A Christian group has issued a protest to the BBC over the use of Christian iconography in the forthcoming Voyage of the Damned.

At a key moment of the episode, The Doctor must save a group of passengers after the Titanic, now a futuristic space vessel, is holed by a meteorite storm. He convinces the despairing survivors to believe in his powers after ascending through the ship’s decks, carried by a pair of robotic angels.

Stephen Green, of the evangelical group Christian Voice, said:

“The Doctor would have to do a lot more than the usual prancing around to be a messiah. He has to save people from their sins.”

But Executive Producer Russell T. Davies said:

“The series lends itself to religious iconography because the Doctor is a proper saviour. He saves the world through the power of his mind and his passion.”

Malcolm Brown, director of mission and public affairs for the Church of England, disagreed with Green, saying:

“Science fiction at its best helps to illuminate eternal themes, and that’s something the Church can happily work with.”

The blasphemous Doctor Who returns this Christmas Day with the Voyage of the Damned.