Fight Club Religion

There's a fine, fine line between a religion and a cult. But what's the difference? Number of followers? The values and tenets? The personality of their leaders? Whichever they are, religion or cult, fight club and Project Mayhem are religious experiences to their devoted followers, and Tyler guides his disciples down a strict path to salvation. It's no coincidence that Chuck Palahniuk calls his website The Cult.

Questions About Religion

1. Is Tyler Durden a savior figure? How so?
2. At the end of the novel, our narrator believes he's in heaven. Is he serious? Does he actually believe in heaven and/or God?
3. Is Project Mayhem a religion or a cult? Why do you think so?

Chew on This

Our narrator's frustration with God stems from his frustration with upper-class control of society. Both God and the upper class feel like distant entities controlling his life.

Fight club and Project Mayhem become their own kind of religion: they have commandments, a charismatic leader, and they provide their own brand of salvation.