Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Heaven, the dwelling place of the source of light which is God. This is why Neo could not go to the Source until he was ready. Conceived by an anonymous group in the summer of 2004, it claimed to have attracted 300 members by May 2005, and the religion's Geocities website claimed "over sixteen hundred members". Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Symbolism of Names in the movie The Matrix. More specifically, matrix means a model or a cast in which one can mould a form or shape. Neo is not even vaguely sinless. Although he dies, it is by accident rather than by free choice, and his means of salvation involves a great deal of violence - including the deaths of many innocent people. zu gnostischen Elementen in massenwirksamen Kinofilmen: Gutmann, Hans-Martin, Der Herr der Heerscharen, die Prinzessin der Herzen und der König der Löwen. Posted by 7 years ago. It has been remarked on repeatedly that the Matrix trilogy houses a much larger theme of religion and faith, while considerable evidence has been found to further this view. However, the "rising from illusion" is more Buddhist than Christian in meaning, as is the concept of fate. The Train Station represents … This symbolism starts to paint a all different picture than the images of adult male battling machines. In "The Matrix," water is symbolic of the unconsciouness, the dream state of the Matrix. The Zion in the films recalls the biblical city of Zion. There is an entire smorgasbord martial arts, guns, new technologies, and verbal abuse offered to incite the audience’s lusts. In an attempt to decipher the meaning of contemporary movies and their relationship to archaic religious symbology, I will discuss here the movie The Matrix, made by … The Matrix contains religious symbolism through its three main characters, Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity, in that each character solidly personifies the “Father,” the “Son,” and the “Holy Spirit” of the Christian beliefs. The Matrix contains religious symbolism through its three main characters, Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity, in that each character solidly personifies the “Father,” the “Son,” and the “Holy Spirit” of the Christian beliefs. According to the Architect in The Matrix Reloaded, Neo isn't the first One; instead, he is the sixth One. Instead, I’ve decided to include a short list of other religious and philosophical themes and references in The Matrix. Some may see them as such because of their obvious relations to Christian stories, but that would a rather narrow reading; it would be more accurate to say that Christianity makes use of many stories and ideas which have been part of human culture for millennia. Perhaps they are poor reflections of Christian doctrine, rendering Christianity in a superficial manner that is amenable to American pop culture but which requires sacrificing depth for the sake of people accustomed to sound bites over serious theological contemplation. Share this: Twitter; Facebook; Be the first to comment Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Certainly, a release from illusion is consistent with Christianity, but it does not constitute a metaphor for Christian salvation. 1/5/2017 0 Comments As you have probably noticed this far, religion is a huge underlying theme. Anthropologist Clifford Geertz defines religion as "a system of symbols" used to clarify the universe and eliminate chaos. Just as the Matrix is a symbol of this world, the machine world is a symbol of the kingdom of God. This interpretation is only one of the many possible readings of the films’ symbolism and references. The Matrix trilogy is remarkable for the breadth and depth of its religious references, not just its references to Christianity. Certainly, some Christian authors argue so, but the parallels here are not nearly so strong as they might appear at first glance. Karl Marx once sad that religion is opium to the people; meaning that the people can be controlled and oppressed by religion. 16985; vgl. Other Religious Themes in The Matrix. Numbers are not meaningless in these films, and perhaps the first five are meant to symbolize the Five Books of Moses of the Old Testament. The trilogy refers not only to Christianity but … These ideas are a part of our human heritage, cultural as well as philosophical, and the Matrix films tap into this heritage in culturally and religiously specific ways, but we should not let that distract us from the core messages which reach well beyond any one religion, including Christianity. Matrix [UPDATED] in the dictionary refers to "a situation or surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops, or is contained. Neo loves, but he loves Trinity; he hasn't exhibited an overarching love for humanity as a whole, and certainly not for the human minds he kills time and time again. There are also numerous smaller references to Buddhism throughout the films. Matrix means some kind of environment, medium, support or structure, in which something develops. Philosophy of The Matrix – Guest Essay – Tuesday, May 22, 2002. Nor is it, for example, Keanu Reeves’s acting that cries out for more critical discussion. The Matrix obviously promotes the same human strength that got the world into the very trouble it is trying to resolve—Violence. Neo, representing the New Testament and New Covenant of Christianity, is described by the Architect as differing from the first five because of his ability to love … Log In Sign Up. "The Chosen One" (Neo) can be easily compared to Jesus, being a prodigal being destined to save humanity, in Christianity's case, by sin. Archived. Neo kills people left and right and isn't averse to a bit of extramarital sex. The Matrix and Gnosticism: Is the Matrix a Gnostic Film? Or, perhaps, they aren't meant to be Christian films in the first place; instead, they may be meant to be about important issues which are also explored within Christianity. Moreover, the idea that our reality is illusory is inconsistent with Christian beliefs in an omnipotent and truthful God. The movie maker is like an artist. Neo falls in love with Trinity, possibly a reference to the Trinity of Christianity. Cosmology; Ritual; Society; Symbolism and Power; 1 Cosmology.