Listen to the podcast

On April 19, 2025, Kasie and Rex took on the task of creating a religious system in your novel. Here are the show notes:

Theme for the day

Building a Faith System in Fiction

Agenda

• Quick Catch up
• Define what we mean by faith system
• Examples of faith systems
• Is there a relationship to the unexplainable?

Segment 1

The center throughline for my (Kasie) vampire story is the faith system that ties them all together. It is my protagonist’s profession, it explains their vampire behaviors, and the rituals they observe are critical moments in the plot. I was inspired by a book called Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey in which she uses an elaborate caste system to predetermine characters via their societal roles.

Similarly, Rex’s werewolf novel relies on a faith system, rooted in ancient myths, that the wolves observe in secret. While it isn’t the center of the story, its existence roots the wolf faction as a species with history and depth.

It’s Easter weekend and that got us thinking about faith systems and the role they play in fiction. So today we’re going to break that down.

A quick Google search found these examples of fictional religions (link):

• Bene Gesserit, Zensufi, Zensunni from Dune
• Church of All Worlds from Stranger in a Strange Land
• Cult of Skaro from Doctor Who
• Drowned God, Faith of the Seven, from Song of Ice and Fire
• Religion of Middle Earth, “cosmology” from Lord of the Rings
• Jedi from Star Wars
• Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Pastafarianism – an internet-based response to the teaching of intelligent design in classrooms

This link explains the role of religion in fiction specifically in speculative fiction where it makes the point that many “fake” religions in fiction are addressing the same questions raised by sociologists and psychologists in real religion. Sometimes these faith systems express a writer’s dissatisfaction with religion, sometimes it’s an attempt to design a better religion. 

Segment 2/3

So what is the role of the faith system in the story? To what extent is the religion the story? And to what extent is it an accent feature or something that makes the world feel more real?

• Does it determine morality?
• Does it determine hierarchy? And roles in the society?
• Does it create fear? Or assuage it?

How does it shape the growth of the individual and the society? Bene Gesserit, for example, is said to have planted myths and stories in a variety of cultures just in case the Bene Gesserit among them should ever need to control them. Sinister stuff. The Jedi religion determines the lifestyle of those in the Jedi Order and also helps them wield a powerful magic, the Force.

Where do these religions come from?

• Existing human religions
• Ancient religions like polytheistic traditions
• Philosophy-driven systems that are based on rationality and objectivism
• Political cults like socialism and communism
• Evolve from an apocalyptic event

Who are the competitors?

• Hedonists
• Atheists
• Competing faith systems

There’s dramatic tension in bringing those other faiths forward

Segment 4

What does the religion have to have:

• Origin story / back story
• Rituals that are important to the perpetuation of the community:
  • Initiation
  • Confirmation
  • Commitment
• Celebrations
• Props, tools, or sacred items
• Sacred locations or houses of worship
• Miraculous Stories

This link has some suggestions for how to create a fictional religion for your story.