Category Archives: religion

Pop Culture Animation and Religion

December 12th, 2017 | Posted in animation, pop culture, religion

I’ve just become aware of a new book based upon a PhD dissertation. It’s titled Drawn to the Gods: Religion and Humor in the Simpsons, South Park, & Family Guy by David Feltmate (NYU Press, 2017). The dissertation was supervised by Douglas Cowan, a friend of TheoFantastique who has been interviewed here several times previously […]

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“The Strain” and Recanted Faith

August 14th, 2017 | Posted in Christianity, Guillermo del Toro, religion, vampire

Last night “Belly of the Beast,” Episode 5 in Season 4 of The Strain aired. Once again this series included a theological nugget. This one came via the scene where Abraham Setrakian was laying in a hospital bed where he was discovered by Thomas Eichorst, his long-time vampiric enemy. Eichorst had previously lost track of […]

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“The Last Jedi” and Religious Disillusionment

April 21st, 2017 | Posted in religion, science fiction, Star Wars

There is an interesting essay by Britton Peele at GuideLive that connects dots between the trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and contemporary dissatisfaction with institutional religion. The piece is titled “How Luke’s words in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ mimic real-world disillusionment with religion.” In the trailer Luke can be heard saying, “I […]

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Church of Bones

August 10th, 2016 | Posted in Christianity, macabre, religion
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Call for Submissions for an anthology volume: Fantastic Fan Cultures and the Sacred

July 19th, 2016 | Posted in call for papers, fan cultures, fandom, religion, sacred

Call for Submissions for an anthology volume: Fantastic Fan Cultures and the Sacred They ways in which people pursue religion has changed in America and the West. Traditional, institutional religions are in decline, and even among those who claim “None” as their identity, an individualized spirituality of seeking is growing in popularity. As a part […]

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The Federalist.com and the Politics of Horror Fiction

May 22nd, 2016 | Posted in horror, morality, political commentary, religion, zombie

I was pleased to find an article at The Federalist online that takes horror seriously as a genre that interacts significantly with social and cultural issues, including the moral and religious. The essay is “Inside Our National Zombie Nightmare Lurks The Politics Of Horror Fiction” by Marc Fitch. The title is somewhat misleading in that […]

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Critical Exchanges on the Paranormal

April 20th, 2016 | Posted in Jeffrey Kripal, paranormal, religion, sacred

Today I came across an item that is a couple of years old, but it’s worth taking a look at. It involves an essay by Jeffrey Kripal, who has been interviewed here at TheoFantastique previously on two occasions, once on his book on the paranormal and the sacred, and the second time on his book […]

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CFP – From Infinity to the Abyss: Gods and Monsters in Science Fiction Film

March 5th, 2016 | Posted in call for papers, monsters, religion, science fiction

CALL FOR PAPERS An area of multiple panels for the 2016 Film & History Conference: Gods and Heretics: Figures of Power and Subversion in Film and Television October 26-October 30, 2016 The Milwaukee Hilton Milwaukee, WI (USA) DEADLINE for abstracts: June 1, 2016 AREA: From Infinity to the Abyss: Gods and Monsters in Science Fiction […]

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Lecture on horror and religion at University of the Pacific

November 4th, 2015 | Posted in horror, religion, science fiction, transcendence

Next Wednesday, November 11, I will present a guest lecture at University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. I was invited by Professor Alan Lenzi to present on “Religion and Transcendence in Horror and Science Fiction.” My presentation will involve a PowerPoint that incorporates film clips and commentary, not only on Abrahamic religions, but also […]

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Religious tensions expressed again in The Strain

September 12th, 2015 | Posted in Christianity, Guillermo del Toro, religion, vampire

I’m a little behind on watching episodes of The Strain, but one which aired a couple of weeks ago caught my attention because of the conflicting ways in which it portrayed Christianity. Previously I’ve commented on the way the series engages the Christian faith, particularly in its Roman Catholic expression. This is due to Guillermo […]

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