From Subordinates to Superheroes? Comics in Christian Magazines for Children and Youth in Norway

Abstract

How do religious organizations use comics to communicate religion to children and youth? This chapter examines comics in two different Norwegian religious magazines for children: Blåveisen (Hepatica) and Barnas (The Children’s). These magazines contribute to religious education in the form of Bible teaching, storytelling, and entertainment, and both have existed for about 150 years. The magazines use popular cultural elements, such as comics, in their religious education. The form of the comics, either a short story or a single strip, shapes the religious message and the way the religious narratives are presented.