Fatherhood and Pantheism — can they coexist?
“Fatherhood” illustrated by Mason Boni and based on Avatar: The Way of Water
Introduction
Family. This is a storytelling theme that everyone on the planet can identify with. Whether it be thanksgiving for family or lament for the lack/loss of family, the reality of family is undoubtedly woven into the fabric of humanity. In Avatar: The Way of Water, there are many repeated mantras throughout the film that capture the attention of the human heart and of the human experience. It is not an inaccurate statement to say that mantras such as “This family is our fortress,” “A father protects. It’s what gives him meaning,” and “Sullys stick together” are what hold this film together as a compelling story that any human being can relate to—especially followers of Christ. This film’s consistent message is that of fatherhood, motherhood, childhood, and the protection of family in the face of great adversity. One can look at the Sully family and exit the theater with thanksgiving for the family they have, or one could look at the Sully family and become downcast, realizing what is being shown before them is a warmth, love, and protection they so desire, but seems so foreign. One must then ask the question, “Why do messages like these speak so deeply? Why can messages like these leave me with joy? Why can messages like these leave me with hurt?” Regardless of your reaction to the strong, loving, committed, and protective nuclear family of the Sully’s, you nonetheless must wrestle with that question.
While family is a huge theme in this film, I want to focus more so on a specific familial component—fatherhood. In a culture that seeks to redefine masculinity and the role of the husband in the family unit, this film presents fatherhood in such a beautiful and honoring manner that, to me, was a breath of fresh air. It does not degrade fatherhood, but surprisingly celebrates it and all that comes with it. It shows the main protagonist, Jake Sully, playing with his children, disciplining his children, cherishing his wife, struggling with inadequacy, and committing to protect at all costs. It is key to mention that the line mentioned above, “A father protects. It’s what gives him meaning” serves as a specific set of bookends for the entire film.
Not only do I want to focus on the component of fatherhood, but I also want to draw attention to the spiritual backdrop of the film. It is quite clear that the native people (the Na’vi) of Pandora are deeply spiritual. However, in what way are they spiritual? The film answers this question explicitly in the opening scenes where the Na’vi tap into the planet around them through a communion with their deity referred to as Eywa (a parallel to the idea of “Mother Nature” in our culture). We have a word to describe what is being shown to us—pantheism. Pantheism comes from the Greek words “pan” and “theos.” The former meaning “all” and the latter meaning “God.” So, simply, pantheism declares that everything we see in nature, even ourselves, is God. There is no separation between God and nature. Essentially, the universe is God.
This ideology does not only exist on the fictional planet of Pandora but grows to be very popular on our planet today. Knowing that this is the spiritual worldview in the film, we must then ask how the dominant theme of family and fatherhood can coexist with a pantheistic worldview. I hope to demonstrate that it most definitely cannot. It is a very real truth that the theme of family (specifically fatherhood) speaks to us all universally because we are intentionally designed by Yahweh (God’s covenant name found exclusively in the Bible), the one true and personal God, to be familial. Not only did Yahweh design humanity to be familial, but He did so because He Himself is eternally familial as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Two equally divine fathers defining fatherhood
Upon realizing that he and his family are being pursued by the vengeful antagonist of the story, Colonel Miles Quaritch, Jake makes the very hard decision to uproot his family from the clan they love in order to protect both his family and the clan. It is during this sequence where we hear the first bookend mentioned above, “A father protects. It’s what gives him meaning.” He says this within the context of fleeing the enemy at hand, thinking that he is offering protection by running. The second bookend occurs at the end of the film where Jake is preparing to lay his firstborn son, Neteyam, to rest. It is after this where Jake realizes that he cannot protect his family by running, but by defending. In between these bookends, the audience sees Jake slowly realize his responsibility to take a stand. In between these bookends, the audience sees a father grow to embrace his role as chief protector.
Now, take a moment to really think about what Jake is saying here in light of the spiritual backdrop of the film. “A father protects. It’s what gives him meaning” is an indicative statement which presupposes that there is such a thing as “meaning” on Pandora. However, the worldview put forth by James Cameron (the director of Avatar) and the scriptwriters does not allow for an absolute statement like this, nor does it allow for “meaning” to exist. Let me pose a hypothetical Pandoran situation for you. Jake and another clan leader, who is also a father, sit down for a discussion on fatherhood and Jake says, “A father protects. It’s what gives him meaning.” The other clan leader looks at Jake with a raised eyebrow and replies, “No, a father looks out for and protects only himself. A father can and often should leave his children. I did that and I prospered. I left my children, yes, but I survived and went on to have more. The father’s ability to choose his own path and to populate Pandora is what gives him meaning.” At the end of the day, who is right?
I’m sure you are recoiling in discomfort at the other clan leader’s perspective. However, if pantheism is true, who are you or Jake to judge him? In the pantheistic worldview where both Jake and the clan member are God, possessing equal amounts of the deity, Eywa… wouldn’t both of them be right, no matter how contradictory that idea is? That seems to be the correct answer on the surface, but then a large problem arises with this conclusion. If Eywa is in them both and both are correct, then is Eywa confused? Is she herself contradictory? If so, then is she to be trusted?
At the end of it all, in a pantheistic worldview, it is impossible to declare which statement is true because there is no objective standard for truth. C.S. Lewis famously said,
“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing the universe with when I called it unjust?”
When Jake and the other clan leader say “A father…” they are both defining what a father is for all fathers everywhere and how they have meaning. They are making an absolute statement. They are commenting on the familial role of father, but who has defined the role and determined how it is to be carried out? Who has provided the “straight line,” by which fatherhood’s purpose may be measured? For there to be meaning, there must be a supreme definer of meaning. There is no personal deity in pantheism who reveals itself. It just is all things. It is the living leaf you see in the springtime. It is the dying leaf you see in autumn… and who wants a seasonally deteriorating and dying deity? See, when one hears Jake’s statement in isolation, it carries truth within it. When I hear it, I am moved. However, when one hears Jake’s statement in context with Jake’s pantheism, it immediately loses all of its credibility—if his pantheism is true. This is because if pantheism is true, then there are no logical grounds for objective morality, objective purpose, or objective statements. Jake’s spirituality, if true, immediately renders his statement as meaningless because the other clan leader’s statement is just as divine. If both of their statements can coexist, then truth is void and so is meaning.
Can pantheism provide a solid foundation for the meaning and purpose of fatherhood? No, it cannot. So then, why did James Cameron decide on this statement? Why is Jake’s statement still able to resonate deeply with us?
What does this mean for us on Earth?
I believe that Cameron wrote Jake’s character in this way because he himself saw value in family and fatherhood. The reason behind this value is not thanks to pantheism at all. Rather, Cameron, his crew, his actors, and his audience all connect with this theme of family and fatherhood because we are collectively made in the image of the One who supremely defined family and fatherhood once and for all, leaving none of the matter up for debate.
For Cameron’s film to impact himself and a global audience of Yahweh’s image bearers, he had no choice but to take from the Christian worldview that objectively defines fatherhood’s purpose and the beauty of the family unit. Allow me to reintroduce the clan leader’s perspective, but bring it to Earth. If pantheism was true in our world, then why do we hurt and grieve inside when we find out a single mother and her baby experienced abandonment when the father walked out on them? Is this not the same exact thing as a doe with her fawns in the forest? Did you know that when a male deer finds a prospective doe to mate with, he will do so and then leave after some 24 to 48 hours never to be seen again? If pantheism is true, then the same deity that resides in that buck is the same deity that resides in the man who left his girlfriend and child. This means that a man abandoning his girlfriend and child is no different than the buck leaving the doe. All is equally divine. Morality is lost. Therefore, who are we to call out men like that? Who are we to grieve over the situation? Isn’t this man just doing what nature does? As you can see, it is indeed grossly problematic to posit that pantheism can adequately provide meaning for fatherhood when in reality, it utterly destroys the beauty of fatherhood. Furthermore, I suggest you consider the fact of why we have such strong emotions when we hear of these unfortunate situations. It is the image of God within us that brings us to grief over the wayward father and moves us toward compassion for the single mother.
So, why does fatherhood and family resonate with us all? Why is it that we are moved when Jake Sully says, “This family is our fortress,” “A father protects. It’s what gives him meaning,” and “Sullys stick together?” It is precisely because these family values of love, faithfulness, loyalty, and protection are found in Yahweh. We know this, for He has revealed Himself to us through the evidence of His Creation (Romans 1:19-20) and the coming of His Son (John 17:25-26). Unlike pantheism, Yahweh has revealed to us that He is separate from nature and not dependent on it, thus demonstrating His absolute power and holiness (Acts 17:25). Rather than being nature, He is the Creator of nature, including us (Genesis 1-2). In the New Testament, we see that Jesus is Yahweh the Creator Himself who again is rightly credited as the One who created all things (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-20). As it pertains to fatherhood, Yahweh has also revealed that since He is the Creator of all things, He is also the Father of all humanity, for all peoples of all races descend from Him (Ephesians 3:14-15). Beyond this, the greatest demonstration of Yahweh’s fatherly and familial attributes is found in who He is as the Triune Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For all eternity, Yahweh has existed as one God revealed in these three persons (John 17). Yahweh, by nature, is fatherly and familial in Himself. When He created the world, He did not do so out of need, for He has always been self-sufficient. Rather, He created the world to showcase His glory, but to who? In His wisdom, He chose to make man and woman in His own image to reflect Him on Earth. It is toward humans, His image bearers, that He desires to showcase His splendor and glory. Nature, therefore, is not God. Nature points us to the living God. When the first humans sinned against Him, we all inherited a sinful nature within us, which separated us from Him and brought a curse upon Creation (Romans 5). However, it is in Yahweh’s nature to pursue His lost children and to protect them from evil, for He is the perfect Father (Luke 15:11-32). To redeem sinners, Yahweh demonstrated His love in providing the only way of salvation through Jesus Christ, who is Yahweh in human flesh (Romans 5:8). Jesus Christ paid for sins in full on the cross and rose from the grave to defeat death (John 3:16-17, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Corinthians 15). Now, anyone who turns away from their sin in repentance and trusts in Christ will be saved (Acts 16:31). The entirety of Scripture tells this one unified story of the Father seeking to save His lost children. We resonate with the themes of fatherhood and family because Yahweh is the Father and we are made in His image. This is why father’s raise their children. This is why father’s teach their children. Therefore, when a man abandons his family as mentioned above, it is objectively a sin against Yahweh, for He has given us the “straight line” of His own being by which we are to compare our “crooked lines” to.
Conclusion
It is important to note that although Avatar takes place on a fictional planet, the worldview espoused by the film is very real in our world and is very dangerous. Pantheism is the sin of idolatry and is believed on by many. It is worthy of God’s wrath as written by Paul in Romans 1. In that same chapter, Paul writes, “For they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:25). However, a few chapters later, Paul writes, “but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20). Christ’s grace is for the pantheist. Christ’s grace is for the sinner. Christ’s grace is for all who turn to Him.
And so, in Avatar: The Way of Water, there is much dangerous falsehood that teaches we need no forgiveness and reconciliation from the Creator. However, even in this story, there are glimmers of His fatherly image shining through. It is in Christ alone where these glimmers resound with brilliant clarity.