Anime, Religion, and Theology

David Armstrong and Roberto J. De La Noval’s edited book Anime, Religion, and Theology is a valuable contribution to the study of both Japanese pop cultural forms and the global fandoms that consume them. The focus is largely Western philosophical and theological concepts and frameworks, which – while potentially culturally incongruous – are deftly applied to tease novel and intriguing meanings from anime series and films, focusing on theodicy, deification, ecology, transhumanism, and meaning-making in the twenty-first century. Recommended. * Carole M. Cusack, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Sydney, Australia *
Anime, Religion and Theology is a wonderful addition to anime studies. Starting with a truly thoughtful and thought-provoking introduction, the chapters explore many of the fascinating metaphysical elements and aims of some of the most interesting and important anime productions over the last decades, from lyrical meditations on Miyazaki in comparison to Seamus Heaney, to provocative visions of Evangelion, to a wide-ranging look at the Dragon Ball Z universe. This book takes the study of anime in fresh and fascinating directions. * Susan Napier, Goldthwaite Professor of Rhetoric and Japanese, Tufts University, USA *