Jamin Bradley

While I shouldn’t have to give a spoiler alert for a book as old as The Odyssey, I haven’t read it since high school and couldn’t tell you what of the recent movie is Nolan’s interpretation versus what the book’s interpretation is. That being said… spoilers ahead, I guess? Here are three gospel undertones I encountered while watching it twice in theaters this past week.

1. “Treat others as you would be treated…”

This phrase, otherwise referred to as Zeus’ law in the movie, connects easily with Jesus’ own teaching: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Jesus rephrases this elsewhere, saying that the two great commandments are to love God and neighbor.

This teaching is the crux of the entire movie. When Odysseus uses the peace offering of a Trojan horse as a trick to destroy his enemies, he breaks the very rule upon which the universe is constructed. In doing so, the world around him begins to break apart, as though his moral violation has become spiritually infectious. One might recall Adam and Eve’s disobedience and its effects on the world around them.

It also brings to mind Walter Wink’s theology of the domination system and his critique of the myth of redemptive violence. Wink’s many theological works remind us that whenever we dominate our enemies, we set in place a new system of domination that will commit the same sins.

2. “…because they might be gods in disguise”

Zeus’ law continues, saying that part of the reason you should treat others well is that they might be gods in disguise. This line echoes Hebrews 13:2, which says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

This line is likely a callback to the story of Abraham and Lot. Abraham bumps into God in the woods near his home, recognizes him, and feeds him and his angelic companions. When these angels visit Sodom and Gomorrah, it’s a bit ambiguous whether Lot recognizes he’s showing hospitality to angels.

But Hebrews takes this story as a reminder to us all. Be sure to help the person who stops by your door. You never know when the stranger you’re treating might actually be a divine being.

3. Prophetic Responsibility

At one point in the movie, Odysseus tells his remaining crew that it has been prophesied that they will eat the sun god’s cattle and die for it. The crew takes this word seriously, swears not to do so, and then circumstances lead them to do just that. Odysseus takes responsibility for their decision and considers himself a failure. Although he had warned them, he blames himself for leading them to the island where they made the wrong decision.

“And who led you?” Athena fires back at him. “Why do you put yourself above the gods? Why do you claim responsibility?”

Prophets often spend their time warning people about the consequences that will follow if they don’t start aligning their actions with the love of God and neighbor. Any outcome for the prophet isn’t great. They either (1) convince everyone to change their ways, causing the consequences to never happen, making everyone think their predictions were false; or (2) nobody listens to them, the consequences come about, and the prophet feels like a failure. The successful prophet looks like a false prophet, and the unsuccessful prophet looks like a failure.

Odysseus feels this prophetic weight on his shoulders, and Athena frames it as pride. If there was a job he could have had in the matter, it was to give them the prophetic warning as often as necessary. If they did not change, the consequences belong with supernatural judgment, not with the prophet. (One might recall God’s deal with the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:16-21.)

Conclusion

The Odyssey is a very well-done movie, and I may very well catch it a third time before it leaves theaters. Nolan has done a good job presenting the Odyssey’s narrative for viewers to reflect on seriously. It’s not mythology just for the sake of a good adventure, but mythology with a poignant message.

Of course, like all adventure movies and books, many of the poignant messages are contradicted by an epic final scene of celebrated violence and vengeance. I suppose such stories are like sitcoms in that way: whatever happened in the episode has to be reset to the status quo of the show before the credits roll.

But perhaps this might leave us with something to ponder. Now that we’ve discussed some overlapping gospel themes in The Odyssey, how might we imagine the tale ending differently if Odysseus had Jesus’ nonviolent ways in mind?