Fictional Religions in Entertainment
I came across this interesting video from the helpful Religion for Breakfast. The title is Why Fictional Religions Feel So Fake.
OUTER RANGE: Western/Sci-Fi Hybrid incorporates realistic struggle with religious commitments
Last weekend my wife and I binge watched a series from Amazon Prime. It was OUTER RANGE, a Western/science fiction combination that I heard about in watching one of the stars, Josh Brolin, as he ate through the hot sauce on wings challenge on the show HOT ONES. I’m a fan of Brolin’s work, and […]
Brandon Grafius discusses his new book “Lurking Under the Surface”
Brandon Grafius is one of the best current voices at the intersection of horror and religion. In this conversation he discusses his book Lurking Under the Surface: Horror, Religion, and the Questions That Haunt Us (Broadleaf Books, 2022). Brandon is associate professor of biblical studies at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, where he teaches Old […]
Roundtable discussion on The Forbidden Body
Featuring a roundtable discussion with Douglas E. Cowan on his book The Forbidden Body: Sex, Horror and the Religious Imagination (NUY Press, 2022). In addition to Cowan, participants include Laura Ammon, Associate Professor of Religion at Appalachian State University; Brandon R. Grafius, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Ecumenical Theological Seminary; and James F. McGrath, […]
“Moon Knight” and Egyptian Gods
I haven’t kept up with all the comic book movies coming out, having tired of so many super hero ventures and franchises. So it wasn’t surprising that I hadn’t heard about Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight, a streaming series. However, what was surprising was to find an article at The Conversation exploring an aspect of the […]
Doug Cowan forthcoming book
Doug Cowan, a friend and frequent guest of TheoFantastique, is finalizing his latest book, The Forbidden Body: Sex, Horror, and the Religious Imagination through New York University Press. Look for a future video conversation with Doug on the book here in the near future: From creature features to indie horror flicks, find out what happens […]
Darryl Caterine on the paranormal in popular culture
Here’s another podcast video from my other creative venture. In this conversation, Darryl Caterine and I discuss various aspects of the paranormal. Caterine is author of Haunted Ground: Journeys Through Paranormal America, and the volume we co-edited, The Paranormal and Popular Culture: A Postmodern Religious Landscape.
David Feltmate and religious satire in adult animation
Some of my recent podcasts on religion and culture on another website have application here. This is my conversation with David Feltmate on religion in adult animation, including The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Family Guy. This comes out of David’s book Drawn to the Gods.
University of Chester and Gothic Heresy: Religious Knowledge and Experience in Horror Culture
My Facebook feed recently produced this little gem from the University of Chester, bringing together religion and horror, and one funded by the Templeton Religious Trust! Horror is a widespread mode of culture, cutting across games, films, books, art, TV and many other forms. In horror there is a repeated emphasis on religious themes, tropes, […]
ST. MAUD, religious devotion and fanaticism
I’ve liked what A24 has done for a while now with horror, and a new trailer for ST. MAUD looks intriguing as it depicts faith and unbelief, and the line between religious devotion and fantaticism.


