Book of Daniel: Blasphemy, Joke, Or Conversation Starter

Controversy precedes the premiere of NBC's new comedy series Book of Daniel. For those who haven't heard, the show, apparently the video love child of Desperate Housewives and Seventh Heaven, concerns the dysfunctional family of an Episcopalian priest, he the "Daniel" of the title.

So why controversy? Well, this family is really dysfunctional. Daniel abuses prescription drugs, his wife drinks to excess, elder son is gay (and a Republican, which apparently makes it funnier), daughter sells pot, younger adopted son (an attempt at multiculturalism?) is doing the bishop's daughter, the (lesbian) church secretary is doing Daniel's sister-in-law, and Daniel's brother has embezzled a pile of loot.

Oh yes, and Daniel talks to Jesus. In person. Although no one else sees Jesus but Daniel. And Jesus is open-minded about moral issues, rather like Daniel's own conscience.

We hope that the Reverend Daniel Webster has sufficient time for sermon preparation.

Naturally, Donald Wildmon and the American Family Association want to shut the show down, for reasons that don't need explanation here. We would supply a link to their site, but it doesn't seem to be working right now.

So is the show blasphemous to Christ and disrespectful to Christians? SWNID believes that it could prove to be ironically reinforcing Christian values. Is Daniel's family dysfunctional because his upper-middle-class, country-club Episcopalianism leaves him with a wimpy Jesus and no clear way to provide spiritual leadership to his church or his family?

We confess to a certain degree of positive curiosity about the show because it so obviously embodies common stereotypes about Episcopalians, many of them expressed in decently funny jokes. For example, one that Episcopalians like to tell about themselves, wherever three or four Episcopalians gather, there is always a "fifth." Or this delightful dialog:

Episcopal Priest: There's something wrong with this microphone.
Congregation: And also with you.

And should we be surprised that the church that ordains gay bishops is portrayed with the sexcapades delineated above?

But what about the portrayal of Jesus? Should that concern the faithful? We think perhaps not. Here's why.

First, any talk about Jesus can lead to good things. If we start talking with an obviously goofy Jesus on TV, can we move on to the real Jesus?

Second, does the very fact that this Daniel's Jesus is apparently so goofy and inconsequential, so obviously the projection of Daniel's own religious weakness, make the Jesus of historic Christian orthodoxy more appealing?

Let's say the conversation starts with how funny the show is. Let's say it goes to how Jesus in the show is so weak and vacillating that he clearly is a projection of the weakness of the one who speaks to him. Can the biblical Christian begin to talk about how a Jesus who is grounded in history, portrayed in Scripture, has an objectivity that goes beyond subjective projection? Can the discussion go on to note how the Jesus of the Bible challenges and reproves those who believe in him, down to their very core? That the Jesus who dies for others and calls his followers to do the same is hardly so inconsequential?

We hope the answer is yes. We'd like to have this conversation soon. The possibility might even induce us to watch the show.