CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Hey guys,

So I went to a youth retreat this past weekend. It was about the book of Genesis and such. And it made me wonder, why isn't there an anime type retreat? I mean sure money and communication can be an issue but I think it would be worth it. What are you guy's thoughts on this subject? Do you think it's possible? Got any ideas that would go great in an Anime Retreat?

I suspect that things like conventions already meet this function, unless you had something specific in mind.

1. Upload various animu to your phone
2. Go camping with your friends
3. ????
4. Completely miss the whole point of the trip and get called out for being anti-social and ruining an otherwise great day of outdoor activities.


But yeah, anime conventions already fill this niche. I thought the whole point of a retreat was to get away from the everyday norm of city life, not to watch TV and such in the wilderness.

Don't these forums kinda fulfill that purpose anyway?

The point of a retreat is to have a deep, meaningful encounter with God that one cannot generally experience in the heyday of everyday life, right? I can certainly see the organizing of events around an anime theme, especially to serve as a talking point for speeches and such. Sure, one can Christianize a particular anime or otherwise view one with an eye of faith. There are themes within any good anime that are not antithetical to the Christian message- themes of self-sacrifice and love, for instance. Otherwise, though, anime is a strictly secular and all-too-often very worldly medium or art form. One should try to focus on the sacred in a retreat and should ideally go completely off the grid save the companionship of those on the retreat. If you're gonna have a retreat, turn off the phones and stay away from TV and games and talk to God, read the Bible and sacred writings, enjoy fellowship, meditate, and experience God in sacred silence. "Holy" means set apart after all. So if you're gonna have a retreat, get away from it all and that "all" might very well include anime.

I agree that themed retreats can be pretty creative, but I'm not sure how one can use anime for a theme, especially when many (if not all) attending may not be familiar with whatever anime elements are used. Along that same line, a lot of anime isn't really appropriate for a Christian retreat. Plus some have already pointed out that retreats are a method to get away from the heyday of our lives. That includes smartphones, Facebook, TV, and video games.

Christian retreats, conferences, rallies, conventions, and whatever else are all the same thing in my experience. It's between one and several services long, filled with teenagers generally (since that is what these are typically geared towards), and fairly large because you have churches from an entire district or state or sometimes the entire country coming to attend.

The name of the event is kind of irrelevant when applied to religious stuff because its just the same thing each time. Also, as others have pointed out, anime/sci-fi/brony/competitive crosshatching conventions already fill the role of whatever it is you're wanting to have take place.

e: Just for a point of view, I've never been to a Christian retreat where the focus was on anything other than trying to cram four full church services into an 18 hour period. Zero emphasis on disconnecting from the "fast-paced" world we live in.

That depends on which kind of retreat you're going on. Solitary retreats are often undertaken in complete silence, while others like Catholic Youth conferences are generally full of speakers and Sacraments. It's all in the approach you take, and each one has its own charms.

As for an Anime retreat, I can imagine a version of that that involves both anime and God. But I won't post it if no one wants to hear it.

I would think that an anime convention would function as an "anime retreat" already.

Same with any anime clubs, I guess.

On that note, a Christian anime club may be a better idea.

Otaku Jordan wrote:On that note, a Christian anime club may be a better idea.

Woah, you're not dead?

Xeno wrote:

Otaku Jordan wrote:On that note, a Christian anime club may be a better idea.

Woah, you're not dead?

Seconding that. I thought we'd seen the last of you.

Otaku Jordan wrote:On that note, a Christian anime club may be a better idea.

Or better yet, we should make a message board specifically for Christians who love anime! It'd be revolutionary!

It'll never last.

Xeno wrote:Woah, you're not dead?

I don't think so.