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Writing a DIY Guide for religion in fictional novels/video games/movies (Patreon)

Published:
2020-12-28 08:00:02
Imported:
2026-06

Content

*repost from the RFB Discord server*

A few months ago, someone on the Patreon livestream suggested that I make a "How to" guide for writers on how to invent a believable religion in a fictional movie, video game, book, etc. My current thoughts would be to focus on a few points that I see in real-world religions, but seldom see in fictional religions. I'm open to suggestions and feedback on this outline. What fictional religions would you recommend I use as examples as either "good examples" or "poor examples" of believable world-building?  

My current thoughts. Your fictional religion should have:

1) Syncretism: All religions are the product of mixing and matching and melding different cultural schemas. Christianity emerged out of 2nd Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman culture. Modern Shinto emerged out of centuries of influences from Buddhism, Confucianism, and indigenous kami veneration. If you are inventing a religion for your story, will there be evidence of syncretism?  

2) "Lived Religion:" The scholar Meredith McGuire uses the term "lived religion" to refer to the beliefs and practices that exemplify how "religion and spirituality are practiced, experienced, and expressed by ordinary people (rather than official spokespersons) in the context of their everyday lives.” This is often messy and contradictory. So, for example, did you know that a bunch of American Evangelicals (one study says 25%) believe in reincarnation? A completely unorthodox position according to church authorities. A bunch of ancient Israelites worshipped Asherah, but the official spokespersons said only worship YHWH. But religion as it is practiced on-the-ground doesn't always reflect the "party line" or the official institutional caretakers. 

   
3) Factionalism/sectarianism/denominationalism: All religions are comprised of different sects, denominations, major branches, etc. Will your fictional religion have differences like Sunnis and Shias? Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox? Theravada and Mahayana?

Comments

Judith Shoaf

In fantasy literature, the goal may be to invent a religion which is mandated by an actual god or gods, or which leads to a genuine insight into the way things are. I am thinking of Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion series, in which the "five gods" visibly interfere in human life and "choose" "servants" who may be possessed or shapeshifters. I think your principles might be more important for writers trying to depict a past or present milieu in which religion is active--e.g. not to assume that conversion means rejection of the old practices, or that odd practices will lead to persecution for heresy, unless a war arises between factions. Umberto Eco's picture of a monastery roiling with heresy, accusations of paganism, and highly personal ideas of righteousness in The Name of the Rose is an example.

Matthew Bateman

I think Dr. RfB's items are very good. But I think his particulars would perhaps do best in a fictional setting that is *about* religion, rather than one that merely *has* a religion. I have created more than one fictional religion from top to bottom (my Bachelor's was in Religious Studies, and for my senior thesis in gaining the degree, I actually completely wrote a synthetic sacred text for a synthetic religion), And in my estimation, there are five key points to crafting any and every type of religion for any and every type of fictional setting... 1) cosmology > How did the universe begin, or how does your religion account for the origin of the universe/multiverse, the origin of the Earth/realms which contain mortal life, and the origin of humanity/humanoids which are capably of life and religious thought. Even if the religion's answer is "we don't know", or "it doesn't matter", the religion should have an answer to that question. 2) purpose > Why was universe made? Why are humanoids unique among all creation, and what is their role in the cosmos? Or, what does the religion *believe* is the reason for these things... 3) morality > a basic moral code/set of teachings. It could be a sacred text, and/or an oral tradition handed down, and/or a body of ruling elders, and/or beautiful creed which is sung/chanted and which conveys the central tenets, etc... but 'how should I behave/live/treat my loved ones and enemies' makes for very juicy story telling, especially when it is inconvenient for the protagonist. 4) Destiny> What does your religion teach/believe about the afterlife.. It could be Heaven/hell (or a vast/infinite hierarchy or moral outcomes), it could be Hades for all, it could be Nirvana, it could be reincarnation, it could be godhood, it could annihilation (ie, no afterlife), or the answer could, again, be "we can't say for sure" or "it doesn't much matter", but the religion should have some approach/answer to this question... And 5) particulars > What does the religion 'do' (meditate? Sacrifice? Proselytize? Get skyclad?) Is there a text? a priesthood? a liturgical rite or holy days? What does worship look like? Why/How is Religion 'X' different from religion 'Y' or 'religion zero' and why does religion 'X' believe that it matters? What does your religion think is 'the fundamental problem' and how does your religion believe it is solving that problem......... Last of all, apart from these five keys, I would like to point out, that for fictional storytelling of any sort (stories, movies, video games, tabletop, etc.) that 'crafting actual gods, divinities and spiritual realms' is a different exercise and a different set of criterion from 'crafting religions'. In other words, building a world of gods and spiritual realities is separate from building a system of beliefs/practices for people to try to make mortal sense of what they *believe* about spiritual realities... Another way to put that would be this: Consider how the faithful in your fictional setting would act and operate in a world *if* their beliefs/practices only affected themselves, regardless of the actual outcome... where adherents to the religion might not have the ability to *do* anything spiritual, but where it greatly affects the adherents inwardly and in how they treat others. The sociologist said "what men believe to be true, is true in its consequences." Religious faith that is not 'mechanical' in it's outcome in the fiction, makes for very juicy story telling..