Hey Monster Hunters! You might like our sister podcast They Also Served, which explores the untold stories of women who impacted American Christianity, Adventism, and the world.  Subscribe over on the They Also Served feed so you don't miss when the first episodes drop in Summer 2024!  Subscribe now: Apple | Spotify |  Google | Podbean App

For years, Christians have tried to create positive alternatives to Halloween. In some cases they have been traumatic, such as the Hell or Judgment House. Other times they have made it cringey by preaching anti-Halloween sermons with misinformation. Yet, some churches have found a way to reach out and have fun. In this final Halloween episode, Dr. Pierce talks with Pastor Michael Halfhill on his church’s popular event known as “Light Up the Dark.” This is the fourth and final episode of the...

When did Halloween take such a dark turn? How did it come to be associated with gory, murderous imagery? In this episode, Dr. Pierce concludes his interview ith Halloween expert Lisa Morton, focusing on the transition from children's holiday to something for adults with a taste for the macabre. This is the third episode of the 2023 Halloween Special.  Show Notes Book | Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton Documentary | Hell House | Rent on Amazon, Vudu or view on Youtube This...

Halloween is often considered a tribute to the Celtic Lord of Death…but is it? Where did this holiday come from? Is it a religious holiday or something manufactured by the makers of sweets? In this episode, Dr. Pierce interviews Halloween historian and six-time Bram Stoker award winner Lisa Morton about the history of this spooky Holiday. This is the second episode of the 2023 Halloween Special.  Show Notes Book | Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton

Episode 1 of the Beast and Bible 2023 Halloween Special.

Dr. Pierce speaks with expert Dr. Joseph Laycock on how knowing the patterns of moral panics can keep us from being swept up in them.

Dr. Pierce speaks with expert Dr. Joseph Laycock to pull back the curtain on why there's so much panic about the satanic.

We're taking this week off, but we'll be back on July 10 with Part 1 of our episodes on the Satanic Panic. If you want to do some homework, check out Dr. Joseph Laycock's book, "Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds."

Dr. Pierce explores perhaps the most horrific pop culture icon taken from scripture, the mysterious number 666 (aka the Mark of the Beast). Dr. Jon Paulien, renowned expert on the book of Revelation, joins the episode to help unravel this beastly number.   Show Notes  Contact | Jonathan K. Paulien, PhD, Loma Linda University Website | http://thebattleofarmageddon.com/  Book |  The Deep Things of God: An Insider’s Guide to the Book of Revelation Adventist Book Center | Jon Paulien’s Books on...

Dr. Pierce interviews Dr. Laurence Turner about a creepy Old Testament story that has caused debate for centuries: when the Witch of Endor summons the "spirit" of the prophet Samuel at the request of King Saul, who was actually doing the talking?  This is Part 1. 

Dr. Pierce interviews Dr. Laurence Turner about a creepy Old Testament story that has caused debate for centuries: when the Witch of Endor summons the "spirit" of the prophet Samuel at the request of King Saul, who was actually doing the talking?  This is Part 1. 

Beast and Bible will return on Monday, May 15. 

Dr. Pierce talks with Dr. Michael Campbell and Greg Howell about the 19th and 20th century American spiritualist movements and how this brought up an important question for Seventh-day Adventists: what happens when you die?   This is Part 2.

Dr. Pierce talks with Dr. Michael Campbell and Greg Howell about the 19th and 20th century American spiritualist movements and how this brought up an important question for Seventh-day Adventists: what happens when you die? This is Part 1.   Show Notes Resource | Ellen White's Writings (Books, Articles, Letters and more) Book | Supernatural Entertainments: Victorian Spiritualism and the Rise of Modern Media Culture by Simone Natale  

Dr. Pierce speaks with two scholars about an early slasher story...and it's in the Bible. Dr. Rahel Wells and Dr. Brandon Grafius share their takes on the tragic story of the woman in Judges 19.   This is Part 2.

Dr. Pierce speaks with two scholars about an early slasher story...and it's in the Bible. Dr. Rahel Wells and Dr. Brandon Grafius share their takes on the tragic story of the woman in Judges 19.   This is Part 1. 

What do Jesuits and wereloves have to do with each other? Dr. Pierce sits down with Dr. Emily Zarka from PBS' Monstrum to find out...

In Part 2 of Interview with a Scholar, Dr. Seth Pierce and Dr. Jeffrey Cohen talk about how religion intersects with Monster Theory.  Show Notes: Find Dr. Cohen on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/jeffreyjcohen Or on his website: https://www.jeffreyjeromecohen.com/

In this episode, Dr. Pierce interviews the preeminent scholar on Monster Theory, Dr. Jeffrey Cohen.    This is Part 1.

In this episode, Dr. Pierce walks us through the basics of monster theory and how to "read" monsters in sacred and popular texts.   Works Mentioned The Hobbit (TV Movie 1977) The Hobbit narrated by Nicol Wilianson (1974 Vinyl) “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” by Leonard Nimoy Monster Theory: Reading Culture by Jeffrey Cohen Brahm Stroker’s Dracula (1992), directed by Francis Ford Coppola Dracula (2020) Prey (2022) Predator (1987)  Jaws (1975) Jaws 2 (1978)  Jaws 3-D (1983) Hereford Mappa...

What does holiness have to do with horror? Dr. Pierce explains the surprising connection in this episode. Works Mentioned Casper (1995) Tasmanian Devil (Looney Toones)  Scooby-Doo, Where are You? (1969) Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983)  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Dr. Pierce shares his philosophy of monster hunting that prevents us from becoming monsters ourselves. Works Mentioned Pokemon Go (Video Game, 2016) Why ‘Pokemon Go’ Is Taking Over the World | NBC Nightly News Report Pokemon Go | What You Need to Know  - ABC News Report  Frankenstein (1931) Weekend Update: Debbie Hole and Stacey Bussy on Disney's Hocus Pocus 2 - SNL Satanic Panic  Michelle Remembers (Book)  Black Panther (2018)  The Victorian Ghost Story and Theology: From Le Fanu to James by...

Dr. Pierce shares the strange and monstrous potluck story that inspired the podcast.

A podcast about monsters, religion and pop culture hosted by Dr. Seth Pierce. Dropping October 31st - Halloween and Protestant Reformation Day. Follow us: Facebook | Instagram