Role Of Religion In Dracula

Religiously Connected to Science “Science and religion are the two most powerful sources in the world” and E.O. Wilson firmly believes that “having them at odds is not productive”. Bram Stoker links religion and science in the novel Dracula, by showing how one idea alone will not be enough to defeat the evil creatures in the world and positive outcomes will come from combining these concepts. The religious ideas that the characters depend on instill a fear that continuously motivate them to defeat Dracula. Stoker integrated modern individuals with scientific backgrounds to demonstrate how the ideas which come with science cannot handle the supernatural alone. A beneficial balance between modern scientific technologies and religious faith

Consequently, the characters depend on the concept of God and religious objects to protect themselves from Dracula. The book promotes the idea of religion being pure while the supernatural is dangerous and unclean. Stoker demonstrates this in the novel when Van Helsing placed the holy “wafer on Mina’s forehead,” and the religious object continuously “burned into her flesh” (Stoker). As a vampire, Mina represents uncleanliness while religion is symbolic for purity. The use of the religious object displays a protective mechanism that sets a tone in the novel, deterring characters from neglecting their religious beliefs. Even though the action representing God and Christianity seems to put the idea of religion and faith in an unfavorable light, the characters still worship and look to God for guidance during the novel in various ways. All the individuals often pray, even when Mina was burned the “incident [did] not shake her faith” and devotion to God (Sanders 92). This shows how the characters depend on God and religion, even in situations where lack of faith had consequences as seen in characters such as Mina. The most important inclination to maintain religious belief was to resist and defeat the wrath of vampires, and this was demonstrated by Stoker by the use of religious

A number of main characters with positive intentions are from the less superstitious regions of the world. Van Helsing provides a positive collaboration between the more modern aspects of science and religion. Although he is "’one of the most advanced scientists of his day,’ Van Helsing is also a Roman Catholic,” who uses superstitions achieves his goals (Jann 275). By applying rational thought to Dracula's deficiencies they are able to explore these weaknesses to defeat him. Rational thought gives the modern characters advances that allow them to integrate the powers of faith and God’s holy items to “afflict Dracula so that he has no power” (Stoker). Using these items strategically to fight off Dracula shows how modern knowledge and religion are coupled in order to work together-- defeating the vampires. Both physically and emotionally the individuals use spiritual faith and the defense mechanisms that science offers to cope with the fear of the supernatural. Even when in combat with the paranormal, the characters hold weapons of “the spiritual in the left hand, the mortal in the right" (Stoker). This illustrates the balance of faith and modern technologies of science and how it is only through this balance use of religion and science that the characters are able to