Association of Christian Teachers criticises the National Theatre for staging 'blasphemous' Philip Pullman play

Rupert Kaye, Chief Executive of the Association of Christian Teachers, has launched a strong attack on The National Theatre because of their intention to stage a production of Philip Pullman's play, His Dark Materials, over the Christmas period.

Kaye says that the trilogy – Northern Lights (The Golden Compass), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass – which has been a modern publishing phenomenon and a huge commercial success appears to have been written for the express purpose of: “… discrediting Christianity, undermining the Church and attacking God”.

"At Christmas, when Christians are celebrating God's love for the world and the gift of Jesus, to stage an anti-Christian play and market it as family entertainment is a gross insult, not only to England's 2 million practising Christians, but to each and every family.”

Kaye says, "The National Theatre as a national institution has a responsibility to put on a family play over the Christmas and New Year season which is uplifting, enjoyable and accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. Philip Pullman's story is deeply disturbing - it is offensive to Christians and will shock and appal people of other faiths too.”

In Northern Lights (The Golden Compass), the first instalment of the trilogy, Pullman introduces the concept of a ‘Daemon', the soul-like part of a person, which has an animal form. The Church is portrayed as an evil and repressive organisation, led by a 'Protestant' Pope who resides in Geneva and rules over an ongoing 'Inquisition'. In The Subtle Knife, the second book in the series, the Church carries out increasingly virulent attacks against children. In his final volume, The Amber Spyglass, Pullman unleashes an unashamedly blasphemous attack on the Christian faith, declaring God is not God, He is a lying impostor.

Pullman writes, “The Authority, God the Creator, The Lord, Yahweh, those were the names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves…He told all those who came after him that he had created them, but it was a lie”.   

Pullman's novels introduce characters and scenes that appear to be designed for the express purpose of causing maximum offence to as many Christians as possible: two gay angels in a long-term relationship; heaven portrayed as a concentration camp; a paedophile priest on a church-sanctioned mission to kill a child; and, finally, God, portrayed as a weak and wizened old man who longs for his own death.

Kaye continues, "Society, and its institutions, is rightly sensitive to matters of faith and culture for Hindus, Jews and Muslims - but not, it seems, to Christians. I would be appalled if The National Theatre were to put on Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses during a Muslim festival and market it as family entertainment!"

He states, “I would urge every school which is presently organising a theatrical treat for their pupils to steer well clear of The National Theatre's production of His Dark Materials .”

Kaye concludes, “Ideally, I would like to see His Dark Materials books banned from every primary school in the UK and experienced Christian counsellors made available to secondary schools where the book is being read, who can help pupils to work through the various myths and misconceptions presented. This trilogy really ought to carry a spiritual health warning!”