 Brown University professor Ross S. Kraemer argues that The Search for Spock " became Star Trek 's first and most obvious exploration of Christian themes of sacrificial , salvific death and resurrection " . According to Larry J. Kreitzer , The Wrath of Khan provided " its own versions of Good Friday and a hint of the Easter Sunday to come " , with the hints fulfilled by Spock 's bodily restoration in The Search for Spock . David and Saavik 's discovery of Spock 's empty coffin and burial robes parallels the evidence the Apostles found that pointed to Jesus ' resurrection in the Gospel of Luke , asserts Kraemer . Spock 's resurrection not only proves the Vulcan 's belief in the existence of the katra , but also affirms these are not just a belief system but a certainty . Barrett points to the Star Trek feature films in general and The Search for Spock in particular as a turn away from the irreligious television series . In more practical terms , Jeffery A. Smith pointed to The Search for Spock as one of many Hollywood films culminating in a 1990s trend where death has little permanence ( Ghost , Defending Your Life , What Dreams May Come , Meet Joe Black ) . 
