Religion in The Handmaid's Tale: A Brief Guide

by Collete Tennant

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale captivates readers with its disturbingly prescient vision of the future and haunting insights into the world as we know it. Religion--especially elements of the Christian faith--pervades every inch of the world as Atwood imagines it. Gilead's leaders use perverse forms of Christianity to sustain their authority and privilege, making understanding religion an integral part of understanding Gilead. In the face of the inextricable role of religion in the novel, readers are left to puzzle out religious references and allusions on their own.

From the significance of names to twisted uses of religion to the origins of the Ceremony, this book answers all the questions you might have about religion in this prophetic novel. For anyone who's ever googled a biblical precedent or religious phrase after encountering Atwood's dystopia, this essential guide explains it all and gives readers a fascinating look into the novel and its world. Read it and understand The Handmaid's Tale like never before.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion

142 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2019

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

This certainly has some good information for those readers who feel like they may have missed something after reading The Handmaid's Tale. This book is written in the style of a dictionary that contains entries to help explain the context of some of the people, places and things you've encountered in the novel. Why was it called the Rachel and Leah Center? How did Gilead twist religious teachings to form an government that is essentially free of those teachings? You'll find answers here.

Not a bad choice for fans of the novel, but it did get repetitive at times. I'd love to see this concept fleshed out into a longer work on the same subject.

[Jenny Esots · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is the ideal companion to The Handmaid's Tale which outlines all the religious references, without getting into intense theological debate. It is revealing to pick up the biblical reference points. Some of the literary content of the Handmaid's Tale was immediately evident to me - but some of it was more obscure. If you are lending anyone the Handmaid's Tale - give them this little book as well - to give a deeper understanding of all the layers, subtext, metaphors and visions that are rife in Atwood's dystopian masterpiece. And yes, it is a bit repetitive, but it is not designed for theological study but for the average reader.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colette Tennant’s Religion in the Handmaid’s Tale: A Brief Guide does indeed guide readers through the role of religion in Margaret Atwood’s novel. More than an impersonal role, religion in the novel is a character with its own unique voice. Tennant’s guide begins simply, then parallels Offred’s story, delving deeper into the complexities of religion and relationships in Gilead. As explained at the outset, it’s not necessary to read The Handmaid’s Tale before reading Religion in the Handmaid’s Tale, although the guide offers greater benefit if the tale is read first. Tennant accurately quotes Biblical references in a straightforward manner to help readers—regardless of their individual religious persuasions—understand the significance of these religious references in Atwood’s work. Tennant’s book definitely illuminates the Tale, as if offering readers the broad beam of a searchlight as opposed to the narrow circle of a flashlight. Recommended reading to accompany The Handmaid’s Tale.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Brief Guide" is truth in advertising. This is a very short book, and most of the information is repeated, sometimes multiple times. Seems like you could read one chapter and glean all the information from the whole book. Still, it does have some interesting tidbits about Gilead and how they corrupted the Bible to fit what they wanted it to be.

[Kimia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what i wanted, this was more of a dictionary, only some paragrapha were interesting.

"Gilead works to eliminate or manipulate individuals with sincere faith so it can maintain control through its perverted version of religion. Only the State’s form of religion is allowed to survive"

[Lori Downs · Rating 2 out of 5]

See rebeccas comment!! Very repetitive and towards the end doesn’t analyze as much at it did at the start. Just links saying to relevant bible verses or stories. No interpretation.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, good to read after The Handmaid's Tale