Star Trek: Pagans in Space

Last updated on: September 8, 2016 at 1:11 pm by Tom Swiss

Star Trek: Pagans in Space 2016-09-08T13:11:13-04:00 Tom Swiss

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.

School photo c. 1977(?)

I grew up on Star Trek reruns, syndicated on the local UHF channels in the evenings. Heck, my parents have a big painting of Kirk and Spock on their wall. (A reproduction of the cover of the first issue of Starlog.) My high school physics teacher nicknamed me “Spock”, and as kids my brother and I had Starfleet uniform shirts, mine science blue, his command yellow.

The Pagan movement as we know it blossomed in the 1960s, and science fiction played a significant role. Heck, the Church of All Worlds took its name and some of its structure from a Robert Heinlein novel. As Margot Adler wrote in Drawing Down The Moon,

[S]cience fiction and fantasy probably come closer than any other literature to systematically exploring the central concerns of Neo-Pagans and Witches. Such writers of science fiction and fantasy are bound less than any others by the political, sexual, and racial mores of their society….Science fiction has been the literature of the visionary; it has been able to challenge preconceived notions about almost everything, while at the same time attending to fundamental questions of the age. No wonder, then, that not only do so many Pagans and Witches read science fiction, but some of them write it. In my travels I came across four well-known science fiction and fantasy writers who were members of Neo-Pagan groups. Of the four, only one — Robert Anton Wilson — was public. The remaining three did not wish to have their identities disclosed. [p 285, 1986 edition]

Star Trek was part of the zeitgeist — probably the most accessible science fiction — and had an interesting influence on Paganism’s development. Indeed, according to the wik Gene Roddenberry once referred to himself as a “complete pagan” — though in context is seems he was denying any religiosity rather than claiming Neo-Paganism. Still, he did marry Majel Barrett in a Shinto ceremony, demonstrating some affinity for an ancient Pagan religion. It strikes me that he may have been interested in “humanistic Paganism” or “atheo-Paganism” if these ideas had been brought to his attention, though I’m just speculating.

Starlog #1 cover. Image via Internet Archive. Fair use.

Still, Trek did give viewers the elfin-eared Vulcan Mr. Spock, who projected a logical detachment from destructive emotions while also jamming out with space hippies and engaging in mystical, hypnotic, telepathic “mind melds” that questioned the nature of the self. He was a sort of Space Age Merlin to Kirk’s King Arthur. Without him, would Paganism be so heavy with engineers, programmers, and scientists?

Star Trek’s attitude toward religion was not one where gods fared well. In the (second) pilot episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” after an encounter with a mysterious energy field a crew member starts to develop god-like powers, and Captain Kirk has to kill him. In a later episode, “Who Mourns for Adonais?”, Kirk and the crew actually knock off Apollo, who turns out to be an alien being who visited Earth thousands of years ago. Several cultures have computers that the locals think of as being gods – Kirk short-circuits them or blows them up.

Even though military hierarchy is strictly maintained on the ship, Star Trek radically overthrew the cosmic hierarchy of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and gave us something more in the Greco-Roman style: men (and women and Vulcans) who can strive with gods.

So: happy 50th Anniversary. Keep on Trekkin’.

You can keep up with “The Zen Pagan” by subscribing via RSS or e-mail.

What Does It Mean For The Gods To Exist? and other essays is now available as a free e-book! It collects my run on the Patheos Agora blog plus a few bonus pieces.

If you do Facebook, you might choose to join a group on “Zen Paganism” I’ve set up there. And don’t forget to “like” Patheos Pagan and/or The Zen Pagan over there, too.

Culture

History

My Blogging Life and Times

Paganism

science fiction

Star Trek

Previous Post

September 3, 2016

Does "The Star-Spangled Banner" Celebrate Killing Slaves? Part III

Next Post

September 8, 2016 What Do You Mean, "Zen"? (or, Dharma Burger Toilets)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2017 52 Makeup 2020 52 Makeup Always Roaming With A Hungry Heart Art Because I Could Not Stop For Death Caught On Video COVID-19 Culture Discordianism Ethics, Virtue, and Right Living History Magic(k), Ritual, and Mysticism My Blogging Life and Times Philosophy Podcast Poetry Random Wednesdays Religion & Politics Seasonal Musings Techno-Pagan Theology Uncategorized Warrior Path Zen

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 September 2024 August 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 June 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I come in nine varieties including joy, peace, and self-control. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The fruit of the Spirit The works of righteousness The gifts of the Spirit Spiritual blessings