Religions of Star Trek

Rating:
Summary: A bit one-sided.
Review: Since this was an unauthorized publication on Star Trek, not endorsed by Paramount Pictures, you sort of have to take it with a grain of salt. I think it was also been a bit over-stated that Gene Roddenberry was a humanist. It is true that he belived that human beings made their own decisions, but it is not true that he was not a religious man, quite the opposite, when he married his second wife, Majel Barret in 1969, he became a member of the Shinto faith in Japan. It is also not true that he belived that religion would not exist by Star Trek's era. Look at the wedding reception in the episode, Balance of Terror, look at the episode Bread and Circuses, He droped in indirect hints that religion still existed in Star Trek's era, he just did not mention specifics. It will be fact 300 years fron now, that religion will still be a part of human life, no matter how far in space we travel. It will always be a part of the human condition. This is not a bad thing.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating...
Review: As a student of religious sciences (in Germany) and a fan of Star Trek I just couldn't pass this book and wasn't disappointed.

It's surprising, how many religious topics are covered in Star Trek movies (albeit often in rather clouded forms), and how the series developped from a simple agnostic, positivist form into inquiries into spirituality and questions of life...

You will be surprised and entertained at the same time - but I missed pictures and their analysis in the book, because I think that especially in movies, messages are sent by these, not just by themes, dialogues and characters. That's the only objection I have for an otherwise fascinating book!

Rating:
Summary: overrated
Review: Basically, I was recommended this book since I am a big Star Trek fan and someone interested in religious theory. The title is catchy, but the book has several shortcomings.
First, the arguments posed and the analysis conducted are the kind that any true Star Trek fan could conjure up just by watching the episodes. For examples used, the authors pick the most blatantly obvious episodes with which to work with (i.e. TNG's "Who Watches the Watchers")and throw loose theories together which are made quite apparent by simply watching the episode itself! In fact, throughout the book, no truly original theory is argued fully - here and there we catch bits and pieces from characters such as the Prophets, or Q, and how they are "godlike" - a point which the script writers obviously include.
In addition to this, there are also several errors which any true fan would never fail to notice!
Overall, save your money, and watch the shows and movies and judge for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: Gene Roddenberry created a wonderful world of alien life and alien culture, and his hires have added issues of religion and faith making the world richer for it. Roddenberry, Star Trek's creator, was well known for his humanist values, and beliefs that by the time of his series, humanity would have moved beyond the need for religion, or religious motivations.

It is a part of the series that has always troubled me, and was at the route of a great many reasons which lead me to step back from my adoring fandom for that particular series. Kraemer, Cassidy, and Schwartz carefully pick appart, and through the series and it's creator's attempts to be non-religious, and bring us back to the fundamental truth that no culture exists without an ethical, religious, and mythological base.

Even the humanity of Star Trek.

Rating:
Summary: Religions of Star Trek
Review: This is not an exploration of individual religions in the "Star Trek" mythos, but an examination of the Big Questions about religion as they are answered by Star Trek. I found the writing interesting, with lots of examples to back up the theories within.

Religion has changed a lot in "Star Trek" since Kirk's day. This book traces that change through chapters regarding the existence of God and evil. How the different races in Star Trek view these questions is also presented and contrasted with humanity. Since "Next Generation" is the longest-running series, naturally it is represented more than TOS, DS9 and Voyager. This was printed before "Enterprise", but I hope it will be updated a few years from now to include "Enterprise"'s viewpoints. Frankly, it's fascinating to see religious-theory experts take on a project of this nature. I'd love to see more.

I think most "Star Trek" fans would be very interested in this work, as would students of religion in culture.

Rating:
Summary: Religions of Star Trek
Review: With numerous books, over 300 comic books, nine feature films, and hundreds of TV shows, Star Trek has become both a product line and a cultural phenomenon. In this study, Kraemer (Brown Univ.), Cassidy (Alfred Univ.), and Schwartz (Muhlenberg College) examine Star Trek's treatment of all themes religious. Limiting themselves to the four TV series and the feature films, the authors offer a number of observations. Unlike rival Star Wars, Star Trek reflects no cosmic battle between good and evil. Instead, evil is usually moderated and defused by a "scientific and humanistic perspective," a reflection of founder Gene Roddenberry's oft-voiced secular humanism. Although recent Star Trek writers have inserted a number of quasi-religious themes, Roddenberry's vision remains largely intact: humankind must resolve all questions of existence through science, technology, education, and progress. The dilemmas of seeking religious themes in contemporary popular culture--where everything may rank as evidence--are legion, and this book is far more provocative than it is definitive. But Trekkies and religious studies people will enjoy discussing the concepts raised. For most readership levels.