Space Marines and the War on Heresy - By Adam Paul

In the grimdark world of the far future, there is only…lore.

I, like many others, have been swept up by the splatterific and squelchy good time that is Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2. As is my way with any property I interact with, I can’t content myself with simply enjoying the thing in question but instead will never be satisfied until I’ve hyper fixated my way through a deep dive into the lore. And there are few deeper lore dives across all fandoms as can be found with 40k!

From a biblical perspective, this franchise in all of its grimdark, blood-soaked, nightmarish glory, actually has a monumental amount to chew on. From the fascinating exploration of mankind’s compulsion for worship with the Imperium of Man, to its emphasis on brotherhood and loyalty, to its exploration of the horrors of war. But one through line that is incredibly prominent, particularly in the narrative of the Space Marine games, is the idea of heresy.

The Imperium of Man is a theocracy, with a deified figure known as the Emperor of Man at its head and the object of its worship and devotion. The biologically enhanced Adeptus Astartes, also known as the Space Marines, are his angels of war and death, tasked with fighting for all mankind against its various foes across the galaxy. They are holy warriors engaged in a xenophobic crusade to establish and maintain the dominance of humankind within the galaxy and eradicate Xenos (aliens), daemons, and heretical worshippers of the dark gods of a hellish dimension known as the Warp.

Titus, the protagonist of the Space Marine games, is a devout member of the Ultramarines, the largest and arguably most accomplished Space Marine chapter, who ends up facing off against all the aforementioned evils, and despite his tireless fighting in service of the Imperium, ends up repeatedly suspected of heresy, even (mild spoilers for the first game) having to serve a century of penance as a member of the Deathwatch. These repeated moments of suspicion and infighting have numerous consequences throughout the games and almost lead to catastrophe on more than one occasion.

How often do you think about biblical heresy? I find people often tend to fall into two camps (both of which I’ve found myself in at times in my life, honestly). There’s the sorts of people who take Matthew 7:15-20 to heart, always on guard against false teachers and wolves in sheep’s clothing. Then there’s the other end of the spectrum who emphasize unity above all else, citing verses such as Colossians 3:13. Now, much as we see in Warhammer 40k, and the games in particular, a too-heavy leaning to one side or the other can be dangerous. To pretend like the influence of the warp wasn’t an issue, or to not take seriously enough the warnings of the Codex (essentially the Space Marine Bible) is to be vulnerable to the insidious and deadly influence of the Warp. But, as we see in Titus’ story, it can be equally threatening to be too quick to cry “heresy” and sacrifice a genuine pursuit of brotherhood (or sisterhood) in service to a fanatical paranoia living in constant fear that everyone around you might just be a heretic. 

Take some time to reflect on how you can find the middle ground between these two points. Consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:16 and what it means to be “wise as serpents” yet also “gentle as doves.” Or 1 Peter 3:15 where we must always be prepared to defend the truth, but to do so with “gentleness and respect.”

Courage and honour, Astartes.