Christians Getting Steamed Up Over Pullman

Christians activists are getting themselves geared up for their next attempt to censor popular culture, as NSS honorary associate Philip Pullman’s trilogy of novels His Dark Materials, are turned into films. Work on filming the first of the novels began at Shepperton Studios this week and the production will star Nicole Kidman as Mrs Coulter, Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel and the unknown Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra.

The Catholic Herald has already condemned Pullman’s work as “fit for the bonfire”, while Rupert Kaye, chief executive of the Association of Christian Teachers, has said Pullman’s “blasphemy is shameless”. Simon Jenkins, editor of the online Christian newsletter Ship of Fools, says the film version of His Dark Materials has the potential to prove every bit as ‘offensive’ to some religious groups.

The Hollywood film will be titled The Golden Compass, which was the US name chosen for the first novel in the trilogy – it was known as Northern Lights here. It is being directed by Chris Weitz, who made About a Boy and Antz.

Mr Jenkins said, “I’m sure this new film will launch 100 anti-film and anti-book websites going through all the detailed reasons why they are wrong and why they are dangerous and pose a threat to civilisation as we know it. But that’s not my view of it. I think that is counter-productive. I think it's better to engage with the books on all the issues.”

Philip Pullman agreed the books had upset some Christians, but said he was unconcerned about the prospect of the films doing the same. “I don’t think anybody took any notice of the protestors anyway. There is absolutely no comparison between my work and Dan Brown’s and I’m not worried (about the reaction to the film).”

But Mr Kaye said the author was treating Christianity as a ‘soft target’ and would not attack Islam in the same way. If the books become three separate films, then Christians will be far less offended by the first instalment than the following two – The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, he said. Mr Kaye said it’s only in the final novel in the trilogy that Pullman’s “blasphemy is unfurled for all to see”.

“Pullman uses the names many people will recognise as referring to the God of the Christians and Jews, like Yahweh, the Almighty, and then goes on to say that the same God is not the creator of the universe and hence a liar. My guess is that while filmmakers are willing to mock the beliefs of Jews and Christians, they dare not mock Islam. I confidently predict that Philip Pullman will not be bold enough to insist that Allah is added to the list of names.”

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