Why read America's Dark Theologian?

Book cover of America's Dark Theologian: The Religious Imagination of Stephen King

Book description

Illuminating the religious and existential themes in Stephen King's horror stories

Who are we? Why are we here? Where do we go when we die? For answers to these questions, people often look to religion. But religion is not the only place seekers turn. Myths, legends, and other stories have…

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Why read it?

1 author picked America's Dark Theologian as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Brandon R. Grafius

Author

Douglas Cowan was one of the first scholars I stumbled on who was diving into this area.

He’s been hugely influential on my own thinking – particularly in the way he asks us to stop thinking about “religious questions” and instead start thinking of “properly human questions.” Cowan’s walk through Stephen King’s oeuvre is all kinds of fun.

You’ll be particularly struck by how he finds religious rituals of initiation in Pet Semetary.

From Brandon's list on horror and religion.