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Dogma
Movie

Dogma

1999 • Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Woke Score
7
out of 10

Plot

An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is enlisted to prevent two angels from reentering Heaven and thus undoing the fabric of the universe. Along the way, she is aided by two prophets, Jay and Silent Bob. With the help of Rufus, the 13th Apostle, they must stop those who stand in their way and prevent the angels from entering Heaven.

Overall Series Review

Dogma is a fantasy-comedy that uses a core Catholic theological concept—the plenary indulgence—as the fulcrum for a world-ending conflict. The film’s main character, a troubled abortion clinic worker and the last scion of Jesus Christ, is tasked with preventing two banished angels from re-entering Heaven and thereby proving God fallible, which would undo all of existence. The narrative is heavily driven by dialogue that satirizes institutional Catholicism, questioning its rules, doctrines, and historical practices. Characters deliver monologues on perceived religious injustices, including the role of women and minorities in the faith's history. While the movie is highly irreverent, crude, and anti-institutional, the underlying message affirms the necessity of individual faith and the benevolent nature of a transcendent God, leading to a resolution that is both politically charged and traditionally centered.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics7/10

The narrative features the 13th Apostle, Rufus, an added figure who is a Black man and explicitly lectures on the racism and sexism found in the Bible and the omission of black people from the official text. A primary agent of God, the Muse Serendipity, is a woman of color, and the main hero is the 'last scion' of Christ, whose identity as a woman working at an abortion clinic is central to the story’s political framing.

Oikophobia7/10

The plot's central conflict is caused by a loophole in Catholic dogma, and the destruction of all existence is framed as a direct result of the organized Church’s human-made doctrine. A character states that the Catholics should be blamed for nearly destroying existence. This demonstrates hostility toward a foundational Western institution, though the film draws a line between the institution and personal faith.

Feminism8/10

The main hero is an abortion clinic worker with an extraordinary destiny, and the all-powerful God appears in the form of a woman. A key character delivers a speech that declares men are essentially incompetent. The narrative’s attitude is described as 'relentlessly P.C.' toward feminist theology. The anti-natalism aspect is slightly countered, as the hero's reward for saving the universe is the gift of a child, which she previously could not have.

LGBTQ+4/10

The movie contains crude humor that is heavily reliant on 'gay panic' jokes, which clash with modern political correctness. However, the film also contains P.C. statements of support for homosexuality and gay people in the military. The sexual identity of the main characters is not the focus of the plot, and the narrative does not center on modern gender theory, maintaining a more traditional male-female axis for its core story.

Anti-Theism8/10

The film launches a sustained and intense satire against organized religion, specifically the Catholic Church, portraying it as misguided, sexist, and dangerous. However, the narrative is ultimately pro-faith, with the core characters being sincere seekers who affirm a loving, transcendent God. The plot’s resolution reinforces objective truth by confirming God's existence and infallibility is the fundamental moral law of the universe.