New Testament scholar gives 'super' speech

Robert Jewett spoke to a crowd of students, faculty and staff in the Walsh Auditorium on Tuesday about the superhero myth of religious and political figures throughout the world and within American culture, specifically. Jewett is one of the leading New Testament scholars of the world and has served as visiting professor of New Testament at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, according to Chris Stanley, professor of theology.

Jewett has written more than 20 books and 150 articles focused on New Testament studies, Stanley said.

Jewett's speech, Jesus, Captain America and Barack Obama: The Superhero Myth in Contemporary American Culture, captured the importance of the dangers of the American superhero myth when applied to real-life political and religious situations.

The American superhero, Jewett said, is a rather new and different character, and was crystallized in the 1930s during the Great Depression.

The "Axial Decade," from 1929-1941 during the Great Depression, saw an emergence of different American superheroes, such as Superman and Tarzan, who embodied the hopeful spirits of Americans, Jewett said.

As the Axial decade progressed, superheroes inherited new traits, Jewett said. For example, Superman evolved from leaping to flying.

American superheroes do not die by the end of the story, and no story ends in a marital resolution, he said. Superheroes never cause death; if anybody dies it is always his or her own fault.

Certain characteristics are present in the American superhero, Jewett said.

A community in harmonious paradise is threatened by evil and normal institutions fail to contend with the threat, he said. A selfless superhero then emerges to renounce temptations and to carry out a redemptive task, aided by fate to his decisive victory to restore the community to a paradisiacal condition.

The American superhero, according to Jewett, is unrealistic, takes the law into his own hands, loves justice, wants vengeance and never pursues a public office.

In comparison, European superheroes reinforce law enforcement and do not take matters into their own hands.

This American-style super hero has had an affect on religious figures.

"Superheroes replaced miracles of the altar, pulpit and synagogue," Jewitt said.

People incorrectly paint Jesus as a sort of superhero who will triumphantly return to avenge his death on his wrong-doers with superheroic traits and often overlook the importance of Jesus' death, Jewett said.

Superheroes have changed religious life in America, Jewett said. Superheroes are on TV more than Jesus and other religious figures.

Political figures, like President Barack Obama, are projected to have superheroic powers in society, only to disappoint people when they can't do everything perfectly.

Just as Superman crusades to rid the world of evil, a common theme during the George W. Bush presidency, political figures project a similar vibe, Jewett said. Presidents also have the "hidden identity" secrecy trait of superheroes that makes them mysterious.

President Obama is critical of the superhero role. His slogan of "Yes we can," differs from the super heros, who posses the "Yes I can" mentality, Jewett said.

The superheroes' individual powers threaten democratic constitutional limits, Jewett said. Since the 1930s, superhero myth systems are asocial and do not sustain the political democratic system.

Heroism, Jewett said, is not dangerous. Heroes are flawed, their stories are not against marriage and the person grows throughout the story. Superheroes on the other hand, are too perfect and unrealistic.

The classical myth of a hero is much safer and encourages young people to mature and grow up. The American superhero, Jewett said, is glorified for working by himself and is a danger for individual maturation.

Recent movies like "Avatar," "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" show that we have not moved on from the myth system, and we continue to follow the superhero story.

e-mail: mayersm@sbu.edu