could make it snow besides God? Well, now we know the answer would be the Powers That Be, which are certainly god-like beings, but not the Judeo-Christian creator. Yet given that Buffy usually wears a cross that burns vampires when it comes into contact with them (e.g., "Angel") and that holy water burns vampires too (e.g., "Helpless"), it seems strange to ignore the implications of Christianity for "BtVS." After all, Willow Rosenberg often talks about the fact that she is Jewish, which at least gets you in the theological ballpark. But where Riess wants to make the connection between Buffy and Christianity are the show's elements of apocalypse and sacrifice as well as those of redemption and resurrection. After all, Buffy, the "Savior in a Micro-Mini," has been resurrected twice, in "Prophecy Girl" and "Bargaining, Part I," and that is a hard parallel to ignore. Besides, Riess is also interested in exploring the need for humor in fighting spiritual battles, so this is not a book that is focused on scriptural analysis. Yes, there are Bible verses in this book, but Giles the Watcher is quoted a lot more than the apostle Paul, and you will also get great thoughts from the Buddha, Sophocles, William Shakespeare, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson as well. "What Would Buffy Do?" has three main sections. The first deals with issues of Personal Spirituality and the reader's own spiritual journey: (1) Be a Hero Even When You'd Rather Go to the Mall: The Power of Self-Sacrifice; (2) Changes Make Us Human: Embracing the River of Change; (3) Death is Our Gift: What Death Can Teach Us About Living; (4) "The Anger Gives You Fire": Can Negative Emotions Be Constructive?; and (5) The "Monster Sarcasm Rally": Humor as Power. The lessons here have to do with embracing change as a spiritual teacher and balancing emotions. The second section, Companions on the Journey, expands to look at relationships with families, friends, and mentors: (6) "What Can't We Face If We're Together?": The Power of Friendship; (7) Obey Your Teacher, Except When He's Wrong: Spiritual Mentors on the Path to Maturity"; and (8) The Higher Way: Choosing Forgiveness over Revenge." The final section, Saving the World, looks at the biggest issue of a social engaged spirituality: (9) What Goes Around Comes Around: Consequences; (10) The Monster Inside: Taming the Darkness Within Ourselves; and (11) "Redemption Is Hard": Personal Deliverance in the Buffyverse," which focuses on the fates of Angel, Faith, and Spike. What I like about this book is that it is grounded in analysis of the episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Angel" to a lesser extent. When Whedon created Buffy the idea was to flip the stereotype of the blonde girl falling victim to the monster when she walks down the ally, but the subtext of the television version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was the simple reality that "high school is hell." That idea was expanded to include college in particular and life in general, but that fundamental idea becomes the best foundation Riess has for making the case for Buffy's spirituality. In the end her point is that the message of "BtVS" is that although it is great for us to have our own quests and spiritual journeys such things are meaningless unless they are in the service of others. I am not troubled by how Riess tries to speak to the Buffy faithful as well as the neophytes who come late to the party. The back of this volume includes A Guide to Buffy's Seven Seasons, which looks at each season thematically as well as chronologically, and a Buffy Character Guide arranged season by season, which explains the characters rather than just describing them. There is also an interview with Eliza Dushku (Riess interviewed the actresses' mother, Judy Dushku, for her undergraduate thesis many years ago). There have been several academic looks at "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in the last couple of years, from a look at "Slayer Slang" to approaching the series from a philosophical perspective. "What Would Buffy Do?" has the virtue of being one of the more accessible books attempting to find great meaning in the series. The appeal here will be for fans who always knew that Buffy mattered to their lives and can now understanding how its ethics and morality come into play even if you are not out there saving the world (a lot).
Rating:
Summary: VERY interesting!
Review: ***** Although Buffy Summers has taken an almost equal amount of flack as Harry Potter from the most conservative Christians, others have picked up on the ironically religious truths to be found in both her series and the spin off, Angel. Among those enlightened beings is Jana Riess, and she has shared her findings in this snappy, easy to read book. Divided into logical sections that expand outward from the individual, to community, to world, the author uses Buffy to make spiritual truths clear. Many of the lessons could be applied to other fictional settings, such as Tolkien, yet, Buffy has an edge that might not be found in other works. This book will appeal to all ages, and perhaps serve as a bridge. The slant is mostly Christian, but the Christianity is not presented in a way that looks down on other faiths. For those Bible students who look for "aha" moments in their studies, "What would Buffy Do?" has many. If a Youth leader is looking for a new tool to interest a bored Sunday School class, they would not be making a mistake in picking up a baker's dozen of this book. ***** Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Work
Review: A great analysis of the Buffyverse for fans and non-fans alike. Riess has done an excellent job at deconstructing and spiritual and religious themes of Buffy. The interview with Eliza Dushku is particularly enlightening and fans of Faith will especially appreciate this book.
Rating: 
Summary: What Would Buffy Do? Probably skip this book.
Review: As a grade A fan, I can't help but enjoy some of the blow-by-blows of the Buffyverse history (the author takes time to venture into Angel's world in addition to the more thorough Buffy discussion), but even for me the replays are becoming ponderous by page 80 or so. (And particularly unnecessary, I might add, considering I can't imagine non-fans would buy the book, and the index includes a rundown of every season and characters.) I know what Angel's curse is and the meaning of vengeance, and some of the very basic and almost childishly imparted philosophy included can't help but come off as annoying in it simplicity. Vengeance and anger-leads-to-hate cliches are all over the book, and the constant back-and-forth of the discussions (first season, then fifth, then a parallel to second) page after page becomes downright dizzying in parts. The book suffers heavily from a lack of focus in its narrative -its chapter titles are about the only clear and concise thing about it, and, again, I felt the author was able to hide under summaries of Buffy episodes and pale, thinly drawn parallels instead of creating any real analysis. I found myself scrolling past whole pages describing episodes in graphic detail, complete with quotes, before finding any commentary at all. To be honest, the whole book is rife with platitudes and well-known information delivered as something startling and new: when I read "As Jesus told the crowd that had gathered around the adulterous woman in the New Testament, only the person who is without sin has the right to cast the first stone," my eyes glazed over. Later recapitulations include the threefold law of Wicca and Christian salvation. If I were 14, I might be enthralled. (Then again, maybe I'm just not a self-help spiritual book kind of gal.) In the end, the real problem with the book, I think, is less to do with the author and more to do with perception: so many people continue to look on Buffy, Joss Whedon, and a great deal of pop science fiction in general as something inferior to, say, Friends (which even Jana Riess takes time to take a pot shot at - p.96), and books are published that match those expectations. Like the Buffy novels, this is aimed at "the average teenage" - whoever that is. Still, there are a few parts I savored: the discussion of humor as a means of empowerment against evil, the interview with Eliza Dushku (Faith), and the author's occasional forays into nonspiritual discussions of the characters. But overall, even as hard-core a fan as myself wonders why I bought it, beyond the funny value, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Will there ever be a rainbow?
Review: Buffy is so much cooler than jesus it's not even funny. If there was a fight between Buffy and Jesus, that would be totally sweet.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, But something's missing
Review: I enjoyed this book quite a bit, especially since I was reading it while taking a women in religion class. Many of the topics addressed in this book were addressed in my class, and likewise, many class topics were in the book. However, I do not feel that this book incorporates enough mainstream world religion into its analyses. I feel that the majority of the book correctly analyzes themes of certain Buffy episodes, and includes some great quotes, but doesn't really discuss Buffy's relationship to already standing religions, or a new "buffy" religion.
Basically, this book says "Christianity, buddhism, and hinduism all have these practices that let people be nice to each other. Buffy has these practices too, see?" This book wants us to be nice because Buffy was nice. That's all I got out of it. But it's entertaining and a worthwhile read for Buffy fans.
Rating:
Summary: Truly fascinating and insightful
Review: I picked this up in good humor, being a Buffy fan. But once I started reading it, I discovered all the philosophies and psychologies it draws on, and how these characters, plotlines, stories, and conflicts really do reflect our own lives. I was literally crying at some chapters that hit home -- about self-sacrifice, about love and friendship, about humor being a valuable weapon. I loved the show from thw beginning. This book makes me appreciate its power all the more. The book details trials, tribulations, and metaphors that the characters of the show go through every day. The ability to distinguish true good from evil, to stand by your friends, to know when to back down and when to keep going ... these are all incredibly powerful and important life lessons. It doesn't matter that the subjects of the book are a bunch of characters from a fictional television show. This is what philosophy is about. And I couldn't be happier to see that the wonderful creations of Joss Whedon are being used as examples. I'm a writer myself, so I can understand how fictional characters can teach such powerful lessons about who we are. After all, we created them.
Rating:
Summary: Really enlightening.
Review: If you have any questions about life, faith, etc. read this book. Buffy fans learned so much from her actions while watching and this author explains the emotions and spiritual conflicts behind the episodes so well. Changed my whole perspective and as Jana Reiss spends a whole chapter saying: Change is good. I don't feel so alone or scared of tomorrow. When things do get to me, I just think to myself, What would Buffy do?
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: If you like Buffy than you will love this book. I love how the writer talks about how Buffy handles things like anger, friendship, death, and such. She gives examples of these topics and how we can use the actions of Buffy to our own lives. Some people complain that there is no "God" in the show but as you read on you will be surprized how ethical and spiritual the show really was/is.
The only bad part of this book is you need to have seen the shows to be able to follow it. Non-Buffy watchers would be really confused and maybe frustated because they would not understand what is being said. I could go on and on about how great this book is but the only way you can tell if you will like it as well is to order it.
|
