Raging Devil: DAREDEVIL and the Failure of Imagination

In several places, Daredevil fans of the religious persuasion, have claimed that an understanding of Matt Murdock’s Catholic faith is integral to a deeper appreciation of the story. It’s true that Matt had a Catholic upbringing and education and frequently visits a priest to air his dirty laundry. However, he also practices meditation, which seems to have a greater effect on his fleeting peace of mind. Like a good Catholic (or any Christian for that matter), he carries around a crushing sense of guilt, which isn’t unburdened by his visits to Father Lantom (Peter McRobbie), even though the priest occasionally dispenses some much-needed wisdom. Unfortunately, much of their interaction reflects a deeper theological problem. They still revert to the use of fear to motivate right behavior, whether that be from a vengeful god that would banish wrongdoers to hell, a devil that would scare them into the arms of god, or either a vigilante superhero or his enemy, both of whom want to clean up the city.