Beast and Bible

The Bible is a book of monsters - and God is the biggest one of them all...

At least, that's the contention of a popular new book entitled "God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible." To help unpack this challenging text, Dr. Brandon Grafius, associate professor of Hebrew Bible at Ecumenical Seminary, and horror and theology expert, joins Seth on the podcast. The issues challenge, and possibly horrify, people of faith...

Show Notes

• Brandon Grafius | https://sojo.net/biography/brandon-grafius

Making merry with the macabre is a Disney hallmark. It may seem inapproriate to some to make silly that which is scary. However, as we conclude our interview with Dr. Lindvall, we see there is a reason to deal with death in a way the de-fangs it. This episode reaffirms some forgotten concepts from the Christian faith when dealing with the "enemy" of death.

Show Notes

• CW Lewis Institute | Terry Lindvall

Was Walt Disney a Christian? If so, how does that help explain the dark elements in Disney's media? Dr. Terry Lindvall, C.S. Lewis Chair of Communication at Virginia Wesleyan, draws on his background in Tolkien, Lewis, and communication to set the stage for how we might engage Disney's Dark side.

Show Notes

• CW Lewis Institute | Terry Lindvall

Are Disney Parks haunted by unseen forces? Well, sort of. In this second episode of Dark Disney, Seth and Jeffrey explore the iconic Haunted Mansion, what actually lurks in the shadows of Disney's haunted atraction, and what it can teach us about life and faith this side of the grave.

Show Notes

• https://a.co/d/3t7no3g 

Is Disney in league with the Devil? That's an accusation that is heard in some Evangelical corners. While it can't be denied that Disney has some dark content, is it in the service of Satan or something else? In this first of four episodes exploring Dark Disney, Dr. Pierce interveiwes, Dr. Jeffrey Weinstock, one of the editors of a new book entitled Disney Gothic: Shadows in the House of Mouse. Dr. Weinstock is a professor of English language and literature at Central Michigan Univeristy, associate editor for horror for the Los Angeles Review of Books, and and a specialist in the gothic.

Show Notes

• https://a.co/d/3t7no3g 

Are you strange and unusual? That seems to be the case not only for the heroine of Beetlejuice but for anyone, especially a Christian, who has an interest in the darker things of life and faith. This episode continues the discussion of horor and faith with Kutter Callaway, taking a special look at the film Beetlejuice in light of the upcoming sequel. What, if anything, is there for religiously minded people to learn from bizarre horror-comedies such as this?

Listen to Kutter Callaway's podcast from Christianity today, Be Afraid!

https://www.kuttercallaway.com

Beetlejuice has returned from the dead after nearly 40 years. But can Christianity and Horror media co-exist? Seth interviews Dr. Kutter Callaway,  the host of Christianity Today's new horror podcast, "Be Afraid!" The conversation explores how and why people of faith engage with a genre that seems antithetical to the Way of Jesus.

Listen to Kutter Callaway's podcast from Christianity today, Be Afraid!

https://www.kuttercallaway.com

Monster Season is back. Season 2 of Beast and Bible drops Sept 2.

Hey Monster Hunters!

You might like our sister podcast They Also Served, which explores the untold stories of women who impacted American Christianity, Adventism, and the world. 

Subscribe over on the They Also Served feed so you don't miss when the first episodes drop in Summer 2024! 

Subscribe now:

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For years, Christians have tried to create positive alternatives to Halloween. In some cases they have been traumatic, such as the Hell or Judgment House. Other times they have made it cringey by preaching anti-Halloween sermons with misinformation. Yet, some churches have found a way to reach out and have fun. In this final Halloween episode, Dr. Pierce talks with Pastor Michael Halfhill on his church’s popular event known as “Light Up the Dark.”

This is the fourth and final episode of the 2023 Halloween Special.