Emily (they/them) and Pace (they/them) are joined by guest Rev. Justin Thornburgh (he/they) to discuss Hotel Transylvania! We discuss Justin’s work as a death doula before diving into themes of masculinities, child rearing, and safe spaces. Also, what do vampires turning into bats have in common with some youth pastors? Find out all of this and more in our latest episode of Horror Nerds at Church!

CW: racism, grief, and death mentions

Media mentioned:

-Find Justin on Instagram: Thresholds_eol

-A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Support us on Patreon! Buy some merch! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. If you would like to submit your own real life church horror story for a future minisode, follow this link (https://bit.ly/HNACMinisodes) or email us at [email protected] And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!

We’ve finally made it, spider-monkeys. Emily and Pace cover The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. We take a deep dive into purity culture, truth, and some of the ongoing racism of the series. Also, how many tries does it take to master a new skill? Find out all of this and more on this episode of Horror Nerds at Church.

CW: purity culture, racism, and anti-choice propaganda

Media mentioned:

Breaking Dawn by Stefanie Meyer

Nerds at Church Ascension 2021

Nerds at Church Ascension 2022 

Support us on Patreon! Buy some merch! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. If you would like to submit your own real life church horror story for a future minisode, follow this link (https://bit.ly/HNACMinisodes) or email us at [email protected] And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!

Emily (they/them) and Pace (they/them) are joined by special guest, author, scholar, activist, artist, podcast co-host of Blackberry Jams, and pastor Rev. Lenny Duncan (they/them) to talk about the first cool Marvel movie, Blade. We nerd out about the comics before taking a deep dive into the state of the church, racism, and the rise of fascism. This conversation gets deep y’all, and this episode is definitely not one to miss.

CW: racism, sexual assault, and queerphobia

Media Mentioned:

-Dear Church by Lenny Duncan

-Preorder the expanded paperback edition of United States of Grace by Lenny Duncan through Broadleaf Books

Support us on Patreon! Buy some merch! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. If you would like to submit your own real life church horror story for a future minisode, follow this link (https://bit.ly/HNACMinisodes) or email us at [email protected] And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!

Emily (they/them) and Pace (they/them) are joined by past guest Suzannah Porter (she/her) to talk about Breaking Dawn Part 1. We talk movie weddings, anti-choice and anti-abortion rhetoric, bears, and even give some advice from your queer elders. Also, did you remember to take your meds? Find out all of this and more on this episode of Horror Nerds at Church!

CW: abortion and anti-chocie rhetoric, racism, queerphobia, suicide mention, misogyny, and trans misogyny, purity culture, all in relation to the contents of the film

Media Mentioned:

-Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

-The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide by Stephenie Meyer

-Guardian interview with Stephenie Meyer

-The Origins of the Religious Right by Randall Balmer

-Pace’s Transfiguration Sermon

Support us on Patreon! Buy some merch! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. If you would like to submit your own real life church horror story for a future minisode, follow this link (https://bit.ly/HNACMinisodes) or email us at [email protected] And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!

Vampires and werewolves and transfigurations, oh my! Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) continue their watch through of the Twilight franchise with The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. They take a deep dive into sex education, purity culture, and finding belonging. Also, does Esme have any vampire powers? Find out all of this and more in this episode of Horror Nerds at Church!

CW: discussions of purity culture, racism, queerphobia, and toxic relationships

Media Referenced:

-Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

-Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

-Short Second Life of Bree Tanner 

-Our Whole Lives Sex Education Resource for Faith Communities

-The ELCA’s statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust

-Nerds at Church’s episode on the Transfiguration (Year B)

-Nerds at Church’s episode on the Transfiguration (Year C)

Support us on Patreon! Buy some merch! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. If you would like to submit your own real life church horror story for a future minisode, click this link (https://bit.ly/HNACMinisodes) or email us at [email protected] And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!

It’s Holy Week so Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) tackle one of the most horrific films about Jesus ever made, The Passion of the Christ. We talk about the gore, the anti-Semitism, and whether this movie should truly be classified as a horror film. Also, why is Jesus so white? Find out all of this and more in this episode of Horror Nerds at Church!

Media Referenced:

-Nerds at Church’s Good Friday and Easter episodes

-Horror Nerds at Church’s interview with Richard Lindsay

-Hollywood Biblical Epics by Richard Lindasy

-Dracula by Bram Stoker

-Cast Out of the Covenant by Adele Reinhartz

-Preaching without Contempt by Marilyn J. Salmon

-Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons 

-Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

-Two Archaeologists Comment on The Passion of the Christ (PDF) by Dr. Andrea Berlin and Dr. Jodi Magness

-Christian Anti-Semitism: Past History, Present Challenges Reflections in Light of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ by John T. Pawlikowski

-”I didn’t see any Anti-Semitism’: Why many Christians don’t have a Problem with The Passion of the Christ by Mary C. Boys

Support us on Patreon! Buy some merch! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. If you would like to submit your own real life church horror story for a future minisode, click this link (https://bit.ly/HNACMinisodes) or email us at [email protected] And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!

Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) are joined by super-fan Rev. Kelsey Brown (she/her) to talk Twilight New Moon! We discuss agency, the problematic portrayal of Native Americans in the franchise, and continue our look at vampire mythos. Also, are we team Edward or team Jacob? Find out all of this and more in this episode of Horror Nerds at Church!

CW: racism mentioned in real life horror story and SA/DV, racism and colonialism in discussion of the film

Twilight:

New Moon and Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

Links Referenced: -https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2009/07/quileute-response-to-twilight.html

-https://blogs.dal.ca/cinema/2020/05/07/indigenous-representation-in-the-twilight-saga-film-new-moon-by-lily-coles/

Support us on Patreon! Buy some merch! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. If you would like to submit your own real life church horror story for a future minisode, click this link (https://bit.ly/HNACMinisodes) or email us at [email protected] And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!

Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) are joined by Bp. Brenda Bos (she/her) the first openly lesbian bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to talk about Daughters of Darkness. We talk about the importance of foreplay, try to discern the nonsensical plot, and share our love for the wardrobe. We then take a deep dive into types of grief, darkness as beautiful, and sapphic vampire lore. Also, what is with the exorcism real life church horror stories this season? Find out all of this and more in this episode of Horror Nerds at Church.

Content warnings: discussions about domestic violence, sexual assault, queerphobia, and toxic masculinity in relation to the plot of the film.

Media Referenced:

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Lefanu

Modern Anarchy Episode 23: God Loves Queers

Find Bishop Brenda here:

@BishopBrenda on TikTok

BishopBrendaBos Facebook 

Support us on Patreon! Buy some merch! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. If you would like to submit your own real life church horror story for a future minisode, click this link (https://bit.ly/HNACMinisodes) or email us at [email protected] And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!

Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) talk polyamory. We talk about polyamory, relationship anarchy, God’s abundant love, and a brief history of polyamory. We end with a real life church polyamory story submitted by anonymous.

Content warnings: We talk about human sexuality and complexity of relationships in this episode.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

-Queering Psychology’s “Polyamory 101”

-NPR’s article “A Cultural Moment for Polyamory”

-this overview of relationship anarchy

-The book The Ethical Slut: Revised Edition by Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton

Support us on Patreon! Buy some merch! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. If you would like to submit your own real life church horror story for a future minisode, click this link (https://bit.ly/HNACMinisodes) or email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!