Religion and Its Monsters


Book Description

Religion's great and powerful mystery fascinates us, but it also terrifies. So too the monsters that haunt the stories of the Judeo-Christian mythos and earlier traditions: Leviathan, Behemoth, dragons, and other beasts. In this unusual and provocative book, Timothy K. Beal writes about the monsters that lurk in our religious texts, and about how monsters and religion are deeply entwined. Horror and faith are inextricable. Ans as monsters are part of religious texts and traditions, so religion lurks in the modern horror genre, from its birth in Dante's Inferno to the contemporary spookiness of H.P. Lovecraft and the Hellraiser films. Religion and Its Monsters is essential reading for students of religion and popular culture, as well as any readers with an interest in horror.




Religion, Culture, and the Monstrous


Book Description

Religion, Culture, and the Monstrous: Of Gods and Monsters explores the intersection of the emerging field of “monster theory” within religious studies. With case studies from ancient Mesopotamia to contemporary valleys of the Himalayas to ghost tours in Savannah, Georgia, the volume examines the variegated nature of the monstrous as well as the cultural functions of monsters in shaping how we see the world and ourselves. In this, the authors constructively assess the state of the two fields of monster theory and religious studies, and propose new directions in how these fields can inform each other. The case studies included illuminate the ways in which monsters reinforce the categories through which a given culture sees the world. At the same time, the volume points to how monsters appear to question, disrupt, or challenge those categories, creating an ‘unsettling’ or surplus of meaning.




Faith in Monsters


Book Description

Venom, lethal protector! The enigmatic Moonstone! Bullseye, the man who never misses! Songbird, mistress of sound! Chen Lu, the Radioactive Man! Swordsman, master of the blade! The mystery man called Penance! And Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin! They're America's newest celebrities, ready to take to the skies at a moment's notice in pursuit of those secret, unregistered superhumans hiding among us! They're the All-New, All-Deadly Thunderbolts - making the world a safer place for ordinary people one would-be costumed hero at a time! In the wake of Civil War, Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato present a dark and disturbing take on Marvel's Most Wanted, where the line between hero and villain is difficult to find - if it exists at all! Collects Thunderbolts #110-115, and Thunderbolts Special.




Heroes and Monsters


Book Description

Every one of us is both a hero and a monster, and the world we inhabit is both beautiful and twisted. We are shaken by changes, losses, gains, insights, desires, mistakes, and transitions. And just when we've gotten settled back down, things get shaken up again. This is the life we've been given. So how do we make sense of life's unexpected nature, find a way to embrace the tension, and live with a sense of peace despite pain? In this stunningly honest, compelling, and ultimately hopeful book, Josh James Riebock explores issues of trust, obedience, intimacy, dreams, grief, purpose, and the unexpected stops along the journey that form us into the people we are. In a creative way, he shows readers that pain and beauty are so inextricably linked that to lose the former costs us the latter. Those grappling with life's inconsistencies and trials will especially find a welcome resonance between their lives and Heroes and Monsters. Riebock both validates their experiences and challenges them to live beyond them in this ever-changing life.




The Monster Book


Book Description

An official guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer describes the mythology and influences behind the monsters, ghouls, and characters through interviews with the creators and details of the episodes.




On Monsters and Phantoms


Book Description

Harrison Roberts, like most of us, is good at hiding things, especially from himself. At six years old, still hurting from his father's abandonment, he is left in the care of a Monster who does the unthinkable, then threatens death if he ever reveals the truth. Harrison turns to Jesus for protection from his fears, real and imagined. As he grows, Jesus's voice drowns out the Monster's old threats. A new life emerges: one of love, music and ministry. For a while, Harrison buries the darkest demons from his traumatic past-the ones only God knows about. But when the blessings stop flowing and catastrophe strikes, Harrison spirals into an emotional crisis, questioning his sanity, mortality and his God. He must now navigate the threats from a new Monster: his own faith. What will he risk losing in order to know the truth and become who he is meant to be? On Monsters and Phantoms lifts the veil on a life forged by trauma, which sculpted a man into the image of someone not himself. A bold and honest look into adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and religious trauma, it peers into the soul of Christian fundamentalism, challenging you to question everything, and daring you to seek the answers.




Thunderbolts By Warren Ellis & Mike Deodato Ultimate Collection


Book Description

The Thunderbolts, a band of reformed villains trying to do good, have always sought justice from America. Their earnest attempts to regain the faith of the people have only made them slow progress toward that goal, and r has always been an elusive prize. But now, in the aftermath of CIVIL WAR, the tables have turned: It's time for the Thunderbolts to inflict a little justice on America. At a time when the country has lost faith in its heroes, it is ready to put its faith in monsters. Now is the time for the Thunderbolts! Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato's modern masterpiece challenges readers with a thought-provoking story that offers a steady stream of explosive action! Collecting THUNDERBOLTS #110-121 and material from CIVIL WAR: THE INITIATIVE




Faith


Book Description

One woman's search for the truth after scandal rocks her family, and the explosive family secrets she uncovers, in this complex, moving fourth novel from bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Haigh.




Religion and Its Monsters


Book Description

Religious encounters with mystery can be fascinating, but also terrifying. So too when it comes to encounters with the monsters that haunt Jewish and Christian traditions. Religion has a lot to do with horror, and horror has a lot to do with religion. Religion has its monsters, and monsters have their religion. In this unusual and provocative book, Timothy Beal explores how religion, horror, and the monstrous are deeply intertwined. This new edition has been thoughtfully updated, reflecting on developments in the field over the past two decades and highlighting its contributions to emerging conversations. It also features a new chapter, "Gods, Monsters, and Machines," which engages cultural fascinations and anxieties about technologies of artificial intelligence and machine learning as they relate to religion and the monstrous at the dawn of the Anthropocene. Religion and Its Monsters is essential reading for students and scholars of religion and popular culture, as well as for any readers with an interest in horror theory or monster theory.




Monster


Book Description

The suspense is bone-chilling when you realize the monsters are real . . . Miles away from the hectic city, Reed and Rebecca hike into the beautiful Northwester woods. They are surrounded by gorgeous mountains, waterfalls, and hundreds of acres of unspoiled wilderness. During their first night camping, an unearthly wail pierces the calm of the forest. Then something emerges from the dense woods. Everything that follows is a blur to Reed—except the unforgettable image of a huge creature carrying his wife into the darkness. Enter into deep wilderness where the rules of civilization no longer apply. A world where strange shadows lurk. Where creatures long attributed to overactive imaginations and nightmares are the hunters . . . and people are the hunted. New York Times bestseller Full length, standalone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs