thoughts on buffy as christ figure
I was explaining aspects of Buffy to my stepdad, who's an English professor, today, and this came up. I don't plan to embark on a comprehensive analysis of this right now, but I think it's fairly clear that there's some Christ symbolism going on with Buffy, particularly in "The Gift." She sacrifices herself (arms spread, let us note) to save the world and to save her friends. She sacrifices herself to prevent the murder of her little sister. And she is risen from the dead (from heaven, let us note - if I'm not mistaken, I don't believe any other Buffyverse character has ever been there...?) for the purpose of providing strength and courage to her friends. (And she rises from death or near-death a couple of other times, of course. No big deal.)
However, BtVS is ultimately intended as a deconstruction, and Buffy-as-Christ-figure is, in my view, pretty thoroughly deconstructed in season 6. When Buffy rises from the dead, she is far from triumphant, and far from pure. Instead, she withdraws from her friends, fights mundane and inane enemies instead of grand evildoers, and has sex based on lust with a soulless vampire. The reality of rising from the dead, were such a thing to happen in reality, is explored mercilessly throughout the rather depressing progression of season 6. "Real life is the Big Bad" as Joss (I believe) said. Furthermore, Buffy is sidelined during much of the season - though we, as viewers, have access to her mental place, her friends do not, and Willow is the one who undergoes the primary struggle, who is shown to have the most power. The Christ figure, having risen, becomes a wallflower, thoroughly broken, nobody's icon.
And I really like season 6 now that I look it from more perspectives like this, thinking of things that it might be trying to do, rather than just labelling it depressing and shoving it aside.
P.S. I am not the world's expert on Christian symbolism and these are just assorted thoughts, so there's my disclaimer.