9 TV Shows with Unconventional Takes on Religion

2 min read

Introduction

Religion on television usually falls into neat, reverent boxes—or avoids the topic altogether. But these nine shows boldly step into the gray areas, challenging dogma, exploring faith in crisis, and diving into the human need for belief. Whether it’s through horror, satire, sci-fi, or raw drama, each series presents a unique and often unsettling lens on organized religion, spirituality, and the divine. If you’re drawn to stories that wrestle with big questions and aren't afraid to blur the sacred with the profane, these shows are a must.

1. Midnight Mass

Mike Flanagan’s chilling mini-series isn't just about vampires—it’s a haunting meditation on faith, guilt, redemption, and how belief can be twisted into something monstrous. It wrestles with religious fervor in ways both beautiful and terrifying, delivering sermons that linger long after the bloodshed.

2. The Young Pope

Paolo Sorrentino’s stylish, surreal take on the papacy delivers a provocative portrait of a fictitious pope who’s as enigmatic as he is unpredictable. Jude Law’s Lenny Belardo challenges the conventions of religious leadership, turning divine mystery into political theater with a side of existential crisis.

3. The New Pope

The follow-up to The Young Pope expands the Vatican universe with added absurdity, sensuality, and deeper philosophical themes. It questions the commodification of faith and the fragility of power, all while bathing in lavish visuals and an ever-present tension between sin and sanctity.

4. The Righteous Gemstones

A dark comedy with a televangelist twist, this show exposes the hypocrisy behind the blinged-out, big-money Christian elite. It’s crude, chaotic, and consistently hilarious, but beneath the satire lies a sharp critique of spiritual exploitation and generational dysfunction.

5. Preacher

Adapted from the cult comic, Preacher is an adrenaline-fueled descent into a world where God is missing, angels are flawed, and vampires make great drinking buddies. It’s violent, irreverent, and surprisingly thoughtful in its exploration of destiny, morality, and the search for divine purpose.

6. Raised by Wolves

Ridley Scott’s android-driven epic fuses science fiction with theological conflict. As two androids try to raise human children in a religion-free colony, the show delves into the intersection of faith, evolution, and artificial intelligence, questioning what it really means to believe.

7. The Leftovers

One of the most emotionally profound series of the past decade, The Leftovers grapples with the aftermath of a Rapture-like event. It’s less about religion as an institution and more about the human need to find meaning in loss, trauma, and the inexplicable.

8. The Path

This quiet, slow-burning drama follows a fictional spiritual movement that blurs the lines between cult and religion. With layered performances and a focus on inner turmoil, it examines what happens when belief is both a refuge and a trap.

9. Under the Banner of Heaven

Based on a harrowing true crime case, this miniseries explores the dark side of fundamentalism within the Mormon faith. Anchored by a strong performance from Andrew Garfield, it’s a tense, tragic look at how dogma can justify unthinkable acts in the name of God.