God, Power, and Totalitarian Faith: A Study of 1984

 

God is Power: A Critical Exploration of Religion, Authority, and Totalitarian Devotion in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four

As part of the thinking activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad Sir, I analyzed the two videos, “God is Power” and “Critique of Religion,” in relation to Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. The task helped me understand how totalitarian power can function like religion by demanding devotion and control over thought. Creating infographics and a slide deck allowed me to organize the key ideas clearly and deepen my critical understanding of the novel.

Video 1

👉Brief note

“God is Power” in 1984

In Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, the phrase “God is power” expresses the novel’s central theological and political idea. Although Oceania appears atheistic, the Party does not destroy religion—it replaces it. The Party becomes a secular god, demanding absolute obedience, devotion, and love.

Presence of God in an Atheistic State

The word “God” appears mainly in Part III of the novel, showing that religion still exists symbolically:

• Ampleforth is punished for leaving the word “God” in a poem, proving that even religious language is dangerous.

• O’Brien declares “God is power,” redefining divinity as domination.

• Winston initially believes in the “Spirit of Man,” showing faith in human resilience.

• Winston’s final submission—writing “God is power”—marks his complete psychological defeat.

• References to “false gods” suggest that the Party has replaced traditional religions.

O’Brien: The Priest of Power

O’Brien acts like a religious authority who teaches Party doctrine. He claims power is the only truth and exists for its own sake. Since individuals die, they must dissolve into the immortal Party. This mirrors religious salvation, but instead of union with God, it is union with the State.

Control of Mind and Reality

The Party’s greatest power is control over the mind. By forcing people to accept that “two plus two equals five,” it reshapes reality itself. Truth becomes whatever the Party declares—similar to divine omnipotence in religion.

The “Spirit of Man” vs. Conditioning

Winston believes in human freedom and dignity. However, the Party aims to turn humans into mechanical puppets:

• Emotions are programmed.

• Memory is manipulated (Doublethink).

• Logic is abandoned.

When Winston accepts the Party’s version of truth, his individuality is destroyed.

Big Brother as a Secular Deity

Big Brother functions like a god:

• Omnipresent (telescreens)

• Omniscient (constant surveillance)

• Eternal (unchanging image)

The Two Minutes Hate acts like a religious ritual, and perpetual war becomes a sacred sacrifice to maintain loyalty.

Conclusion

By equating God with power, Orwell shows how totalitarian regimes demand worship, not just obedience. The novel warns that when power becomes sacred and unquestionable, individuality, truth, and freedom disappear. 1984 is therefore not only a political critique but also a warning against any system—religious or secular—that demands blind faith in authority.

Here is slidedeck of video -1

Video 2

👉Brief note

 The Theological Critique in 1984

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is commonly read as a political critique of totalitarianism. However, the novel also functions as a powerful critique of organized religion, especially Catholicism and Abrahamic traditions. Orwell presents the Party as a religious institution, Big Brother as a god-like figure, and political control as a form of spiritual domination.

Religious Parallels in the Novel

Orwell constructs Oceania in a way that mirrors religious structures:

• Big Brother resembles an omnipresent, watchful God.

• The Inner Party functions like a priesthood.

• The Ministries symbolize structured religious authority.

• Confession in the Ministry of Love parallels Catholic confession and penance.

• Room 101 resembles the deepest level of Hell.

• O’Brien acts as the “Priest of Power,” guiding Winston through ideological conversion.

The slogan “Big Brother is Watching You” transforms divine surveillance into political control. What religion presents as divine protection becomes state monitoring.

Confession as a Sacramental Process

Winston’s torture in the Ministry of Love follows a religious pattern:

1. Confession – Admission of crimes against the Party.

2. Penance – Physical and psychological suffering.

3. Purification – Breaking the individual will.

4. Redemption – Loving Big Brother.

This process mirrors religious purification, where the soul is cleansed of sin and restored to faith.

Control Over Body and Desire

The Party regulates sexuality much like religious ascetic traditions:

• Celibacy is respected as dedication to the Party.

• Sex is allowed only for reproduction, not pleasure.

• Emotional bonds are discouraged to ensure loyalty to the state.

This reflects how organized religion often controls personal behavior to maintain institutional authority.

Dantean and Literary Influence

The structure of the Ministry of Love resembles the descent into Hell described in Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Room 101 symbolizes the deepest level of punishment, similar to Lucifer’s domain in Inferno.

Orwell’s Personal and Historical Context

Orwell’s critique was shaped by:

• His rejection of Anglican Christianity and eventual atheism.

• His essay Such, Such Were the Joys, where he expressed resentment toward religious education.

• His experience in the Spanish Civil War, where he saw the Catholic Church support fascist regimes.

These experiences led him to view organized religion as authoritarian and anti-democratic.

The Central Warning: The Danger of “Power Worship”

Orwell’s main concern is the human habit of worship. If people are conditioned to bow before a religious authority, they can easily transfer that devotion to a political dictator.

This theme also appears in Animal Farm, where religious hope is used to manipulate the masses.

Conclusion

1984 critiques not only political totalitarianism but also the psychological structure of organized religion. By showing how the Party replaces God with Power, Orwell warns that any system demanding blind faith—religious or political—can destroy individual freedom. The novel ultimately suggests that the tendency to worship authority makes societies vulnerable to dictatorship.

Here is slidedeck of video -2

References

Barad, Dilip. “1984: Religion, Authority, and Totalitarian Power.” Dilip Barad’s Blog, June 2021, https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2021/06/1984.html

George Orwell. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Secker & Warburg, 1949.

Orwell, George. “Such, Such Were the Joys.” The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell, edited by Sonia Orwell and Ian Angus, vol. 4, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1968.

Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy. Translated by Allen Mandelbaum, Bantam Classics, 1982.