Beast & Bible explores the intersection of the “monstrousâ€, religion, and popular culture. Informed by academic thought, each episode features accessible dialogue that doesn’t fall into sensationalism, conspiracy theories, or the pitfall of becoming blind pop culture apologists. Instead, this show reveals how the study of monsters can help us become better people - maybe even better people of faith.
Moses Hull was a silver tongued Adventist evangelist who gave up his faith in favor of dialoging with the dead. His fall from grace has become a fearful narrative deployed by Adventists to keep away from slippery slopes that might lead to Spiritualism. But do we have the whole story? In this episode Seth invites Matthew Lucio, Greg Howell, and Shawn Brace to explore one of Adventism's cautionary tales related to talking with the dead. Show Notes Podcast | Adventist Pilgrimage with Greg Howell and Michael Campbell - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adventist-pilgrimage/id1558388185; Podcast | Adventist History Podcast with Matthew Lucio - https://www.adventisthistorypodcast.org/; Shawn Brace's Substack, Reimagining Faith - https://shawnbrace.substack.com
"Voodoo" is often used as a pejorative term by Christians for indigenous belief systems, as well as a scapegoat for why bad things happen. It's also connected with Western media's fascination with the figure of the "zombie". Outside of jokes about less than vibrant faith communities, is there an actual religious history connection between the classic horror monster and religious belief? On this episode Seth welcomes back Dr. Emily Zarka from PBS's Monstrum to discuss the faith of zombies. Show Notes Show | PBS Monstrum - https://www.pbs.org/show/monstrum/
What do Christian deliverance ministries and Hollywood have to do with each other? Some might sggest that we need deliverance from Hollywood movies' demonic infleunce. However, Joseph Laycock and Eric Harrelson's new book, The Exorcist Effect, demonstrates that deliverance ministries have shaped their theoogy around the monstrous movies they condemn. In this episode, Seth chats with Laycock and Harrleson about their work and reflects on the implications for faith-based communities. Show Notes Book | The Exorcist Effect: Horror, Religion, and Demonic Belief by Joseph Laycock and Eric Harrelson - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-exorcist-effect-9780197635391
No new episode today, but we will be back soon!
J.R.R. Tolkien is known for his literary fantasies and the multitude of media they inspire. What isn't as well known, is his Catholic faith that inspired his works, including some of the creatures that populate Middle Earth. In this episode, Seth talks to Dr. Holly Ordway, Christian thinker and Tolkien scholar about the "things" that inhabit Middle Earth and what they reveal about faith and storytelling. Show Notes Website | Holly Ordway - https://hollyordway.com
Covid-19 was a creature that wreaked havoc on the human race. The experience of a pandemic will haunt many facets of life for years to come, particularly as humanity grieves so much loss. In tthis episode, we continue our conversation with Dr. Mikles and look at her new book, Shattered Grief: How the Pandemic Transformed the Spirituality of Death in America. Listeners will find solidarity and some new insights as they continue to process all that took place int he early 2020s. Show Notes Book | Shattered Grief: How the Pandemic Transformed the Spirituality of Death in America by Natasha Mikles | https://a.co/d/35D898e Website | Natasha Miles - https://www.natashamikles.com Book | Encountering Religion: Responsibility and Criticism After Secularism - https://www.amazon.com/Encountering-Religion-Responsibility-Secularism-Insurrections/dp/B015X4BXOE Article | “The Study of Religion on the Other Side of Disgust” by Robert Orsi - https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/the-study-of-religion-on-the-other-side-of-disgust/
"Thoughts and prayers" is a phrase that creeps around the internet. People wince at its presence as it seems to make light of human suffering. In this second part of the interview with Dr. Peckham on the subject of suffering, the subject eventually turns to Peckham's new book on prayer. In addition to frameworks that help us make meaning of our suffering, how can prayer help us face down the forces of darkness? If you wrestle with the problem of pain in the world you won't want to miss this episode! Show Notes Book | Theodicy of Love: Cosmic Conflict and the Problem of Evil | https://a.co/d/1dpNFR6 Website | John Peckham - https://johncpeckham.com
The problem of pain is the horror that haunts people of faith most. The presence of suffering often scares people away from a picture of a loving all-powerful God. How can we hang on to religious hope living in a reality with monstrous miseries? Dr. John Peckham, research professor of Christian theology and philosophy at Andrews University, and author of Theodicy of Love and Why We Pray, joins Dr. Pierce to examine the never-ending nightmare of why bad things happen to good people. Show Notes Website | John Peckham - https://johncpeckham.com
We can't ignore frightening pictures of God or scary stories in sacred texts. How should we approach works that push against our worldviews in ways that make us nervous? Seth and Brandon continue the conversation around Esther Hamori's book God's Monsters and gives pracyical advice for how to approach texts of terror. Show Notes Article | "But the Snake Told the Truth!" | AdventistToday - https://atoday.org/but-the-snake-told-the-truth/ Brandon Grafius | https://sojo.net/biography/brandon-grafius Book | Reviewed in this series | God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible by Esther J. Hamori - https://a.co/d/818uyKN Book | Reading the Bible with Horror by Brandon Grafius - https://a.co/d/90CLkH4
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 Book | Reviewed in this series | God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible by Esther J. Hamori - https://a.co/d/818uyKN Book | Reading the Bible with Horror by Brandon Grafius - https://a.co/d/90CLkH4
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 Book | Disney Gothic Shadows
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 Book | Disney Gothic Shadows
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: Apple | Spotify | Google | Podbean App
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.
When did Halloween take such a dark turn? How did it come to be associated with gory, murderous imagery? In this episode, Dr. Pierce concludes his interview ith Halloween expert Lisa Morton, focusing on the transition from children's holiday to something for adults with a taste for the macabre. This is the third episode of the 2023 Halloween Special. Show Notes Book | Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton Documentary | Hell House | Rent on Amazon, Vudu or view on Youtube This documentary follows one evangelical church's answer to Halloween haunted houses - Hell House - which depicts graphic scenes including "botched abortions, AIDS-related deaths, fatal drunk driving crashes, date rapes, and drug-induced suicides" with the purpose of converting it's attendees.
Halloween is often considered a tribute to the Celtic Lord of Death…but is it? Where did this holiday come from? Is it a religious holiday or something manufactured by the makers of sweets? In this episode, Dr. Pierce interviews Halloween historian and six-time Bram Stoker award winner Lisa Morton about the history of this spooky Holiday. This is the second episode of the 2023 Halloween Special. Show Notes Book | Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton
Have you ever been warned of people putting razor blades in apples? What about those who poison children's Halloween candy? Have you been told to not let your black cat out on Halloween night? Is Halloween Satan's birthday? Is there a new Barbie Oujia board threatening the soil of children everywhere? In this episode, Dr. Pierce explores the dark tales that haunt Halloween and reveals something even scarier that happens every year this holiday is celebrated… This is the first episode of the 2023 Halloween Special. Show Notes Book | Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween by David J. Skal
Dr. Pierce speaks with expert Dr. Joseph Laycock on how knowing the patterns of moral panics can keep us from being swept up in them.
Dr. Pierce speaks with expert Dr. Joseph Laycock to pull back the curtain on why there's so much panic about the satanic.
We're taking this week off, but we'll be back on July 10 with Part 1 of our episodes on the Satanic Panic. If you want to do some homework, check out Dr. Joseph Laycock's book, "Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds."
Dr. Pierce explores perhaps the most horrific pop culture icon taken from scripture, the mysterious number 666 (aka the Mark of the Beast). Dr. Jon Paulien, renowned expert on the book of Revelation, joins the episode to help unravel this beastly number. Show Notes Contact | Jonathan K. Paulien, PhD, Loma Linda University Website | http://thebattleofarmageddon.com/ Book | The Deep Things of God: An Insider's Guide to the Book of Revelation Adventist Book Center | Jon Paulien's Books on the Adventist Book Center Website Video Series | GPS - God's Prophetic Surprises on Loma Linda Broadcasting Network (LLBN)
Dr. Pierce interviews Dr. Laurence Turner about a creepy Old Testament story that has caused debate for centuries: when the Witch of Endor summons the "spirit" of the prophet Samuel at the request of King Saul, who was actually doing the talking? This is Part 1.
Dr. Pierce interviews Dr. Laurence Turner about a creepy Old Testament story that has caused debate for centuries: when the Witch of Endor summons the "spirit" of the prophet Samuel at the request of King Saul, who was actually doing the talking? This is Part 1.
Beast and Bible will return on Monday, May 15.
Dr. Pierce talks with Dr. Michael Campbell and Greg Howell about the 19th and 20th century American spiritualist movements and how this brought up an important question for Seventh-day Adventists: what happens when you die? This is Part 2.
Dr. Pierce talks with Dr. Michael Campbell and Greg Howell about the 19th and 20th century American spiritualist movements and how this brought up an important question for Seventh-day Adventists: what happens when you die? This is Part 1. Show Notes Resource | Ellen White's Writings (Books, Articles, Letters and more) Book | Supernatural Entertainments: Victorian Spiritualism and the Rise of Modern Media Culture by Simone Natale
Dr. Pierce speaks with two scholars about an early slasher story...and it's in the Bible. Dr. Rahel Wells and Dr. Brandon Grafius share their takes on the tragic story of the woman in Judges 19. This is Part 2.
Dr. Pierce speaks with two scholars about an early slasher story...and it's in the Bible. Dr. Rahel Wells and Dr. Brandon Grafius share their takes on the tragic story of the woman in Judges 19. This is Part 1.
What do Jesuits and wereloves have to do with each other? Dr. Pierce sits down with Dr. Emily Zarka from PBS' Monstrum to find out...
In Part 2 of Interview with a Scholar, Dr. Seth Pierce and Dr. Jeffrey Cohen talk about how religion intersects with Monster Theory. Show Notes: Find Dr. Cohen on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/jeffreyjcohen Or on his website: https://www.jeffreyjeromecohen.com/
In this episode, Dr. Pierce interviews the preeminent scholar on Monster Theory, Dr. Jeffrey Cohen. This is Part 1.
In this episode, Dr. Pierce walks us through the basics of monster theory and how to "read" monsters in sacred and popular texts. View a transcript of this episode here: https://share.descript.com/view/SlvlgD6T9aW Works Mentioned The Hobbit (TV Movie 1977) The Hobbit narrated by Nicol Wilianson (1974 Vinyl) “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” by Leonard Nimoy Monster Theory: Reading Culture by Jeffrey Cohen Brahm Stroker's Dracula (1992), directed by Francis Ford Coppola Dracula (2020) Prey (2022) Predator (1987) Jaws (1975) Jaws 2 (1978) Jaws 3-D (1983) Hereford Mappa Mundi Jurassic Park (1993) Alien (1979) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
What does holiness have to do with horror? Dr. Pierce explains the surprising connection in this episode. Works Mentioned Casper (1995) Tasmanian Devil (Looney Toones) Scooby-Doo, Where are You? (1969) Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Dr. Pierce shares his philosophy of monster hunting that prevents us from becoming monsters ourselves. Works Mentioned Pokemon Go (Video Game, 2016) Why ‘Pokemon Go' Is Taking Over the World | NBC Nightly News Report Pokemon Go | What You Need to Know - ABC News Report Frankenstein (1931) Weekend Update: Debbie Hole and Stacey Bussy on Disney's Hocus Pocus 2 - SNL Satanic Panic Michelle Remembers (Book) Black Panther (2018) The Victorian Ghost Story and Theology: From Le Fanu to James by Zoe Lehmann Imfeld Worst Missed Field Goals of All Time | NFL Midsomer Murders (1997) Poltergeist (1982) Elden Ring (Video Game, 2022) Transformers (2007) John Williams(Composer) Hanz Zimmer (Composer) Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Dr. Pierce shares the strange and monstrous potluck story that inspired the podcast.
A podcast about monsters, religion and pop culture hosted by Dr. Seth Pierce. Dropping October 31st - Halloween and Protestant Reformation Day. Follow us: Facebook | Instagram
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