God is Power: Orwell’s 1984 as a Critique of Religion and the Rise of Political Divinity”

This blog is written as a Thinking Activity assigned by the head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. Here is the link to the professor's Blog for background reading:Click here

God is Power: Orwell’s 1984 as a Critique of Religion and the Rise of Political Divinity”

Here is the Infograph of this whole blog: 

Here is the Videography of this whole blog : 

Briefing Note of this Video Lecture : 

God is Power | 1984 | George Orwell : Click here

Here is the Infograph of this Video Lecture : 

Here is silde deck :

 

Introduction: Power as Divinity in 1984

In this lecture, the concept “God is Power” is explored as one of the most profound philosophical ideas in George Orwell’s 1984. The discussion demonstrates how Orwell reshapes the traditional understanding of religion by transferring divine authority from a spiritual God to a political system. Instead of eliminating religion completely, the Party reconstructs its structure and symbolism, transforming political power into a sacred force.

The lecture establishes that in Oceania, power is not merely political authority; it becomes the ultimate truth, morality, and reality itself, occupying the position traditionally held by God.

Absence of Traditional Religion

In this lecture, attention is drawn to the noticeable absence of organized religion within Oceania. Churches, religious practices, and spiritual faith no longer exist in public life. Citizens are denied any belief system that could compete with Party authority.

However, this removal of religion does not create freedom of thought. Instead, religion is deliberately erased so that no higher authority exists beyond the Party. By eliminating God, the Party ensures absolute ideological supremacy.

Thus, atheism in Oceania is not liberation but replacement political ideology assumes the role of religion.

The Party as a Religious Structure:

The lecture highlights striking parallels between religion and the political organization of the Party. The Party functions as a religious institution with its own rituals, doctrines, and objects of devotion.

• Big Brother assumes the position of God unseen yet omnipresent.

• Party officials function like priests who interpret doctrine.

• Confession occurs through interrogation and punishment.

• Ideology replaces sacred scripture.

• Loyalty rituals resemble acts of worship.

Citizens are required not only to obey authority but to emotionally love and revere Big Brother, creating a psychological devotion similar to religious faith.

O’Brien’s Doctrine of Power:

A central focus of the lecture is O’Brien’s philosophical explanation during Winston’s imprisonment. O’Brien rejects traditional political motivations such as justice, prosperity, or social stability. Instead, he asserts that:

"Power is not a means; power is the final objective."

The Party does not seek control to achieve another goal. Control itself is the goal. This marks a fundamental shift from earlier forms of tyranny, which pursued wealth or order. In Oceania, domination exists purely for its own continuation.

Power therefore becomes sacred because it justifies itself and requires no external validation.

Power and the Creation of Reality:

In this lecture, special emphasis is placed on the Party’s ability to define reality. Power becomes divine because it determines truth itself.

The Party controls:

1. The Past

Historical records are constantly rewritten so that reality aligns with Party claims.

2. The Present

Continuous surveillance through telescreens regulates behavior and thought.

3. The Future

Education and propaganda shape citizens who cannot imagine alternatives.

The famous assertion that “2 + 2 = 5” illustrates that truth depends not on logic but on authority. When power controls perception, objective reality disappears.

Psychological Transformation and Mental Submission:

The lecture stresses that the Party’s ultimate aim is not physical obedience but inner conversion. Torture functions as a method of ideological transformation rather than punishment.

Through fear, isolation, and psychological pressure, Winston is forced to abandon independent thought. The process resembles religious conversion, where an individual renounces previous beliefs and accepts a new absolute truth.

Victory for the Party occurs only when the individual sincerely believes in its authority.

Rituals and Political Worship

Although Oceania claims to be secular, society operates through ritualistic practices similar to religion.

Examples discussed in the lecture include:

• Two Minutes Hate as collective emotional worship.

• Public confessions resembling religious repentance.

• Emotional unity directed toward devotion and hatred.

• Constant repetition of slogans functioning like prayers.

These rituals generate shared belief and reinforce ideological unity, ensuring emotional dependence on authority.

Orwell’s Philosophical Warning:

The lecture presents Orwell’s broader warning about the dangers of unquestioned authority. When any system claims absolute power:

• Critical thinking declines.

• Individual identity weakens.

• Truth becomes manufactured.

• Obedience replaces moral reasoning.

Orwell suggests that political systems can become as dogmatic as religious institutions when belief replaces questioning.

Meaning of “God is Power”:

Within the framework of this lecture, the phrase signifies that:

• Divinity is transferred from spirituality to authority.

• Power defines truth and morality.

• Obedience becomes the highest virtue.

• Reality exists only through control.

The Party does not merely govern behavior; it reshapes consciousness so that citizens internally accept power as sacred.

Conclusion:

In this lecture, 1984 emerges as both a political and philosophical exploration of authority. Orwell demonstrates how power achieves permanence when it adopts the structure of religion and demands emotional as well as intellectual submission.

By transforming political authority into a divine force, the Party ensures that resistance becomes not only illegal but unthinkable. The idea of “God is Power” ultimately reveals Orwell’s warning that when power becomes absolute, it replaces truth, freedom, and humanity itself. 

Briefing Note of this Video Lecture: 

Critique of Religion | 1984 | George Orwell : Click here

Here is the Infograph of this Video Lecture : 

Here is silde deck :

 

Introduction: 

In this lecture, 1984 is examined not only as a political dystopia but also as a profound critique of organized religion, particularly institutional Christianity and the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church. The discussion proposes that Orwell constructs the Party as a political religion, systematically reproducing religious structures, rituals, and psychological mechanisms in order to secure absolute obedience.

Rather than abolishing religion entirely, the Party replaces spiritual faith with ideological devotion. Political authority assumes divine status, and loyalty to Big Brother becomes equivalent to religious worship. Through symbolic parallels, ritualized punishment, and theological imagery, Orwell exposes the dangers of power worship, a psychological habit that enables both religious and political authoritarianism.

Structural and Geopolitical Parallels:

The lecture highlights how Orwell’s fictional world mirrors historical religious divisions, suggesting that ideological systems function like competing faith traditions.

Element in 1984	Religious Parallel
Oceania, Eurasia, Eastasia	Three Abrahamic Religions
Inner Party / Outer Party / Proles	Religious hierarchy (clergy and laity)
Ministry hierarchy	Holy Trinity structure
Big Brother	Primordial image of God

These parallels imply that the superstates operate as ideological religions, demanding faith rather than rational agreement.

The Divinity of Big Brother:

The slogan “Big Brother is Watching You” carries a dual religious meaning. On one level, it signifies surveillance and control; on another, it resembles the comforting religious belief in a protective, all-seeing deity.

The Party reshapes the idea of divine watchfulness:

• Surveillance becomes care.

• Authority becomes protection.

• Obedience becomes devotion.

Citizens are encouraged to interpret political domination as benevolent guidance, equating loyalty to Big Brother with spiritual faith.

The Sacramental Process of Control:

A central argument in the lecture is that the Party’s methods of punishment closely resemble religious sacramental processes, particularly Catholic confession and penance.

Political Confession

Public confessions broadcast through telescreens function like religious confession rituals. Individuals admit ideological sins and demonstrate repentance before society.

Stages of Ideological Salvation

Winston’s transformation follows a religious progression:

1. Penitence – acceptance of guilt.
2. Mortification – physical suffering used for purification.
3. Restoration – reintegration through love of Big Brother.

The process resembles spiritual redemption, where suffering leads to salvation.

O’Brien as Priest of Power:

O’Brien is interpreted as a priest-like figure representing the Inner Party. He openly defines the Party members as “priests of power.”

His role includes:

• guiding ideological conversion,

• administering punishment,

• reshaping belief systems.

Within this framework, God is redefined as Power itself, and O’Brien becomes a mediator between authority and the individual soul. His character resembles a Mephistophelean guide who destroys independent identity to achieve ideological purity.

Ministry of Love and Dantean Imagery:

The structure of the Ministry of Love is compared to Dante’s Inferno and Purgatorio.

• Lower levels symbolize deeper circles of hell.

• Continuous suffering mirrors spiritual punishment.

• Progression through torture resembles purification.

Room 101

Room 101 represents the ultimate space of terror:

• equivalent to the deepest level of hell,

• designed to confront individuals with their greatest fear,

• used to erase personal identity.

O’Brien functions symbolically as Lucifer’s agent, purging memory and individuality.

Regulation of Social and Private Life:

The Party controls personal life using moral restrictions similar to strict religious institutions.

Celibacy and Organizational Loyalty

Dedication to the Party is valued above family relationships. Members who avoid marriage or emotional attachment are considered more loyal, resembling monastic traditions.

Purpose of Marriage

Marriage exists only for reproduction. Emotional intimacy and pleasure are discouraged unless serving the state’s ideological continuity.

Control of Sexuality

By regulating sexuality, family life, and reproduction, the Party enforces moral discipline comparable to rigid religious orders.

Orwell’s Intellectual and Personal Context:

The lecture connects these themes with Orwell’s personal experiences and writings.

Childhood Religious Experience

In Such, Such Were the Joys, Orwell recalls believing religious teachings yet emotionally rejecting God and Jesus during adolescence. His early exposure to religious authority contributed to lifelong skepticism.

Spanish Civil War

During the Spanish Civil War, Orwell witnessed the Catholic Church supporting fascist regimes due to shared opposition to socialism. This experience shaped his perception of institutional religion as politically authoritarian.

The Concept of “Power Worship”:

A key warning emphasized in the lecture is the danger of power worship.

Orwell argues:

• Religious practices train individuals to bow before authority.

• Habitual reverence weakens resistance.

• Once conditioned to worship divine authority, individuals can easily transfer devotion to political leaders.

Acts such as prostration or ritual submission create psychological vulnerability that authoritarian regimes exploit.

Continuity in Orwell’s Other Works:

The lecture connects 1984 with Animal Farm, particularly the character Moses the Raven, who promises Sugar Candy Mountain, a symbolic heaven used to pacify oppressed animals.

Religion here functions as:

• a promise of future reward,

• a distraction from present suffering,

• a political tool for maintaining control.

This continuity demonstrates Orwell’s sustained critique of ideological manipulation through faith.

Conclusion:

In this lecture, 1984 emerges as both a political warning and a theological critique. Orwell demonstrates how systems of power replicate religious structures to secure emotional and intellectual submission. By transforming ideology into faith and authority into divinity, the Party ensures obedience not through force alone but through belief itself.

The novel ultimately warns that when societies develop the habit of worshiping power, they risk surrendering freedom, truth, and individuality to authoritarian control.

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