Beast and Bible

Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game: Video Games as Monsters with Rachel Kowert

Dr. Pierce interviews Dr. Kowert about how video games are often turned into the "boogey man" for religious and societal issues. 
Show Notes
Video Series | Psychgeist from Rachel Kowert - https://rkowert.com/psychgeist/

What in the Hull Happened? with Matt Lucio, Greg Howell, and Shawn Brace

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

Zombie Religion: Voodoo, Christianity, and the Living Dead with Emily Zarka

"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/ 

The Exorcist Effect with Joseph Laycock and Eric Harrelson

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 

Beast and Bible - Returning Soon

No new episode today, but we will be back soon!

Lord of the Things: Exploring Tolkien, Faith, and Monsters (with Holly Ordway)

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 

Death Dealers and Death Doulas: Covid-19 and the Monster of Grief (with Natasha Mikles)

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 God a Moral Monster? Part 2 (with John Peckham)

"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