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Last Updated:

May 30, 2024

Faceless God


Tract-ception. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh

o Introduction collapse_button

Old faceless condemns yet another sinner to the eternal pressure cooker in This Was Your Life! (#003A) Old faceless condemns yet another sinner to the eternal pressure cooker in This Was Your Life! (#003A) Often depicted sitting on a Great White Throne, the faceless colossus that is the god of Chick’s universe is depicted either allowing people to enter Heaven or ordering them to be cast into Hell and judging people for their acceptance or refusal of Jesus Christ, as per the Protestant concepts of sola fide (“faith alone”).

The decision for Chick to render God without a face can likely be attributed to fundamentalist practices and interpretations of Exodus 33:20 and John 1:18. The reluctance to depict the actual face of God may stem from the belief that it would be inherently blasphemous to do so, and ironically would (much as with the trope Assuming the Position), potentially mirror the aversion many modern Muslim's express for any artistic representation of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.


 

o Tract Sightings collapse_button

For more information regarding page/panel reference codes, please see the BUCINS page.

*Regional art variants of Tract #003 were published for multiple languages using the same artwork during various years, and so publication years have been omitted from the BUCINS references for these entries

Tract Cover Tract # Tract Name God Count Page(s) Comments
Why No Revival? 001 Why No Revival? 1 001.1986.23 God stares down another sinner at the Judgement Seat. Accompanying bible verses warn of judgement. Added in later versions.

This Was Your Life! 003A This Was Your Life! 4 003A.1972.09 Iconic image of God sitting on the Great White Throne Judgement. Four giant steps lead up to His throne. People and/or angels are scattered around the throne and look tiny.
003A.1972.16A God points at an angel and commands him to "OPEN THE BOOK OF LIFE!".
003A.1972.17A God yells Matthew 25:41 at the recoiling sinner, pointing towards the Lake of Fire.
003A.1972.22A God welcomes a kneeling Christian into heaven with Matthew 25:21.

It's Your Life! 003B It's Your Life! 4 003B.2006.09 Iconic image of God sitting on the Great White Throne Judgement. Four giant steps lead up to His throne. People and/or angels are scattered around the throne and look tiny.
003B.2006.16A God points at an angel and commands him to "OPEN THE BOOK OF LIFE!".
003B.2006.17A God yells Matthew 25:41 at the recoiling sinner, pointing towards the Lake of Fire.
003B.2006.22A God welcomes a kneeling Christian into heaven with Matthew 25:21.

You Have a Date! 003C You Have a Date! 4 003C.2011.09 Iconic image of God sitting on the Great White Throne Judgement. Four giant steps lead up to His throne. People and/or angels are scattered around the throne and look tiny.
003C.2011.16A God points at an angel and commands him to "OPEN THE BOOK OF LIFE!".
003C.2011.17A God yells Matthew 25:41 at the recoiling sinner, pointing towards the Lake of Fire.
003C.2011.22A God welcomes a kneeling Christian into heaven with Matthew 25:21.

Your Big Moment! 003D Your Big Moment 4 003D.2011.09 Iconic image of God sitting on the Great White Throne Judgement. Four giant steps lead up to His throne. People and/or angels are scattered around the throne and look tiny.
003D.2011.16A God points at an angel and commands him to "OPEN THE BOOK OF LIFE!".
003D.2011.17A God yells Matthew 25:41 at the recoiling sinner, pointing towards the Lake of Fire.
003D.2011.22A God welcomes a kneeling Christian into heaven with Matthew 25:21.

Your Best Life 003E Your Best Life 0 003E.2014.08 In this version, God is instead depicted as a ball of light

This Was Your Life! 003F This Was Your Life!
(Asian variant)
1 003F.####.09* God is seen from an EXTREMELY low angle, emphasizing the fact that he is extremely large.

This Was Your Life! 003G This Was Your Life!
(Pacific Islander variant)
2 003G.####.09* Iconic image of God sitting on the Great White Throne Judgement. Four giant steps lead up to His throne. People and/or angels are scattered around the throne and look tiny.
003G.####.17A* God yells Matthew 25:41 at the recoiling sinner, pointing towards the Lake of Fire.

Holy Joe 004 Holy Joe 1 004.1972.22B God welcomes the Sergeant into heaven with "ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD" having previously judged Corporal Henderson from off-panel

The Beast 005 The Beast 1 005.1966.38 God welcomes another good and faithful servant into heaven with Matthew 25:21 and sports an uncharacteristically thick neck
005.1988.22 God welcomes another good and faithful servant into heaven with Matthew 25:21 and sports an uncharacteristically thick neck

The Poor Revolutionist 019 The Poor Revolutionist 1 019.1972.22B God yells Matthew 25:41 at Paul (the eponymous Revolutionist) and points towards hell

What's Your Score? 021A Wordless Gospel 17 021.1987.04 The missionary tells of God The Father (Faceless) standing on a cloud with God The Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit (a dove)
021.1987.05A&B Jesus chucks the sun, moon and stars into the sky while God stands there facelessly, Jesus throws a tree into existence on the ground while God stands about doing nothing
021.1987.06A&B Jesus brings a man into existence on the ground while God watches and leans forward slightly, God and Jesus both reach out to the man who reaches back
021.1987.07A&B God and Jesus both watch as the man reacts to Satan showing up, God and Jesus both reach out to the man again but he's running off to give the devil a hug
021.1987.08A God and Jesus watch as the man fully prostrates himself in front of Satan
021.1987.09A&B The man thinks about the trinity reaching out to him as he performs a sacrificial gesture (cutting his arm in 021A and killing an animal in 021B), God and Jesus turn their backs on the sacrifice offering. Satan laughs
021.1987.10A&B God points down and says something to Jesus about the man, Jesus leaves heaven with the Holy Spirit following while God stays in heaven
021.1987.14B Jesus flies back up to heaven and reaches out to embrace God who is reaching out to embrace Him back
021.1987.15A The trinity is reunited in heaven and Satan is raging
021.1987.19B An angel brings the dead tribesmen up to the wating arms of God and Jesus
021.1987.20A God watches as Jesus gives the new arrivals a group hug
021.1987.23B God, Jesus, and the saved villagers stand with their arms outstretched as if to welcome more people (in 021B they are facing the audience

Frame-Up 026 Frame-Up 0 026.1997.22B Only God's feet are seen, with nail holes in both)

The Gay Blade 027 Gay Blade, The 1 027.1972.22B God shouts Matthew 25:41 at someone and points them off to hell

One Way! 028A One Way! 5 028A.1972.02
God holds hands with Adam in the garden of Eden. Eve is there too, but she doesn't get to hold hands with anyone
028A.1972.03A God points at a tree and says "NO!"
028A.1972.05B God sees Adam and Eve with Sin Dirt all over them and holds out a hand to make them stay back
028A.1972.06A God builds a big brick wall between Himself and Adam and Eve
028A.1972.22 God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are in heaven, waiting for the two saved kids to run into their embrace while a crowd cheers behind them all

The True Path 028B True Path, The 5 028B.2000.02
God holds hands with Adam in the garden of Eden. Eve is there too, but she doesn't get to hold hands with anyone
028B.2000.03A God points at a tree and says "NO!"
028B.2000.05B God sees Adam and Eve with Sin Dirt all over them and holds out a hand to make them stay back
028B.2000.06A God builds a big brick wall between Himself and Adam and Eve
028B.2000.22 God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are in heaven, waiting for the three saved people to run into their embrace while a crowd cheers behind them all

The Only Way 028C Only Way, The 5 028C.2008.02
God holds hands with Adam in the garden of Eden. Eve is there too, but she doesn't get to hold hands with anyone
028C.2008.03A God points at a tree and says "NO!"
028C.2008.05B God sees Adam and Eve with Sin Dirt all over them and holds out a hand to make them stay back
028C.2008.06A God builds a big brick wall between Himself and Adam and Eve
028C.2008.22 God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are in heaven, waiting for the two saved kids to run into their embrace while a crowd cheers behind them all

The Secret of Prayer 030 Secret of Prayer, The 3 030.1972.09A God stands awkwardly on the other side of a door, which a man just side-eyes
030.1972.14B God (The Holy Spirit but depicted as Ol' Faceless) dwells in somebody's heart, sharing space with Self (The Flesh)
030.1972.15 God continues dwelling in somebody's heart, having killed and buried The Flesh

Hi There! 037A Hi There! 0 037A.1975.19 This time instead of His face being obscured, Carter draws God like He's shrouded in mist

Wassup? 037B Wassup? 1 037B.2012.19 Low-angle shot of God, redrawn as His regular faceless self, giving Charlie Connors a big lecture

A Love Story 042A Love Story, The 2 042A.2002.16 God on His throne apparently having a conversation with someone
042A.2002.22 God on His throne. Re-used art from This Was Your Life (CHICK.003A.1972.09) but mirrored

Who Loves You? 042B Who Loves You? 2 042B.2006.16 God on His throne apparently having a conversation with a solitary individual
042B.2006.22 God on His throne before a throng of people and angels

Hit Parade 046 Hit Parade 1 046.1979.19 Head-on shot of God sitting on His throne

Reverend Wonderful 053 Reverend Wonderful 5 053.1982.17B
God summarizes the life of the former sex worker and drug addict Mary Lou Richards before letting her into heaven for repenting
053.1982.18A God doesn't even bother checking before declaring that Arthur Westhall isn't in the Book of Life
053.1982.19A God tells Westhall off for preaching a false gospel
053.1982.20A&B God finishes chewing Westhall out, mentioning that He sent Chaplain Dann to witness to him and everything, God condemns Westhall to the Lake of Fire

Titanic 060 Titanic 2 060.1983.22A&B God has an angel check for Chester's name in the Book of Life, then sends him off to hell when he fails to find it

The Only Hope 068 Only Hope, The 3 068.1985.12A God sits on His throne with multitudes standing before Him to his left and right
068.1985.21B God welcomes somebody into Heaven
068.1985.22A God continues to just sit there

The First Jaws 070 First Jaws, The 2 070.1985.19B God sits on His throne. Someone is standing in front of Him with a crowd behind them. His throne blends into the clouds
070.1985.22B God sends someone off to hell shouting Matthew 25:41

The Attack 071 Attack, The 1 071.1985.04A God tells Adam to leave the Tree of Knowledge of Good And Evil alone

The Terminator 077 Terminator?, The 1 077.1986.22A God sends another sinner off to the Lake of Fire while quoting Matthew 25:41

The Terminator 081 Four Brothers? / Four Angels? 2 081..22A&B Charlie, Frank and Bobby Sawyer stand before God on the Great White Throne Judgement and are sent to hell to the tune of Matthew 7:23, Henry stands before God on the Judgement Seat of Christ and gets to go to heaven

Why is Mary Crying? 082 Why is Mary Crying? 1 082.1987.10B Mary, mother of Jesus, explains to God that she never asked people to bow to her

Miss Universe 083 Miss Universe 1 083.1987.20B Jesus (Faceless) sits on the right hand of God (a formless blinding light)

The Poor Little Witch 085 Poor Little Witch, The 2 085.1987A.22A&B Mandy stands before God after being murdered by Satanists and is welcomed into heaven, Pastor Chuckwyn stands before God and is sent off to hell
1 085.1987B.22A Mandy stands before God after dying of nothing in particular and is welcomed into heaven

The Trap 087 Trap, The 2 087.1988.20A&B God is sitting on His throne, he then tells an angel to open the book of life to see if Charles' name is there

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o Comic Sightings collapse_button

For more information regarding page/panel reference codes, please see the BUCINS page.

Comic Cover Comic # Comic Name God Count Page(s) Comments
King of Kings SW1 King of Kings 1 SW1.1980.07B God's silhouette questions Adam as to whether or not he ate the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, quoting Genesis 3:11

Unthinkable C22 Unthinkable 1 C22.2016.32D God sits on the Great White Throne and quotes Joel 3:2 in regard to how he will bring all nations together against Israel in the Valley of Jehoshaphat during the Battle of Armageddon


 

o Further Reading collapse_button

  • "Tracts w/in Tracts!" - A catalog of tracts featured in tracts.
    (Jack Chick Museum of Fine Art)

  • The World of Chick? (2001) by Robert B. Fowler - Section 4-40 contains a partial list of tracts appearing within other tracts found as of publication.
    (Last Gasp Publishing)