Is God great or is God just a story passed onto kids so that they don't just give up on life? A Step From Heaven definitely has a love-hate relationship with religious faith, especially Christianity. It's both a real and a false refuge from daily life for Young Ju, and it's also a thing that's passed from family member to family member, so think of it as one of the (few) glues holding this dysfunctional Korean immigrant family together.
Questions About Religion
- Is religion a source of personal power or not?
- What kind of love is God's love in this book?
- How is the power of religion connected to the family?
- Why is religious faith primarily a female thing in the book?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
You can't depend on God, and the only way to survive is to depend on yourself.
God isn't about getting you out of a bind when you're stuck—God's about getting you to believe in your own abilities so that you can help yourself.