Pondering on religion in fantasy

[taelle]

Reading fantasy, I keep wondering again and again about why it is so obviously lacking religion in the characters' worldview. I mean, most fantasy is quasi-medieval, and you'd think belief would be a necessary part of most characters' mindest, and yet most often the church is only viewed by the characters as greedy, political or something... Right

Comments

[calanthe_b]

why it is so obviously lacking religion in the characters' worldview

...Oddly, I tend to feel exactly the opposite: that there's too much of it and very poorly handled. All rituals and miracles and gods popping in and out of the world, but no examination of what it actually means to believe in something so much that it shapes your entire understanding of the worlds. Or, for that matter, to not believe in something so profoundly that it shapes your entire understanding of the world.

Which is the only interesting thing about religion, if you ask me. Now, if I could find a fantasy novel that dealt with that, I'd be happy.

[taelle]

Obviously, I can't express my thoughts properly. ;) Only after reading comments to this entry I realized that 'lacking religious beliefs' is much closer to what I meant. And I agree with you - gods aplenty, but beliefs tend to be standard XXI century stuff.

[amasaglajax]

I'd kill for a good fantasy novel told from a priest's point of view. As a Catholic, I love priests.

[taelle]

Have you read the Deryni chronicles? There's a priest and a bishop among main charas and there are things from their POV...