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Abstract

Biblical verses mentioning the “pot and the potter” entail a God/creation relationship in which the creation is warned not to turn against, or even criticize, the Creator; humankind is advised humility for fear of Yahweh’s punishment. This is a comparative study of three films with a strong emphasis on a children’s film, Toy Story (1995); the movies to be examined are treated as allegories of the concept of potter/pot lesson with a twist as the humans are playing God/potter. The movies geared more to an adult or mature audience (The Matrix [1999] and Terminator [1986]) feature the creation (robots) turned against the creator (humankind) with deadly consequences for humans. In Toy Story, an animated film, the creators (humans) are not threatened and the “pots” even agree to their condition.The film, I suggest, is an excellent example of the process of religious socialization as played out in a modern fairy tale.

What kind of religious socialization mechanism process is played out in Toy Story? What religious imagery is being displayed in the movie, and to what purpose? Wrapped in humorous tones, the film presents an image of religion and socialization which, for all intents and purposes strongly disparages imagination and promotes low self-esteem. I offer a reading of Toy Story narrative as a juvenile retelling of the New Testament story of the coming of Jesus and as a traditional modern fairy tale of socialization of non-resistance towards the “potter”.

You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?

Isaiah, 29:16

But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.

Nehemiah, 9:16

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