Doctor Who: Christianity, Atheism, and the Source of Sacredness in the Davies Years

This article investigates the religious worldview presented by the television program Doctor Who between 2005 and 2009, when outspoken atheist Russell T. Davies worked as head writer. It is argued that in the Davies period, Doctor Who is religiously significant in three ways. Symbolically, it is deeply concerned with Christianity and the function of the Christ figure, while ideologically the program is aligned with New Atheism. At a subtler level, romantic love and friendship then take on quasi-mystical qualities through their definition as ultimately important and through their association with the unexplained.