God, and Whodunit

For someone who isn't Christian, and has a complicated relationship with this institution, I sure do love the sub-genre of 'religious figures solving crime'. Father Brown, it's spin-off Sister Boniface Mysteries, and more recently Cadfael. 

I'm sure there's more, but these are the ones most often in my watch rotation.

I do not mean Christians solving crimes, there is a different flavour to those. Honestly I don't even know what the difference is, and what attracts me to these shows more than others.

I know I'm not alone at least- the fandoms for some of these shows prove there is a deficit of Christianity in their audiences (don't ask me what I was doing at the devil's sacrament I beg), and even if it is present they're certainly chill enough to write the things they do.

In all honesty this genre feels irreligious. More a consequence of faith than institution, which is merely treated as an exciting backdrop. Not to say these pieces of media are without fault, but they certainly bear up very well under the light of modernity.

Perhaps there is the appeal. Very few people without the Christian religion condemn those who do have it, myself included. Those who do are so laughably in a minority they are without consequence. So unless one is rightly traumatized or hurt or betrayed by the church (which is not the same as oppressing the church, it cannot ever be so), there is a curiosity and fascination with it.

Architecture, history, psychology. There is a wealth of knowledge here that appeals to those who seek it.

This in combination with the rigid and methodical methods of crime solving make it an appealing combination, at least in my eyes.

A severe method of escapism, as most people are aware the genre of murder mystery is. Comforting in it's depiction of a reasonable and level-headed figure within a church, but not hesitant to critique the goings ons within its walls.

Perhaps it helps that it is never a bishop, or a pope, or a mother superior who solves a crime. There is no uncomfortable sense of power in our leads.

Mostly, perhaps, it's just fun to see a nun solve a crime.