Overview
What can vampires teach us about God? How can they reshape the way we think about religion, and our relationship with the divine? Through a thorough analysis of the relationship between theology and vampires, Theology and Vampires provides a glimpse into the versatility of the vampire as a tool for theological enquiry. Contributions to the volume assess vampires and their role in articulating theological thought, bringing together some of the classical vampire tales of the 19th century, with contemporary iterations of the figure. Considering how vampires are used to ask theological questions across media, from literature through to video games, this volume paints a complex and comprehensive picture of the often overlooked manner in which vampires not only reflect but also actively shape theological modes of enquiry.
Full Product Details
Author: Madeline Potter ,
Madeline Potter ,
Shaona Barik, Visva- Bharati, Santiniketan, India ,
Leo Chu
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Imprint: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
ISBN: 9781978716896
ISBN 10: 1978716893
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 15 December 2024
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
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Reviews
Theology and Vampires provides an historically and geographically comprehensive account of the theological journey undertaken by the vampire from the nineteenth century to the present day. From Britain to India and Japan, these essays bear witness to the complex manifestation of vampirism in a variety of national and theological contexts. This volume charts the rich theological development of the undead vampire in novels, films, and manga. This is an important book for any scholar working on the history of the vampire across media forms. --Andrew Smith, University of Sheffield, UK Contrary to popular images of the vampire as a demonic prince of darkness that fears the sign of the cross, this fine collection of essays reveals a complex figure that continues to be re-invented in changing religious, national and theological contexts. If the vampires that emerge here can still be the enemies of the sacred and a lens through which to examine the nature of human and metaphysical evil, they can also confront a secular culture with profound theological questions. Recent scholarship has recognized the Gothic's engagement with religion; this collection adds to the field by demonstrating the range of theological ideas embodied by one of the genre's most famous monsters. --Simon Marsden, University of Liverpool This welcome new volume, edited expertly by Madeline Potter, applies the recent ""religious turn"" in Gothic studies to one of horror's most enduring archetypes: the vampire. It does so within a rich global context, examining literary vampirism's engagement with different theologies around the world and beyond the West. Collectively, the impressive contributions reveal how the vampire has retained an intimate relationship with shifting concepts and practices of belief from the nineteenth century to the present day. --Christine Ferguson, University of Stirling
Theology and Vampires provides an historically and geographically comprehensive account of the theological journey undertaken by the vampire from the nineteenth century to the present day. From Britain to India and Japan, these essays bear witness to the complex manifestation of vampirism in a variety of national and theological contexts. This volume charts the rich theological development of the undead vampire in novels, films, and manga. This is an important book for any scholar working on the history of the vampire across media forms. -- Andrew Smith, University of Sheffield, UK This welcome new volume, edited expertly by Madeline Potter, applies the recent “religious turn” in Gothic studies to one of horror’s most enduring archetypes: the vampire. It does so within a rich global context, examining literary vampirism’s engagement with different theologies around the world and beyond the West. Collectively, the impressive contributions reveal how the vampire has retained an intimate relationship with shifting concepts and practices of belief from the nineteenth century to the present day. -- Christine Ferguson, University of Stirling Contrary to popular images of the vampire as a demonic prince of darkness that fears the sign of the cross, this fine collection of essays reveals a complex figure that continues to be re-invented in changing religious, national and theological contexts. If the vampires that emerge here can still be the enemies of the sacred and a lens through which to examine the nature of human and metaphysical evil, they can also confront a secular culture with profound theological questions. Recent scholarship has recognized the Gothic’s engagement with religion; this collection adds to the field by demonstrating the range of theological ideas embodied by one of the genre’s most famous monsters. -- Simon Marsden, University of Liverpool
Author Information
Madeline Potter is Early Career Teaching and Research Fellow in the Long 19th Century (Romanticism to Victorianism) at University of Edinburgh.
