The Theology of Totalitarianism: Power, Worship, and Religious Allegory in 1984 by George Orwell
This blog is written as a task assigned by the head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. Here is the link to the professor's blog for background reading: Click here.
God is Power | 1984 | George Orwell
The phrase "God is Power" serves as a central ideological pillar in George Orwell's 1984, representing the Party’s successful effort to replace traditional theological structures with the absolute authority of the State. Within the dystopic society of Oceania, the Party functions as a religious entity, with its leaders acting as "priests of power." By equating God with power, the Party shifts the focus of human devotion, obedience, and love away from spiritual deities and toward Big Brother.
This briefing document examines the significance of the phrase "God is Power," the systematic destruction of the individual spirit, and the mechanisms such as perpetual war and psychological conditioning used to maintain this totalitarian theological-political hybrid.
The Presence and Function of "God" in Oceania
While Oceania is characterized as an atheistic, dystopic society, the concept of "God" appears approximately eight times in the novel, primarily in the final section (Part 3). These references highlight the transition from a society with lingering religious remnants to one where the State has totalized the human experience.
The Case of Ampleforth
The first significant reference to God in the latter half of the novel involves the poet Ampleforth. His imprisonment in Room 101 illustrates the Party's intolerance for any intellectual independence.
• The Offense: Ampleforth was tasked with rewriting Rudyard Kipling’s poetry for the Party’s purposes. He failed to find a suitable rhyme for the word "rod" (or "road") other than "God."
• The Implication: Despite the absence of religious freedom, the linguistic necessity of the word "God" remains a thought crime. Ampleforth's situation demonstrates that in Oceania, even aesthetic or technical choices are subject to lethal political scrutiny.
The "Last Man" and the Human Spirit
Winston Smith initially argues that the "Spirit of Man" an indomitable, rebellious nature will eventually overturn the Party. He views this human spirit as a force that historically topples despotic rulers. However, the Party’s goal is to render this spirit extinct.
• The "Last Man": Orwell’s original title for the novel was The Last Man in Europe, emphasizing Winston’s role as the final vestige of traditional humanity.
• Dehumanization: The Party seeks to diminish humans into "mechanical puppets" or robots who think, feel, and memorize only what is sanctioned.
The Theology of Power
The quote "God is Power" appears twice: once spoken by the antagonist O'Brien to explain the Party's philosophy, and once written by Winston Smith following his torture and "re-education."
O'Brien’s Definition of Power
O'Brien describes the inner party as the "priests of power," suggesting that power has replaced God as the ultimate object of worship. He defines power through several specific characteristics:
The Reversibility of Slogans
O'Brien posits that Party slogans are reversible and absolute. For instance, if "Freedom is Slavery," then "Slavery is Freedom." He argues that a lone human is always defeated because they are doomed to die, but through "complete utter submission" to the Party, the individual escapes their identity and becomes all-powerful.
Mechanisms of Control and Propaganda
The Party maintains its status as a "God" through sophisticated psychological and social manipulation.
Psychological Conditioning
The Party seeks to capture the same fervor that religions once commanded.
• Directed Emotion: Citizens are taught to love Big Brother and hate designated enemies with the same devotion previously reserved for deities.
• Subconscious Erasure: Through torture and conditioning, Winston eventually accepts contradictory truths (e.g., 2 + 2 = 5). His writing of "God is Power" signifies that his subconscious resistance has been broken and replaced by Party dogma.
The Utility of Perpetual War
The state of constant warfare is a primary tool for maintaining power.
• Propaganda of Victory: The Party uses media and telescreens to report constant victories, creating a sense of national pride and happiness.
• Sacrifice: By keeping the country at war, the Party ensures that citizens are willing to sacrifice basic necessities and personal freedoms for the "greater good" of the state.
• Comparison to Religion: This readiness to sacrifice is likened to religious fasting; it is done with "fervor" because the State has replaced God as the entity demanding the sacrifice.
Surveillance
The novel reveals that the Party’s surveillance is exhaustive. Winston Smith was under observation for seven years without his knowledge. This constant "spying eye" functions like an omnipresent deity, monitoring not just actions but the potential for "thought crimes."
Orwell’s Broader Critique
The analysis of "God is Power" suggests that Orwell was offering a dual critique: one of totalitarian political systems and another of organized religion, specifically the Catholic Church.
• The Danger of Absolute Power: Orwell warns that granting absolute power to any individual or party leads to the exploitation and destruction of society.
• The Corruption of Reality: When a leader or party becomes an object of religious devotion (e.g., an "Avatar" or "Shakti"), they gain the ability to alter the past and control the future.
• Doublethink: The document highlights "Doublethink" the ability to hold two contradictory beliefs simultaneously as a requirement for survival in a society where political power has assumed the mantle of divinity.
The transformation of Winston Smith concludes with his total acceptance of the Party’s truth. By erasing his own memory and adopting the belief that "God is Power," he ceases to be "The Last Man" and becomes a functioning component of the Party’s immortal structure.
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Critique of Religion | 1984 | George Orwell
While George Orwell’s 1984 is predominantly analyzed as a political satire of totalitarianism, it serves equally as a profound critique of organized religion, specifically the Catholic Church. The novel constructs a world that mirrors religious structures, using the "Big Brother" figure as a surrogate for a watchful deity and the Inner Party as a modern priesthood. Orwell’s critique suggests that the mechanisms of religious devotion confession, penance, celibacy, and the worship of a higher power are easily co-opted by authoritarian regimes to ensure absolute psychological submission.
Evidence for this interpretation is found not only in the text's structural parallels to the Holy Trinity and Dante’s Inferno but also in Orwell’s personal history. His experiences during the Spanish Civil War and his observations of the Church’s collaboration with fascist regimes informed his view of organized religion as an "enemy" to democratic socialism. Ultimately, the document posits that 1984 warns against the "habit of worship," arguing that once an individual is conditioned to bow before a religious idol, they are predisposed to submit to any secular dictator.
Structural and Conceptual Parallels
The world-building in 1984 mirrors historical and theological frameworks found in major world religions, specifically the abrahamic faiths.
• The Three Superstates: The division of the world into Oceania, Eurasia, and East Asia reflects the three major abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These entities are in a perpetual state of war, mirroring the historical tensions between religious blocs.
• The Pyramidal Structure and the Trinity: The Party is organized in a pyramidal hierarchy. This structure is reflected in the physical architecture of the four Ministries. The three angles of the pyramid evoke the Christian Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost).
• The Divinity of Power: O’Brien explicitly identifies the Party members as "priests of power." In this system, power is equated with divinity, and the Party’s ideology replaces traditional theology.
The Sacramental Process of the State
The Party utilizes a corrupted version of Catholic sacramental rituals to break and then "restore" dissidents.
Confession and Penance
The telescreens frequently broadcast the confessions of "traitors." These sessions are not merely political; they are presented as a religious cleansing. Winston Smith’s own journey through the Ministry of Love follows a specific sacramental trajectory:
1. Penance and Penitence: The recognition of "sin" against the Party.
2. Mortification: The infliction of physical pain to purge the soul.
3. Restoration: The final stage where the "sinner" is made pure and "saved" before execution.
Room 101 and the Inferno
The Ministry of Love (Miniluv) bears a striking resemblance to the structures depicted in Dante Alighieri’s Purgatorio and Inferno.
• The Hellish Descent: The building is a multi-story structure where souls are located based on their "sins."
• Lucifer’s Domain: Room 101, located at the bottom of the structure, functions as the "Lucifer’s space." O'Brien acts as a Mephistophelean figure or the "right hand of Satan," overseeing the final purging of the mind and memory.
• Purification through Fire: Much like the souls burning in hell to reach heaven, Winston is subjected to "hellish fire" and mechanical torture to ensure he is "purified" into loving Big Brother.
Big Brother as a Primordial Deity
The figure of Big Brother is the Party's version of an omniscient God. The slogan "Big Brother is Watching You" is a perversion of the religious sentiment that God is always watchful.
• Watchfulness vs. Spying: In a religious context, "God is watching" implies care and protection that the deity will catch the believer if they stumble. The Party adopts this terminology to frame its surveillance as a form of paternal care rather than invasive spying.
• The Requirement of Followers: The Party recognizes that a deity cannot exist without "bhaktas" (devotees). This necessitates a controlled population to maintain the "Big Brother" image.
Social Control and Asceticism
The Party’s regulation of human behavior mirrors the ascetic requirements of religious orders.
• Celibacy and Devotion: Celibacy is highly respected and encouraged through organizations like the Junior Anti-Sex League. By remaining unmarried and "celibate," members are expected to dedicate every moment of their lives to the Party (the secular religion) rather than a family unit.
• Procreation as Duty: Marriage is permitted only for the purpose of procreation growing the population of followers. Physical pleasure is discouraged, aligning with certain religious views that sexual relations should only serve the purpose of continuing the faith.
Orwell’s Intellectual and Personal Context
Orwell’s critique of religion was not accidental; it was rooted in his biographical developments and political observations.
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The Theology of Totalitarianism
Power, Worship, and Religious Allegory in 1984
The phrase "God is Power" represents the Party’s successful effort to replace traditional theological structures with the absolute authority of the State. Within Oceania, the Party functions as a religious entity, shifting human devotion from spiritual deities toward Big Brother.
I. The Deification of the State
While Oceania is nominally atheistic, the concept of "God" remains a linguistic and psychological ghost in the novel. The Party acts as a modern priesthood, with O’Brien serving as the high priest of the theology of power.
| Characteristic | Description of Power-as-Deity |
|---|---|
| Collective | Individual power is a fallacy; one must merge with the Party. |
| Immortal | The individual dies, but the Party is eternal. |
| Psychological | Absolute control over mind, memory, and reality. |
II. The Sacramental Process
Orwell mirrors Catholic rituals in Winston’s "restoration" within the Ministry of Love. This is not just torture; it is a corrupted sacrament:
- 1. Penance: The forced recognition of one's "sins" against the Party's truth.
- 2. Mortification: The infliction of physical and psychological pain in Room 101 to purge the rebellious spirit.
- 3. Restoration: The total acceptance of Big Brother, making the sinner "pure" before execution.
"The habit of bowing down to a religious idol makes a person's spine weak."
III. Comparative Allegory: Animal Farm
The transition from Animal Farm to 1984 marks a shift in how the State handles religion. While Moses the Raven offers the "lollipop" of Sugar Candy Mountain to keep animals submissive, the Party in 1984 removes the carrot and replaces it with the "God of Power" itself.
References:
Barad, Dilip. 1984, 16 June 2021,blog.dilipbarad.com/2021/06/1984.html. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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