The Divinity of Dictatorship: Unpacking Theological Power and Religious Satire in George Orwell’s '1984'

This blog is assigned by Prof. Dilip Barad on exploring theological dimensions of George Orwell's 1949 dystopian novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'.

Introduction

George Orwell’s '1984' is universally recognized as a chilling political dystopia, a stark warning against the creeping dangers of totalitarianism, surveillance, and language manipulation. However, a purely political reading of the novel only scratches the surface. Beneath the mechanisms of the Party and the watchful eyes of the Thought Police lies a profound and incisive critique of organized religion. In the atheistic society of Oceania, the concept of God is not truly erased; rather, it is hijacked and subsumed by the state to justify absolute, unquestioning control over the individual. This blog explores the deep structural, ritualistic, and ideological parallels between totalitarian dictatorships and religious institutions, analyzing '1984' not just as a political warning, but as a fierce theological satire.

Analysis of Theological Power and Totalitarian Control in George Orwell’s 1984

Executive Summary

The following briefing examines the intersection of religious symbolism and political authoritarianism within George Orwell’s 1984, focusing specifically on the aphorism "God is Power." In the atheistic, dystopic society of Oceania, the concept of God is not erased but rather subsumed by the Party to justify absolute control over the individual.

The analysis identifies several critical takeaways:

• The Transformation of Divinity: The Party replaces traditional theological entities with the concept of "Power," positioning its leaders as "priests of power" who demand the same level of irrational devotion and love previously reserved for deities.
• Collective Immortality: Power is defined as a collective force. By surrendering individual identity and merging with the Party, a person ostensibly achieves immortality, as the Party—unlike the individual—never dies.
• Mind Over Matter: The ultimate objective of the Party is not merely the control of physical actions but the absolute domination of the human mind, emotions, and memory.
• The Mechanics of Devotion: Totalitarianism utilizes the psychological architecture of religion—propaganda, perpetual war (as a form of sacrifice), and the worship of a central figure (Big Brother)—to ensure citizens do not merely obey but actively love their oppressors.

The Presence and Significance of "God" in Oceania

Despite Oceania being presented as an atheistic society, the word "God" appears eight times in the novel. These references are concentrated in the final third of the text (Part 3), marking the transition from Winston Smith’s physical rebellion to his psychological "re-education."

Key References to God

• The Case of Ampleforth: The character Ampleforth, a poet who rewrites literature for the Party, is imprisoned in Room 101 for a "thought crime" involving God. Unable to find a rhyme for the word "rod" while rewriting a poem by Kipling, he used the word "God." This highlights the total lack of space for religious language unless it serves the Party’s immediate mechanical needs.
• The Dual Occurrence of "God is Power": This specific phrase appears twice. First, it is spoken by O’Brien to explain the Party’s philosophy. Second, it is written by Winston Smith after his torture, signaling his total acceptance of the Party’s reality over his own.
• False Gods: The novel refers to traditional religious figures (Bal, Isis, Jehovah) as "false gods," suggesting that the Party views itself as the only "true" successor to these ancient systems of belief.

O’Brien’s Philosophy: The Theology of Power

O’Brien, acting as the intellectual mouthpiece for the Party, defines a new "theology" where political control replaces divine authority. He asserts that the Party members are the "priests of power."

The Nature of Collective Power

The Party’s definition of power rests on the negation of the individual. O'Brien explains that power is collective, and the individual only possesses power by ceasing to be an individual.

Concept	Party Interpretation
Freedom is Slavery	Inverted: Slavery to the Party is the only true freedom from the "failure" of the individual self.
Individualism	A state of doomed failure; the individual is a "cell" that must die.
Immortality	Achieved by merging with the Party, which is eternal and all-powerful.
The "Last Man"	Winston’s initial identity as a defender of the human spirit, which the Party views as an extinct species.

Control Over Reality and Mind

The Party asserts that reality exists only within the human mind, which is itself controlled by the Party. Therefore, if the Party controls the mind, it controls reality.

• Power Over Matter: O'Brien argues that the Party’s control over matter is already absolute; the final frontier is the mind.
• The 2+2=5 Equation: This serves as the ultimate test of psychological submission. To accept that 2+2=5 is to surrender the evidence of one's senses and the laws of logic to the superior "truth" of the Party.

Mechanisms of Totalitarian Conditioning

The document identifies several methods used by the Party to replicate the devotion found in religious structures and redirect it toward political ends.

Surveillance and Propaganda

• Total Surveillance: Winston Smith was under constant observation for seven years without his knowledge, illustrating that the "eyes" of the Party are as omnipresent as those of a deity.
• The Utility of Perpetual War: War is not intended to be won; it is intended to be continuous. It creates a state of permanent crisis that justifies the sacrifice of basic necessities. Like religious fasting, citizens are encouraged to endure hardship and poverty with "fervor" because "the country is at war."

Emotional Engineering

The Party seeks to control not just thoughts, but the very capacity to feel.

• Directed Love and Hate: The Party dictates who should be loved (Big Brother) and who should be hated. This conditioning is so deep that citizens eventually do not require force to obey; they "love" the leader voluntarily, much like a believer loves a god.
• The Corruption of Devotion: George Orwell suggests that the same psychological impulses that lead to religious devotion can be exploited by political leaders to create "mechanical puppets" or robots.

The "Spirit of Man" vs. Totalitarianism

Winston Smith initially rests his hope on the "Spirit of Man"—the belief that the human spirit is indomitable and will eventually rise against despotic rulers. He posits that humanity cannot be suppressed indefinitely and that the "revolutionary nature" of human beings will overturn the Party. However, the Party’s goal is to prove this spirit is a myth.

By the end of the narrative, Winston’s transformation is complete:

• Acceptance of the Alterable Past: He accepts that the past can be rewritten and that his own memories are false.
• Erasure of Memory: He consciously wipes away his knowledge of the innocence of those the Party has executed (e.g., Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford).
• Final Submission: His writing of "God is Power" on a table in a bar signifies his realization that there is no truth outside of what the Party dictates.

Conclusion: Orwell’s Critique of Power and Religion

The analysis indicates that 1984 serves as a dual critique. It is an indictment of totalitarianism and the corrupting nature of absolute power, but it is also a critique of the structures of religion—specifically the Catholic Church, of which Orwell was a "bitter critic." The document concludes that when a political leader or party assumes the role of a "god" or an "avatar," the result is the inevitable oppression and exploitation of the individual. By equating God with Power, the Party removes the moral and ethical constraints of traditional religion, leaving only the raw, destructive exercise of authority over the mind and body of the citizen.

Analysis of George Orwell’s 1984 as a Religious Satire

Executive Summary

While George Orwell’s 1984 is traditionally analyzed as a political satire of totalitarianism, a deep reading reveals a deliberate and incisive critique of organized religion, specifically the Catholic Church. This briefing document outlines the structural, ritualistic, and ideological parallels between the fictional state of Oceania and religious institutions. Orwell’s personal history—including his transition from Anglicanism to atheism and his observations of the Church’s collaboration with fascist regimes during the Spanish Civil War—serves as the foundation for this critique. The central argument posits that the Party functions not merely as a political entity but as a religious order that replaces the worship of God with the worship of power, utilizing the psychological habits of faith to maintain absolute control.

Structural and Symbolic Parallels

The world of 1984 mirrors religious frameworks through its geopolitical divisions, social hierarchies, and symbolic icons.

The Three Superstates and Abrahamic Faiths

The novel divides the world into three superstates: Oceania, Eurasia, and East Asia. These entities are in a state of perpetual conflict, which parallels the historical and ideological tensions between the three major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The Image of Big Brother as Divinity

Big Brother serves as the "primordial image of God." Within the Party's ideology, the phrase "Big Brother is Watching You" is recontextualized from a threat of surveillance to an assurance of divine providence.

• Omnipresence: The Party suggests Big Brother is always watchful to care for the citizen, much like the religious concept that God is always with the faithful to prevent them from "falling down."
• The Trinity: The pyramidal structure of the Ministries (having three angles) reflects the Christian Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Social Hierarchy

The Party is organized into a rigid, pyramidal hierarchy reminiscent of religious orders:

• The Inner Party (2%): Function as the "Priests of Power."
• The Outer Party (13-30%): The subordinate administrative class.
• The Proles (85%): The masses, or "bhaktas," who require a deity to follow.

Ritualistic and Sacramental Parallels

The Party utilizes psychological and physical processes that mirror Catholic sacraments to ensure the "purity" of its members.

The System of Confessions

In Oceania, "political confessions" are broadcast on telescreens. Traitors confess to crimes against the state and sexual deviance in a manner strikingly similar to a sinner confessing before a priest in a church.

The Process of Redemption

Winston Smith’s journey through the Ministry of Love (MiniLuv) follows a specific sacramental trajectory:

• Penance and Penitence: The recognition of sin against the Party.
• Mortification: The infliction of physical pain to break the body.
• Purification: The "hellish fire" of Room 101, designed to purge the mind and memory.
• Restoration: The final state where the individual is "saved" and restored to a state of purity, exemplified by Winston’s eventual love for Big Brother.

The Ministry of Love as Dantean Inferno

The physical structure of the Ministry of Love evokes Dante’s Purgatorio and Inferno.

• The Architecture of Hell: The building is a multi-story, pyramidal structure where souls are located based on their "sins."
• Luciferian Figures: O’Brien is framed as a "Lucifer" or "Mephistopheles" figure—the right hand of the supreme power who facilitates the purification/destruction of the soul.

Ideological Control and Behavior

The Party regulates the private lives of its members using moral codes derived from religious tradition.

Category	Religious/Catholic Parallel	Party Application in 1984
Celibacy	Priestly or monastic devotion.	Encouraged for those who dedicate their lives entirely to the Party/Organization.
Marriage	A sacrament for procreation.	Allowed only to produce more "bhaktas" (followers) for the Party; family bonds are discouraged.
Sexuality	Regulated by religious law.	Viewed strictly as a tool for population growth, stripped of pleasure or personal connection.
Devotion	"Brahmacharya" or religious service.	Each moment of life must be for the "Organization" rather than the family unit.

Biographical Evidence for Orwell’s Critique

The interpretation of 1984 as religious satire is supported by Orwell’s documented personal views and earlier literary works.

Personal Atheism and Early Disdain

• Childhood Influences: Despite being raised in the Anglican faith, Orwell expressed a deep-seated hatred for God and Jesus by age 14. In his essay "Such, Such Were the Joys," he noted that while he believed the accounts of God were true, he found the institution of religion miserable.
• Educational Impact: Orwell suggested that making religion part of a school syllabus causes students to hate it, as it becomes a subject they can fail in.

The Spanish Civil War

Orwell’s transition to a vehement critic of the Church solidified during the Spanish Civil War. He observed the Catholic Church collaborating with fascist governments in Italy and Spain to oppose socialism and democratic ideologies. Consequently, he began to view the Church as an "authoritarian regime" and an enemy to Democratic Socialism.

Research into the "Enemy"

According to scholar John Rodden, Orwell was a subscriber to the Catholic Press. He explicitly stated that he read their material to "see what the enemy is up to," indicating that he studied religious rhetoric specifically to critique it.

Precedents in Animal Farm

Orwell’s critique of religion is also present in Animal Farm through the character of Moses the Raven, who speaks of "Sugar Candy Mountain." This is a direct reference to the Christian concept of a celestial city or heaven (reminiscent of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress), used as a "dangling carrot" to keep the animals submissive.

The Critique of "Power Worship"

The most incisive aspect of Orwell's critique is the danger of "Power Worship." Orwell argued that religious training creates a habit of submission.

• The Habit of Bowing: Once a person becomes accustomed to "going down" or bowing to an idol/deity, they can easily be conditioned to worship any human being or entity that holds power.
• Replacing the Idol: The Party replaces the religious idol with the political leader. If the populace has a habit of being "bhaktas" (devotees), the transition from worshiping God to worshiping a dictator is seamless.
• Anti-Democratic Nature: Orwell suggests that religious practices can be fundamentally anti-democratic because they prioritize the strength of the "spine" to bend rather than to stand.

Conclusion

George Orwell’s '1984' serves as a devastating dual critique. It is not merely an indictment of political totalitarianism, but a profound exposure of the corrupting nature of absolute power masquerading as divine authority. By equating God with Power, the Party strips away the moral constraints of traditional faith, weaponizing the psychological habits of religious submission to enslave the human mind. Whether the idol is a religious figure or a political dictator like Big Brother, Orwell's ultimate warning remains clear: any institution that demands the total surrender of individual thought and the blind worship of power is an enemy to human freedom.

References

• Orwell, George. 1984. Secker & Warburg, 1949.
• Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Secker & Warburg, 1945.
• Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim's Progress. Nathaniel Ponder, 1678.
• Rodden, John. George Orwell: The Politics of Literary Reputation.
• Department of English, MKBU. "God is Power | 1984." YouTube, https://youtu.be/Zh41QghkCUA
• Department of English, MKBU. "Critique of Religion | 1984." YouTube, https://youtu.be/cj29I_MU3cA

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