Category Archives: monster theory

David Puglia on Folklore and Monster Studies

Folklore provides another helpful lens through which we can broaden our understanding of monster studies. In this conversation, David Puglia is the guest. David is Associate Professor and Deputy Chairperson in the English Department at Bronx Community College of The City University of New York, where he teaches courses in folklore, children’s literature, popular culture, […]

Yasmine Musharbash and the Anthropology of Monsters

Monster studies is a growing academic discipline, but while religious studies and pop culture have made important contributions, anthropology and other disciplines have not had the representation and contribution they deserve for a truly multidisciplinary approach to the subject. So goes part of the argument of Yasmine Musharbash, an anthropologist who has done important work […]

Heather Macumber on the Monstrous in Revelation

Dr. Heather Macumber is the author of a new book titled Recovering the Monstrous in Revelation: This book reads Revelation through the lens of the monster. Using monster theory, Heather Macumber approaches the cosmic beings in John’s Apocalypse as other and monstrous regardless of whether they are found in heaven or the abyss, with significant […]

Forthcoming volume – Recovering the Monstrous in Revelation (Horror and Scripture)

I just became aware of another great, forthcoming book, one that combines biblical studies and monstrosity. Recovering the Monstrous in Revelation by Heather Macumber This book reads Revelation through the lens of the monster. Using monster theory, Heather Macumber approaches the cosmic beings in John’s Apocalypse as other and monstrous regardless of whether they are […]

Titles of Interest – Monsters of Film, Fiction, and Fable: The Cultural Link Between the Human and the Inhuman

Monsters of Film, Fiction, and Fable: The Cultural Link Between the Human and the Inhuman Edited by Lisa Wenger Bro, Crystal O’Leary-Davidson, and Mary Ann Gareis Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2018 Monsters are a part of every society, and ours is no exception. They are deeply embedded in our history, our mythos, and our culture. However, […]

Call for Papers – “Of Gods and Monsters” at Texas State University

Of God and Monsters April 4th – 6th 2019 Texas State University San Marcos, TX Judith Halberstam famously claimed that monsters are “meaning machines” that can be used to represent a variety of ideas, including morality, gender, race, and nationalism (to name only a few). Monsters are always part of the project of making sense […]

Monster Theory and the Hebrew Bible

Terry Wright of the Sacred Writings blog made me aware of a new essay applying monster theory to biblical studies. The title and abstract are reproduced below. Text and Terror: Monster Theory and the Hebrew Bible Brandon R. Grafius Currents in Biblical Research Volume 6, Issue 1 (2017) Abstract While biblical scholars have long been […]

Titles of Interest – Monsters in the Classroom: Essays on Teaching What Scares Us

Monsters in the Classroom: Essays on Teaching What Scares Us Edited by Adam Golub and Heather Richardson Hayton Foreword by W. Scott Poole; Afterword by Jeffrey Jerome Cohen McFarland, 2017 About the Book Exploring the pedagogical power of the monstrous, this collection of new essays describes innovative teaching strategies that use our cultural fascination with […]

Titles of Interest: Strangers, Gods and Monsters

Strangers, Gods and Monsters: Interpreting Otherness Richard Kearney Routledge, 2002 Strangers, Gods and Monsters is a fascinating look at how human identity is shaped by three powerful but enigmatic forces. Often overlooked in accounts of how we think about ourselves and others, Richard Kearney skillfully shows, with the help of vivid examples and illustrations, how […]

Titles of Interest – At Stake: Monsters and the Rhetoric of Fear in Public Culture

The fine blog, Sects and Violence in the Ancient World, had an interesting post on a volume worthy of inclusion in the Titles of Interest recommendations. It’s subject matter and approach are particularly relevant to our times. At Stake: Monsters and the Rhetoric of Fear in Public Culture Edward Ingebretsen University of Chicago Press, 2003 […]

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