Time to Play the Religion Card: Messiah Complexes in Battlestar Galactica

Abstract

In 2003, Battlestar Galactica (BSG) was re-invented from its 1978 roots to a post-apocalyptic narrative steeped in religious rhetoric and Machiavellian politics. This combination of political and religious rhetoric is especially evident in how BSG cultivates multiple messianic characters – namely by transforming President Laura Roslin and scientist Gaius Baltar into a space-age Moses and Christ, respectively. In creating this messianic multiplicity, BSG suggests that a single individual cannot address all of the needs of a desperate people – a messiah can function either in the political realm (serving as an agent of physical salvation) or on a spiritual level (delivering emotional redemption), but not both. Much of this messianic dualism emerges in the characters’ rhetorical strategies – relying on classical Aristotelian forms vs. Judeo-Christian sermonic oratory, how they address underlying needs to appeal to the people, and in the ultimate ‘scope’ of their messianic influence on their societal and cultural history.