What do you think?
Rate this book
Lurking Under the Surface: Horror, Religion, and the Questions that Haunt Us
Horror can be a valuable conversation partner for the spiritual questions that animate so many of us. Whether through a movie, television show, novel, or even myth, horror as a genre has always spoken to our deepest human fears and fear of death, of the unknown, of knowing too much. Whether you're looking at classic narratives like Frankenstein , which shows us the consequences of stretching knowledge farther than it's safe to go, or contemporary films like Get Out , which explores racism and white guilt, horror provides a window into our culture and what makes us human. The same can be said of religion. Horror movie buff and religion scholar Brandon Grafius finds common ground between these two seemingly disparate bedfellows--horror and religion--in Lurking under the Surface . What parallels can we draw between The Walking Dead and sacred texrts? How do the stories of Hebrew Christian scriptures and apocalyptic films like A Quiet Place and Bird Box help us find hope when it's in short supply? When we treat them both seriously, we see that horror movies and religion lead us through the same sets of questions. Both explore questions of justice, hope, and our relationship to the world and the cosmos. And both offer us ways to make meaning out of the contradictory pieces of our world--a world filled with so much hope and so many recognizable fears lurking just beneath the surface.
194 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2022
About the author
Brandon R. Grafius
17 books11 followersBrandon R. Grafius is associate professor of biblical studies and academic dean at Ecumenical Theological Seminary. He has published widely on the intersection between horror and religion, including academic monographs and popular magazines such as Sojourners and The Christian Century. He is currently working on an academic monograph for Oxford University Press, and co-editing The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Monsters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 26, 2023
Aside from the intrusive apologies where political correctness is concerned, this was a fascinating exploration of the various points where religion (particularly Christianity) and the horror genre collide.
October 28, 2022
This was an excellent and insightful read on how horror movies and religion often accompany the same spheres. Grafius, a professor at Ecumenical Theological Seminary, using a wide range of horror movies to explore truths from religious tests, showing the overlap between two traditionally opposing. But Grafius doesn't shy away from controversy either, also tackling how the church is depicted in these movies, in both flattering and damning sequences. One caveat though - when Grafius talks about religion, he is almost always talking about Christianity in the book. This isn't surprising - he is a Seminary professor after all - but it seems like he should probably title his work more specifically. I was curious if any horror concepts he mentions turn up in other religions, such as Islam and Buddhism. But this is a minor cribble for an otherwise extensive and enjoyable study.
September 4, 2022
I will update this soon with a more in-depth review.
Grafius provides insight into the connections between religion and horror, while avoiding going too deep into any particular film (he does that well in other works).
He also doesn’t shy away from the issues of the day, letting them play out in a conversational manner. This allows the reader to choose whether to engage more fully with those issues. He says it, he means it, and hopes you get it. If you don’t, you’ll need to read it again (as well as reading your Bible again.
Grafius provides insight into the connections between religion and horror, while avoiding going too deep into any particular film (he does that well in other works).
He also doesn’t shy away from the issues of the day, letting them play out in a conversational manner. This allows the reader to choose whether to engage more fully with those issues. He says it, he means it, and hopes you get it. If you don’t, you’ll need to read it again (as well as reading your Bible again.
October 13, 2022
“... this journey often involves the valley of the shadow; no matter how strong our faith may be, we still make that shadow journey. The fuel that keeps us moving is hope. When the shadows around us are deepest, when hope seems furthest away, that when we need it most.” (p. 46)
As a teen, horror movies held a fascination for me. I have always been a fan of Hitchcock, but I delved into Halloween, Friday the 13th, and many others in the years when my world seemed safe enough to do so. But in recent years, horror has been harder for me to stomach. I need hope and, before reading this book, I put away horror from my watch list for fear it would zap that hope from me. When I heard about Brandon Grafius's new book, discussing the intersection of faith and horror, I knew I had to check it out. I have read some of Grafius's work in the past and held high hopes, yet the book is more than I expected in how it examines themes in the religious sphere and allows us to see, in the stories from the horror genre, our own humanity and spirituality reflected back to us. It’s caused me to rethink what I consider truly “horrific” in the culture and will have me looking more closely at what is “lurking under the surface” in our world today.
As a preacher of "the good news," the chapter "Is God Good?" was particularly challenging. I prefer to offer messages that do speak to God's love, but Grafius points out the tension with this message in light of a world in which bad things happen every day right before our eyes. How do we reconcile the idea of a God who is good with the evils clearly evident in the world? He won't tell you the answer, because none of us truly has it, but this book will make you rethink the value of wrestling with difficult truths and why "it's preferable to give voice to [the] fear and trembling than to pretend it's not there" (p. 161).
By turns surprising, weaving elements of his own personal narrative with that of the movies and religious stories he examines, this book and its author offer a scholarly, but wonderfully accessible look at the intersection of these strange bedfellows of horror and religion. Be forewarned, however: your “to be watched” list is about to get longer.
In short: Highly recommended.
As a teen, horror movies held a fascination for me. I have always been a fan of Hitchcock, but I delved into Halloween, Friday the 13th, and many others in the years when my world seemed safe enough to do so. But in recent years, horror has been harder for me to stomach. I need hope and, before reading this book, I put away horror from my watch list for fear it would zap that hope from me. When I heard about Brandon Grafius's new book, discussing the intersection of faith and horror, I knew I had to check it out. I have read some of Grafius's work in the past and held high hopes, yet the book is more than I expected in how it examines themes in the religious sphere and allows us to see, in the stories from the horror genre, our own humanity and spirituality reflected back to us. It’s caused me to rethink what I consider truly “horrific” in the culture and will have me looking more closely at what is “lurking under the surface” in our world today.
As a preacher of "the good news," the chapter "Is God Good?" was particularly challenging. I prefer to offer messages that do speak to God's love, but Grafius points out the tension with this message in light of a world in which bad things happen every day right before our eyes. How do we reconcile the idea of a God who is good with the evils clearly evident in the world? He won't tell you the answer, because none of us truly has it, but this book will make you rethink the value of wrestling with difficult truths and why "it's preferable to give voice to [the] fear and trembling than to pretend it's not there" (p. 161).
By turns surprising, weaving elements of his own personal narrative with that of the movies and religious stories he examines, this book and its author offer a scholarly, but wonderfully accessible look at the intersection of these strange bedfellows of horror and religion. Be forewarned, however: your “to be watched” list is about to get longer.
In short: Highly recommended.
November 30, 2024
3.5
LUS covers a lot of themes at the intersections or horror films, the Bible, and Christian cultures in a very short space. It has a casual, conversational tone; like a devotional for progressive Jewish and Christian audiences who also appreciate horror. It offers tightly focused chapters that are the product of a practiced, pastoral educator, with tidy conclusions that are satisfying even while tackling big existential questions.
LUS could also be for folks who appreciate horror and are curious about biblical allusions and themes that might be shared between horror films and biblical texts.
To be clear, this book may have been more accurately sub-titled something like “horror, the Bible, and the questions that haunt us”, since most of not all the religious matters are related to the Tanakh and New Testament.
Occasionally, the casual tone, plus the brevity and scope of the book, creates strange moments where one might infer that the author is awkwardly placating justice and liberation-oriented readers, and/or doesn’t take as seriously as he likely does* the problems to which he’s gesturing. For example, on p 177 the author parenthetically mentions the association between disfiguration and evil in horror tropes without elaborating on ableism, colonialist beauty norms, and why those are harmful.
*eg chapter 4, p185, etc.
LUS covers a lot of themes at the intersections or horror films, the Bible, and Christian cultures in a very short space. It has a casual, conversational tone; like a devotional for progressive Jewish and Christian audiences who also appreciate horror. It offers tightly focused chapters that are the product of a practiced, pastoral educator, with tidy conclusions that are satisfying even while tackling big existential questions.
LUS could also be for folks who appreciate horror and are curious about biblical allusions and themes that might be shared between horror films and biblical texts.
To be clear, this book may have been more accurately sub-titled something like “horror, the Bible, and the questions that haunt us”, since most of not all the religious matters are related to the Tanakh and New Testament.
Occasionally, the casual tone, plus the brevity and scope of the book, creates strange moments where one might infer that the author is awkwardly placating justice and liberation-oriented readers, and/or doesn’t take as seriously as he likely does* the problems to which he’s gesturing. For example, on p 177 the author parenthetically mentions the association between disfiguration and evil in horror tropes without elaborating on ableism, colonialist beauty norms, and why those are harmful.
*eg chapter 4, p185, etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2022
I think I’ve read all of Brandon Grafius’ books. His latest is a more personal venture into explaining why a religious person—a Bible teacher in a seminary, no less—watches horror. The discussion is theological but accessible to those who are interested in this particular subset of horror fans.
The book discusses both theological aspects such as faith, fear, and fairness, that often show up in horror. It also discusses several horror films and how they fit into a Christian outlook. This isn’t heavy-duty theology, but it can be understood by those with an interest in how Christianity and horror have some similarities.
As usual when I read books of this kind (and I do) I came away with a list of movies that I really should see. There are a handful of us who write books about how religion and horror interact, and, like Grafius, I used to teach Bible in a seminary. My own outlook differs a bit but I enjoyed reading my colleague’s take on the subject. I also blogged about it here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
The book discusses both theological aspects such as faith, fear, and fairness, that often show up in horror. It also discusses several horror films and how they fit into a Christian outlook. This isn’t heavy-duty theology, but it can be understood by those with an interest in how Christianity and horror have some similarities.
As usual when I read books of this kind (and I do) I came away with a list of movies that I really should see. There are a handful of us who write books about how religion and horror interact, and, like Grafius, I used to teach Bible in a seminary. My own outlook differs a bit but I enjoyed reading my colleague’s take on the subject. I also blogged about it here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
October 28, 2022
Brandon Grafius has already proven himself a fine biblical scholar and horror scholar but in this book he leaves the comfort of the ivory tower and aims his ideas to a more practical level. He tackles what does horror have to do with religion and can we really do anything with it? The answer is a resounding yes. Grafius approaches the topics in a personal, heartfelt manner while still being informed by his more academic studies. I highly recommend this book for any religious person who doesn’t know what to do with the horrors around us.
April 8, 2024
Lurking Under the Surface explores the intersection of horror and the Christian faith in a conversational manner. It's a pop theological work and therefore it is accessible to those who are interested in this particular genre of film as well as those who read about issues regarding the Christian faith. I found the book to be often insightful and engaging. Horror truly does reflect our soul and our morality and Grafius' exploration helped articulate somethings I had been thinking about in regards to horror and faith. Note: This book only focuses on Christianity.
August 17, 2022
Reviewed for Booklist.
October 30, 2024
interesting!
November 19, 2023
For about the past 5 years I have lived next to Maple Grove Cemetery in Mason, Michigan. The headstones in the cemetery date back to the 1800s, Sycamore Creek runs along the edge of the cemetery, and the Hayhoe River Walk passes through it. A bridge on the east end of the cemetery crosses the river near the community Garden.
I have recently learned that Brandon R Grafius lives across the street from the community garden. Brandon R Grafius has written a book called Lurking under the Surface: Horror, Religion, and the Questions that Haunt us. It’s an exploration of some of the ways horror and religion are closely intertwined. He’s an associate professor of biblical studies at ecumenical Theological seminary in Detroit, and he’s also been a fan of horror films almost his whole life. His intention is to help us see new depths in popular entertainment as well as ponder our faith journey in a new and exciting way.
In the introduction to his book he talks about feeling uneasy and holding his breath while walking through Maple Grove cemetery during the pandemic. He relates that as he walked between the headstones and the river he thought about all the ways the graveyard symbolizes life and death, the sacred and the terrifying. The graveyard reminded that faith and fear are more closely connected than they appear. In his opinion, the best horror stories and the best religious traditions both lead us to view with deep suspicion any easy answers to life’s persistent questions.
Graveyards connect us to our ancestors. They provide spaces for mourning and remembering.They also offer a reminder of our eventual death. The graveyard is a sacred space that is inexplicably and inextricably connected to our own mortality. One of the ancient biblical poets wrote “So teach us to consider our mortality, so that we might live wisely.” Graveyards warn us to value whatever time we have left. to make the most of it, and to receive every day as a gift.
I have recently learned that Brandon R Grafius lives across the street from the community garden. Brandon R Grafius has written a book called Lurking under the Surface: Horror, Religion, and the Questions that Haunt us. It’s an exploration of some of the ways horror and religion are closely intertwined. He’s an associate professor of biblical studies at ecumenical Theological seminary in Detroit, and he’s also been a fan of horror films almost his whole life. His intention is to help us see new depths in popular entertainment as well as ponder our faith journey in a new and exciting way.
In the introduction to his book he talks about feeling uneasy and holding his breath while walking through Maple Grove cemetery during the pandemic. He relates that as he walked between the headstones and the river he thought about all the ways the graveyard symbolizes life and death, the sacred and the terrifying. The graveyard reminded that faith and fear are more closely connected than they appear. In his opinion, the best horror stories and the best religious traditions both lead us to view with deep suspicion any easy answers to life’s persistent questions.
Graveyards connect us to our ancestors. They provide spaces for mourning and remembering.They also offer a reminder of our eventual death. The graveyard is a sacred space that is inexplicably and inextricably connected to our own mortality. One of the ancient biblical poets wrote “So teach us to consider our mortality, so that we might live wisely.” Graveyards warn us to value whatever time we have left. to make the most of it, and to receive every day as a gift.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews