Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen - Paperback

by Douglas E. Cowan (Author)

Sacred Terror examines the religious elements lurking in horror films. It answers a simple but profound question: When there are so many other scary things around, why is religion so often used to tell a scary story? In this lucid, provocative book, Douglas Cowan argues that horror films are opportune vehicles for externalizing the fears that lie inside our religious selves: of evil; of the flesh; of sacred places; of a change in the sacred order; of the supernatural gone out of control; of death, dying badly, or not remaining dead; of fanaticism; and of the power--and the powerlessness--of religion.

Author Biography

Douglas E. Cowan is Professor of Religious Studies and Social Development Studies at Renison University College. His publications include Sacred Space: The Quest for Transcendence in Science Fiction Film and Television (Baylor University Press, 2010).