"Men Without Chests" in Midgar: A Christian Analysis of Final Fantasy 7
Lewis' classic work and the iconic videogame's dystopian world
In C.S. Lewis’ classic, The Abolition of Man, he warns that the removal of objective moral teaching in education will result in what he calls “men without chests,” men who are all intellect without heart.1 Lewis gives this idea form in his novel That Hideous Strength, wherein the insidious N.I.C.E. organization is run by a literal bodiless head with demonic connections.2 Lewis feared the outcome of scientific progress without any moral tethering: “the power of Man to make himself what he pleases means … the power of some men to make other men what they please.”3 In other words, men desire to be gods and only destruction follows.
Opening an essay on Final Fantasy 7 with a reflection on The Abolition of Man may seem like a strange starting place. But Lewis’ observations, I think, explain the iconic videogame’s enduring popularity and resonance. For a game that is fun and often silly, it is filled with a multi-layered existential dread about the world in the wake of modernism.
What is first striking upon completing Final Fantasy 7 is that aside from an early scene that takes place in an abandoned church (strangely one of the only locations in Midgar where nature has a hope of thriving) and Sephiroth’s quest to make himself a god, the world of Final Fantasy 7 is devoid of religion. That are some elements of Eastern mysticism, but even then, this portrayal lacks the same sense of magic you might find in Star Wars or Dragon Ball Z. This is, at its core, a secular humanist world. In reading about some of the other games in the franchise, I don’t get any sense of eagerness for a Christian world. And yet, Final Fantasy 7 shows what kind of world you get without Christianity.
In his book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl Trueman writes this in the context of Nietzche’s famous “God is dead” quote:
“To dispense with God, however, is to destroy the very foundations on which a whole world of metaphysics and morality has been constructed and depends.”4
In Final Fantasy 7, the world without God is not a triumphant one. The result, to harken back to Lewis, is a world run by “men without chests.” The corrupt Shinra Corporation has essentially made itself the government and is destroying the planet with its technology. Consumerism has left people unable to combat the inevitable destruction. A notably evil Shinra scientist would be offered employment at Lewis’ N.I.C.E. in a universe crossover. A madman seeks power to actually make himself a god. Men are messing with powers beyond their control and Shinra’s science is powered by a headless corpse, an inversion of Lewis’ image. It is as Lewis feared; such untethered pursuit of progress only leads to abuse and subjugation. As the book of Judges puts it, "everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (21:25, ESV).
But amidst the apocalyptic angst, Final Fantasy 7 is a very human story. This is what, I think, makes it so enduring. Its main cast is memorable, all of whom are quirky and endearing but none of whom are classically heroic. The emptiness of modernism has left its mark on them. These are people haunted by trauma, guilt, failure, and regret. I found it interesting that on this front, Final Fantasy 7 does not give in totally to nihilism. A moral system is still present. One character sacrificed personal ambition to do what was right, and we are meant to recognize the ethical dimensions of this. The heroes fight against impossible odds, and loyalty and courage are championed as virtues.
The characters are not fighting out of a sense of purpose, however, but in search of it. The world of Final Fantasy 7, and the city of Midgar in particular, is a dystopia not a utopia, and the story cries in moral outrage against the emptiness of secular modernism all the while relying on a secular humanist worldview. And unlike in Christianity, there is no answer in the whirlwind.
Final Fantasy 7 is more relevant now than it might have even been in the 1990s. Technology like smart phones and social media have only brought isolation and depression. As cultural unity erodes, so does a sense of personal identity and purpose. Much of our discourse revolves around trauma and anxiety. We try to assuage our hollowness with consumerism and entertainment. Without the gospel, guilt and shame go unanswered. Against the city’s gray, dreary barrenness, Midgar’s derelict church may have been a more poignant symbol than even the game’s creators intended.
C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man, in The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics (New York: HarperOne, 2012), 704.
Louis Markos, Restoring Beauty: The Good the True, and the Beautiful in the Writings of C.S. Lewis (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2010), 140.
C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man, 721.
Carl Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution (Wheaton: Crossway, 2020), 168.
A really thoughtful analysis. I didn’t realize how bleak the setting of that game is. Keep up the good work.
This quote really hit me! It’s so true!
“As cultural unity erodes, so does a sense of personal identity and purpose. Much of our discourse revolves around trauma and anxiety. We try to assuage our hollowness with consumerism and entertainment. Without the gospel, guilt and shame go unanswered”
Excellent work!