Bluey: The Religious Imagination of the World’s Favourite Cartoon Dog

Abstract Bluey, the world’s favourite cartoon blue heeler, has a lot more to say about religion than it appears. This article will first, examine the references to real-life religions in the show, such as Buddhism and Hinduism. Second, it will examine the evidence in the show for a religion which the Heeler family (or a least Chilli and the kids) appear to follow. Third, it will survey the other spiritual beliefs in the show, such as references to simulation theory and crystals. Fourth, it will look at what the show explicitly teaches about religion focussing on the series 2 episode “Flatpack.” And fifth, it will explore how a wider definition of religious belief (namely William James’ definition: “the belief that there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto”) plays out in the “religion of play” in Bluey’s world.