Maybe you don't hear about God a lot in the Disney versions of fairy tales, but holy cannoli are the Grimms' Fairy Tales full of religious references. We get saints, baby Jesus, the devil, and other church-y stuff. Sure, some of the tales are pure fluffy fun (wolves are fluffy, right?), but a fair few of them deal with how to get into heaven and avoid hell. Which was serious business back in the day, and still is for many.
Questions About Religion
- Which religious figures are featured most prominently in the tales? Are there any patterns in how they act?
- What is the best way to tick off a religious figure in these tales? Can you think of any awesome examples?
- You want to go to heaven in the tales. What should and shouldn't you do?
- Going to a priest for help: good idea, great idea, or terrible idea? Why?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
The tales express a purely Christian perspective on the world.
The tales give a set of consistent directions for how to act in accordance with religious norms, and not just when we're encountering a Big Bad Wolf.