Scared by the Bible - by Brandon R Grafius (Paperback)

About the Book

"You may know the Bible as a testament of faith. But within this sacred book are also the world's first horror stories. Conventional wisdom has it that the origins of the horror genre are found in the nineteenth century, in works like Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this paradigm-shaking new book, Bible scholar and cultural historian Brandon Grafius argues that the Bible is, among other things, the world's first work of horror literature. The tropes and themes that we find in slasher movies, body horror, folk horror and zombie apocalypses were kickstarted by the Bible. Before Godzilla, there were the monsters arising from the sea in the book of Daniel. Before The Wicker Man, there was the folk horror violence of the book of Judges. And before The Fly, Leviticus and Paul understood that our bodies are untrustworthy. Sometimes, the Bible has decided that the best way to help us understand the world in new ways is to scare us. Grafius's book is a revelatory work of biblical scholarship as well as a cultural analysis of the contemporary horror genre. It is a book that will make readers revise how they see the Bible and impact how they consume horror literature and cinema. It is guaranteed to make them wiser consumers of both"--

Book Synopsis

"Grafius uses his extensive knowledge of horror films to tease out horror tropes from the Bible . . . this book is thought-provoking." -Library Journal

You may know the Bible as a testament of faith. But within this sacred book are also the world's first horror stories.

Conventional wisdom has it that the origins of the horror genre are found in the nineteenth century, in works like Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this paradigm-shaking new book, Bible scholar and cultural historian Brandon Grafius argues that the Bible is, among other things, the world's first work of horror literature.

The tropes and themes that we find in slasher movies, body horror, folk horror and zombie apocalypses were kickstarted by the Bible. Before Godzilla, there were the monsters arising from the sea in the book of Daniel. Before The Wicker Man, there was the folk horror violence of the book of Judges. And before The Fly, Leviticus and Paul understood that our bodies are untrustworthy. Sometimes, the Bible has decided that the best way to help us understand the world in new ways is to scare us.

Grafius's book is a revelatory work of biblical scholarship as well as a cultural analysis of the contemporary horror genre. It is a book that will make readers revise how they see the Bible and impact how they consume horror literature and cinema. It is guaranteed to make them wiser consumers of both.

Review Quotes

"Grafius uses his extensive knowledge of horror films to tease out horror tropes from the Bible . . . this book is thought-provoking."

"Scared by the Bible deftly connects Jason Vorhees to the Book of Numbers, posits Godzilla as a modern day Leviathan, and welcomes readers into the Last House of the Lord on the Left, just to name a few miracles found within its pages. Brandon Grafius shows us that the blood red line that divides a house of worship from the grindhouse is razor thin and I'm here for every slash of it."


"A deeply thoughtful and self-reflective invitation to explore the fascinating and disturbing terrain of biblical horror. Grafius understands that actually cracking open and reading the Bible raises more unsettling questions than it answers--questions about ourselves, about our social norms and conventions, and, for people of faith, about the biblical God. Required reading for anyone interested in biblical studies and/or horror studies."

"A thoughtful exploration of fear, faith, and storytelling. If, like me, you're a horror fan who grew up asking difficult questions in Sunday school, this book has your name on it."

"Grafius has produced a body of work that makes him the biblical scholar in residence at the Last House on the Left. His new work sums up so much of his scholarship for a popular reading audience, sure to be beloved by students and anyone interested in learning about this little known or understood side of scripture. You'll learn about the horror genre but you'll also get a surprisingly witty and thoughtful introduction to how the pros do biblical scholarship. It's an amazing book and, once again, Grafius has shown he's on par with scholars like Bart Ehrmann and Elaine Pagels... if you could listen to the Cramps and Rob Zombie while reading them!"

"Once again, Brandon Grafius has shown us that we are not done with religion and horror, that the inextricable relationship between them has much to teach us about ourselves as believers... and as those who look askance at faith-based optimism. Scared by the Bible should be essential reading for anyone interested in why we believe what we believe, why we continue to fear the things we do, and the inescapable links between them."


"Through sophisticated, mirthful writing, Prof. Grafius brings his vast knowledge of horror to his deep critical engagement with the Bible. The result is a brilliant examination of the ways in which horror narratives helps us to imagine new possibilities."

"With imagination, clarity, and verve, Brandon Grafius's Scared by the Bible dares us to experience the horror present in the Bible's pages. Tracing the extra, the impossible, and the uncanny in stories familiar and foreign, Grafius shows that biblical horror is not a problem for theology but an opportunity. Sacred authors invited readers to grapple with their most visceral fears in order to see beyond the surface and reimagine the world that is and should be. This engaging and accessible book will delight fans of modern horror while furnishing fresh tools and insights for interpreting the Bible."

"You don't need to be a theological scholar to find this book fascinating--not if you're curious about the horrors of our existence, and how storytellers have grappled with those horrors for millennia. No one would take Dracula or Frankenstein as historic fact, and Scared by the Bible makes a concise and energetic case for not taking the Bible literally--in part by examining horror's archetypal elements, which beg us to dig beneath the surface to discover a deeper intention. An absolutely engaging and thought-provoking read."