Neon Genesis Evangelionis almost defined by its unusual use of Christian imagery and symbolism, which has sparked a lot of attention from critics over the years. However, as it turns out, much of the symbolism doesn’t mean much at all, and it was always intended to be that way.
Evangelionis certainly drenched in Christian iconography, from the Angels themselves, to Adam and Lilith, to things like the Dead Sea Scrolls, or the names of the Supercomputers at NERV HQ. But just how much of this material was used because it was “cool,” and how much of it was actually meant to be symbolic in some way?
Evangelion’s Pseudo-theological Use of Christian Imagery is Based in Ignorance
Hideaki Anno Chose to Use Christian Themes Specifically Because He Wasn’t Christian
Fans, particularly those in the West, have spent a lot of time trying to understand the references to Christianity withinEvangelion. Watching the series, it certainlyfeelslike these things should have some kind of meaning to them, particularly for those familiar with these Christian elements. However, asAnno confessed, they really don’t mean much.
In a 1996 interview with sci-fi critic Nozomi Omori, Hideaki Anno spoke about his use of Christian imagery and why he chose it. The answer is quite simple: it’s because it was all foreign to him. To quote the man himself,as recorded on Gwern.net:
“I think that if I look at something like the equation of [the terms] ‘apostle’ and ‘angel’ from the point of view of Westerners, even if I receive complaints, it doesn’t make any difference. Well, there is a single American in our company, and he scolded me about various things. ‘you’re able to’t do this.’ As I had expected. But I did those things [anyway], I think, without taking any notice of that.”
As Anno also said in the interview,“If I were a Christian believer, I couldn’t have inserted Christian elements [intoEva] in that way. I would have been scared to.“In that sense, Anno’s use of Christian themes and imagery is hardly different from how American authors might use the gods of Greek or Norse mythology–without concern for believers.
Does Any of Evangelion’s Christian Theming Have Meaning?
Christian Ideas and Images Were Used With Surface-Level Knowledge
It’s obvious, based on the way that certain elements are used, that Anno had some level of understanding of just what he was doing. Adam, for example, being a progenitor of a species, fits with how Christians might use that allusion. However, it seems Anno only had a shallow understanding of many of these elements.
As noted above, Anno deliberately equated things that he knew were different,such as angelsand apostles, and ignored attempts to provide him with more context. He seems to have understood that these images might be provocative in the West, but was only really concerned with his intended Japanese audience.
Despite literal decades of trying to decipher the symbolism ofEvangelion, it appears that Anno simply didn’t have a deep enough understanding of Christianity to use these elements the way a Westerner familiar with the religion might.In the end, Anno did it because it was cool and visually interesting, and added a certain degree of mystery.
Neon Genesis Evangelionisn’t any less of a masterpiecebecause of this revelation, though. The series still has astounding depth–it’s just not buried under religious symbolism. In fact, using something familiar in such an unusual way is a bit brilliant, and it creates a very unique experience for Japanese and Western viewers alike.
