Christian Horror

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This is a tightly written argument that seeks to persuade Evangelicals that horror - properly done - need not be antithetical to their beliefs, but might actually be consistent with their beliefs.

This is mostly a parochial, intra-Evangelical dispute. As a Catholic, I found the cultural dimension fascinating. Catholicism doesn't have the same cultural commitment to “niceness” that Evangelicals do; in fact, much of horror presumes “sacramentality,” i.e., the notion that the supernatural and the natural are intermingled on special occasions.

Duran makes an interesting point about Evangelicalism's commitment to the nice. Apparently, the romance genre - particularly, the Amish romance
- is outrageously popular among Evangelicals. It is understandable that Evangelicals would want a change from the ordinary secular world that is saturated in profanity, nihilism and violence. Evangelicals naturally seeks something “safe” and “clean,” as do people in other faith traditions.

On the other hand, it is the case that life is not always “nice.” Life involves dealing with evil and darkness and ignoring that reality sets up Evangelicals for problems because they can't always be in denial, and might mistake evil for nice. Duran observed:

“In my article at Novel Rocket, What's More Dangerous, Amish Heroines or Christian Vampires? [66], I challenged the idea that Amish fiction is any more “safe” than any other type of fiction. I concluded this way:

...“Amish heroines” are just as potentially dangerous as “Christian vampires.” Besides, if the devil appears as an “angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14), there's more chance he's lurking under a bonnet than in a coffin.

The article produced some interesting comments. Camille's comment was representative of a theme that emerged in response to my assertion that Amish fiction can become escapist, even idolatrous.”

Contrarily, Duran explains that horror themes are religious themes. The cross is a classic instrument of horror, it is a torture device, like the iron maiden and the rack, fixtures in Gothic Horror. The bible shows depravity and horror. Duran writes:

“Not only does the Bible not shy away from showing us the sin and utter depravities of man, even the greatest of Bible heroes are not exempt from its claim. Whether it's Noah's drunkenness, David's adultery, Samson's lust, Israel's whoredoms, Peter's denial of Christ, or Saul killing Christians, the Bible is very clear to reveal all human beings as deeply flawed... even those it calls saints. Furthermore, there are unflinching depictions of judgment upon sin in Scripture. The Flood of Noah, the plagues of Egypt, the Canaanite extermination, Ananius and Saphira, the Great White Throne judgment, the fiery return of Christ to judge the nations, and hell itself are terrible glimpses of a holy God's divine right to wield the gavel.”

Real evil requires that people turn to God:

“Along those lines, belief in real evil and real evil beings is essential to both a biblical worldview and the horror genre. Relativism suggests that knowledge, truth, and morality are not absolute but exist only in relation to culture, society, or historical context. However, it is the belief in real existential evil, as opposed to something that is simply a social construct or a perceived threat, which is so important to a compelling expression of horror. Pazuzu, the demon that possessed Regan in The Exorcist, was not just portrayed as a figment of her mother's imagination or a socio-cultural concoction. Nor was the entity just a threat to the girl. Pazuzu was the personification of Evil, an opponent of all that was Good, True, and Holy. The demon was portrayed as real, which demanded an equally real God to evict it.”

Not all horror is edifying. A Christian - in the broader sense that includes Catholics - must not make a hero out of evil. Also, Duran writes:

“Some will question whether employing evil or focusing on the grotesque is a spiritually healthy thing to do. But for the Christian artist, portraying real Evil is intended to invoke the concept of ultimate Good. Showing moral and spiritual evil is meant to elicit the awareness of Light, not celebrate what is Dark.”

Here's something I've noticed among “prissy” Evangelicals who seem to think that someone who utters the “F bomb” has demonstrated that they are unChristian:

“If Satan disguises himself as an “angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14), he is more likely to deceive us with something that looks good (“clean”), than something that looks evil. Just because some stories are free of profanity, violence, gore, nudity, or the occult, does not make them impervious to spiritual deception. In fact, the desire to consume only what is free of profanity, violence, nudity, etc., may itself be a form of spiritual deception. Which brings us to a final, but crucial response to this objection against horror: Avoiding the horror genre simply because it contains dark, disturbing images is a form of “white magic.” Whereas “black magic” assumes to empower objects, practices and people for nefarious purposes, “white magic” assumes the exact opposite. The belief that not hearing profanity or not seeing the grotesque “protects” one from evil and keeps one holy, is reverse divination.

Journalist and editor E. Stephen Burnett noted this while addressing the subject of how some Christians approached Halloween.

Many Christians, including many parents, are practicing “white magic” whenever they fear and shun objects, symbols, and Things more than they fear Jesus Christ and hate inner sin.

... yes, calling parents' fears and reactions “white magic” seems harsh. But... I don't know what else to call it when parents repeat these beliefs:

The Devil can own objects, symbols, visual motifs, and Things, and use these things to “get to” your innocent children and to you.

Therefore to protect yourself you must fear these objects, shun them, and perform spiritual measures (including rule-following and verse recitations) to stay safe.

Folks, this is too close to the kind of divination God condemned in Deuteronomy 18.”

I don't know if Mr. Duran will be successful with his crusade. I wish the best for him. Evangelical culture must be robust and vital and not afraid.