Simpsons & Religion Research Paper - Annotated Bibliography

Ben Mills – Writing 340 – Research Paper

Research Question: Now having been broadcast for nearly twenty years, The Simpsons has managed to avoid becoming a casualty of the religious right due to religion’s substantial role in the show and subsequent feature film; but can The Simpsons’ survival be attributed to an actual, growing enlightenment by its former opponents or are its writers again managing to cleverly mine satire in ways its religious viewers don’t realize?

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dart, John. “The Simpsons Have Soul – Religious Satire On The Show.” The Christian Century. 31 January 2001.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_4_118/ai_70368683

Originally created as a review of Mark Pinsky’s The Gospel According to The Simpsons, Dart concedes that The Simpsons’ impact upon the contemporary American perception of religion is mainly positive if only through the fact it does not draw distinctions or exceptions in its presentation of Christian, Jewish, Catholic or Hindu characters & beliefs. He cites multiple lines and situations from the show’s then eleventh season run to explore how presentations of church sermons, Homer’s hedonism, the roles of Flanders and Lovejoy and the presence of God himself appear to initially blaspheme but in fact reiterate the true good of exposing religion so prominently to champion it more than any show in television’s history.


Irwin, William. The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh! Of Homer. Ed. Mark T. Conard and Aeon J. Skoble. Open Court Publishers. 2001.

Irwin’s book revolves around the sundry – and oftentimes ironic – lines of thought evident in The Simpsons that explore the human condition’s fragility, ignorance, compassion and absurdity through its large populace of characters. Religion is loosely alluded to throughout the book and exists more as an extension of philosophical construct to solidify Irwin’s ideas to the reader, but doing so heightens the intellectualism of framing a religious debate with moral parameters in respect to the unique physicalization of such themes in a character like Homer, Apu, or even Ralph Wiggum.


Pinsky, Mark I. The Gospel According to The Simpsons. Louisville, Westminster John Knox Press. 2001.

The author uses his own ‘revelation’ of discovering The Simpsons as a prominent text for current religious discussion to demonstrate how such openness can strengthen family bonds & promote frequent communication of Christianity in light of being viewed in a destructive light during the initial years of the show. Pinsky’s personal interest prompted him to analyze all facets of how religion manifests itself in the show through the actions of its characters, the story arcs of individual episodes and even in presentations of deities like God or Ganesha themselves. He also communicates with writer/producers for the show to gauge their own perception of The Simpsons’ place in contemporary religious circles which confirms his theory in the positive, involved role the show has enabled religion to become, a feat he is quick to note as largely unparalleled in an American sitcom.

Spitznagel, Eric. “An Interview with George Meyer, Writer and Producer for The Simpsons.” Believer Magazine. 2004.

This in-depth interview with Simpsons mainstay George Meyer – who is attributed with being the most influential writer and producer for the show, still presiding over his role since co-developing the show 1989 – allots for an intriguingly personal look into Meyer’s personal life which has, consequentially, manifested itself in much of what Simpsons fans treasure as pivotal themes and jokes all throughout The Simpsons’ run. Meyers recounts his youth growing up in a large Catholic family and how his personal distrust, disillusionment and eventual disavowal – he remains slightly spiritual despite professing to be an atheist – formed the foundation of his comedic career which led him to the graces of working on The Simpsons. Meyer also recognizes that religion is a significant portion of the Simpson family’s life and that much of America relates to that integrality of it, but professes his personal stance on religion is considerably bleaker & darker than the audience would know, but it is about what make him and the other writers laugh that enable him to continue working to turn out shows that continually please audiences the world over.


DVD Episode Commentaries of The Simpsons, Seasons 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 and 10. 20th Century Fox/Gracie Films.

“Homer Vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment.” The Simpsons. Writ. Steve Pepoon. Dir. Rich Moore.
Commentary: Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Rich Moore, Steve Pepoon. FOX. 7 Feb. 1991.

“Like Father, Like Clown.” The Simpsons. Writ. Jay Kogen & Wally Wolodarsky. Dir. Jeffrey Lynch & Brad Bird.
Commentary: Matt Groening, Al Jean, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Jay Kogen, Wally Wolodarsky, Brad Bird. FOX. 24 Oct. 1991.

“Homer the Heretic.” The Simpsons. Writ. George Meyer. Dir. Jim Reardon. Commentary: Matt Groening, Al Jean, George Meyer, Jim Reardon. FOX. 8 Oct. 1992.

“Bart Sells His Soul.” The Simpsons. Writ. Greg Daniels. Dir. Wes Archer. Commentary: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Greg Daniels, Wes Archer, David Silverman. FOX. 8 Oct. 1995.

“Lisa the Skeptic.” The Simpsons. Writ. David Cohen. Dir. Neil Affleck. Commentary: Matt Groening, Mike Scully, David Cohen, George Meyer, Yeardley Smith, Pete Michels. FOX. 23 Nov. 1997

“The Joy of Sect.” The Simpsons. Writ. Steve O’Donnell. Dir. Steven Dean Moore. Commentary: Matt Groening, David Mirkin, Steve O’Donnell, Yeardley Smith, Steven Dean Moore. FOX. 8 Feb. 1998.

“Simpsons Bible Stories.” The Simpsons. Writ. Tim Long, Larry Doyle, Matt Selman. Dir. Nancy Kruse. Commentary: Matt Groening, Mike Scully, George Meyer, Tom Martin, Larry Doyle, Matt Selman, Nancy Kruse. FOX. 4 Apr. 1999.