Where is God at “Downton Abbey”?

Last updated on: January 14, 2013 at 2:00 pm by Christopher Hutton

Where is God at “Downton Abbey”? 2013-01-14T12:57:50-07:00 Christopher Hutton

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Note: This post contains spoilers for Season 3 of Downton Abbey.

If you’ve been following television recently, then you’ve likely heard of Downton Abbey, a program that has gripped millions in it’s clutches for two years with the relationships and rushed nature of the Crawley family and their servants. This story has much to it that’s worth viewing — e.g., great story-telling, fantastic historical authenticity — but what does it have to say about God? That’s the question writer Todd Dorman asks about the show in a recent Christianity Today piece.

The show’s writer and primary creative force, Julian Fellowes, is a practicing Catholic.

The show is set in an old abbey. The family who own Downton, especially the older generations who have the most to lose by losing the house, are obsessed not only with the house itself, but also with its history.

Also they employ a vicar.

So how is it that God is a peripheral presence at best?

In a show focused in a religious setting, there is little religious behavior to view. Dorman finds this funny for a show such as Downton:

[I]t remains striking how much divine trapping there is in Downton Abbey, for what little role explicit faith plays in its characters’ lives. There are numerous fascinating blog posts, including this one, that search for implicit Catholic and Christian themes in the show — good and evil, suffering for cause, various types and grades of love and devotion. At some point, though, especially with a vicar in the family’s employ, it seems odd for such connections to remain unnamed, unspoken, and, for all we can see, unperceived.

This phenomenon is odd for the story. Dorman does hope for more religious themes in the upcoming season. But we’ll have to see. If rumors for the third season are true, then we should see some deaths and funerals approaching our heroes.

But only time will tell as to what the Crawley family will go through, and how their faith (or possibly lack thereof) will play in their lives.

Of the Moment

Television

downton abbey

Previous Post

January 14, 2013

Who's to Blame for Lindsay Lohan's Bad Behavior?

Next Post

January 15, 2013 The Kiddy Pool: Childhood Innocence Up in Smoke

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz