BLESSED ARE THE MEEK
Perhaps the most controversial use of religion in The Handmaid's Tale is the theocratic government found in Gilead. Those in charge--the men that created Gilead--refer to themselves as Commanders. They claim their undying allegiance to God and utilize the Bible in order to shape their politics, societal roles, and laws. As their power goes unchecked, the events of the show become more outrageous and violent. For this reason, The Handmaid's Tale is not anti-Christian but rather, it is "anti-crazy fundamentalist" [6] and should be seen as a warning sign.
In order to gain their control, the Commanders integrate their religion into everyday life--specifically into the public sphere. However, in doing so, they eliminate the public sphere as people no longer have a space to discuss topics of religion. I would argue that this lack of a public sphere occurs not only so that those in power can remain in power, but because their ideologies are not truly based in religion. Without a clear discussion regarding the role religion plays in Gilead, it becomes difficult to distinguish what is religious and what isn't. Due to this, citizens must then "infer how these approaches define religion" [10]
While the Commanders are very strict with how they enforce their rules and inflicting punishments upon those who break the rules, they are quick to break these rules themselves. Several times throughout the series, Commanders are seen taking their Handmaid's to forbidden clubs, further displaying their level of power. While these clubs should not exist due to laws developed by the Commanders, they offer them a "vacation from virtue" [7] while still allowing them to keep their power.
Since the Commanders are often seen breaking or bending their own rules, it becomes apparent that they do not truly believe in everything they claim to stand for. They claim to be pious men who want to return the world to a better place but instead, they use the guise of religion to inflict their violent and hateful ideologies on an entire country and to give themselves some form of "moral sustenance" [15].
More than anything, religion in The Handmaid's Tale serves as a disguise for something much more sinister. The Commanders need the people of Gilead to believe that they are the religious men they claim to be so that they can continue to scare them into oppression. The show's use of theocracy does not serve to propagate against Christianity, instead, it warns of what could be on the horizon. Gilead formed because the American people became complacent and let those in power abuse their status. For this reason, The Handmaid's Tale is not anti-Christian, it is a wake up call.
