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 ce...

Harry Potter. The name conjures up J.K. Rowling's wondrous world of magic that has captured the imaginations of millions on both the printed page and the silver screen with bestselling novels and blockbuster films. The true magic found in this children's fantasy series lies not only in its appeal to people of all ages but in its connection to the greater world of classic literature.Harry Potter's Bookshelf: The Great Books Behind the Hogwarts Adventures explores t...

Comparing Religions is a next-generation textbook which expertly guides, inspires, and challenges those who wish to think seriously about religious pluralism in the modern world.A unique book teaching the art and practice of comparing religionsDraws on a wide range of religious traditions to demonstrate the complexity and power of comparative practicesProvides both a history and understanding of comparative practice and a series of thematic chapte...

Why not take seriously the claim that Harry Potter's world intertwines with our own? In this timely yet otherworldly volume, more than a dozen scholars of international relations join hands to demonstrate how this well-loved artifact of popular culture reflects and shapes our own lifeworld. A wide range of historical and sociological sources shows how Harry's world contains aspects of our own. Practices such as quidditch dovetail quite clearly with "muggle" sports, and the very Br...

A collection of the most fascinating essays, articles, and interpretations of bestselling author Anne Rice's complete works, by a variety of journalists and scholars. It includes a history of vampire literature, a professional dominatrix's examination of Rice's erotica, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film version of Interview with the Vampire. From the adventures of the Vampire Lestat to those of the Mayfair Witches, from the evocative historical epic

Join the bestselling author of The Benedict Option and Live Not by Lies on an exploration of the mystery and meaning of the supernatural world and discover that the universe is not what we think it is: it is far more strange, exciting, connected, and adventurous.The West has become "disenchanted"--closed to the idea that the universe contains the supernatural, the metaphysical, or the non-material. Christianity is in crisis. People today are leavi...

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Four o'clock in the morning, and the lights are on and still there's no way we're going to sleep, not after the film we just saw. The book we just read. Fear is one of the most primal human emotions, and one of the hardest to reason with and dispel. So why do we scare ourselves? It seems almost mad that we would frighten ourselves for fun, and yet there are thousands of books, films, games, and other forms of entertain...

This "vigorous, witty look at the undead as cultural icons in 19th- and 20th-century England and America" examines the many meanings of the vampire myth ( Kirkus Reviews).From Byron's Lord Ruthven to Anne Rice's Lestat to the black bisexual heroine of Jewelle Gomez's The Gilda Stories, vampires have taken many forms, capturing and recapturing our imaginations for centuries. In Our Vampires, Ourselves, Nina Auerbach explores the rich histo...

The Harry Potter phenomenon created a surge in reading with a lasting effect on all areas of culture, especially education. Today, teachers across the world are harnessing the power of the series to teach history, gender studies, chemistry, religion, philosophy, sociology, architecture, Latin, medieval studies, astronomy, SAT skills, and much more.These essays discuss the diverse educational possibilities of J.K. Rowling's books. Teachers of younger students use Harry and Hermione ...

An award-winning scholar and author charts four hundred years of monsters and how they reflect the culture that created themLeo Braudy, a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, has won accolades for revealing the complex and constantly shifting history behind seemingly unchanging ideas of fame, war, and masculinity.Continuing his interest in the history of emotion, this book explores how fear has been shaped in...

The first book to explore the origins of the vampire slayer“A fascinating comparison of the original vampire myths to their later literary transformations.”—Adam Morton, author of On Evil“From the Balkan Mountains to Beverly Hills, Bruce has mapped the vampire’s migration. There’s no better guide for the trek.”—Jan L. Perkowski, Professor, Slavic Department, University of Virginia, and author of Vampires of the Slavs and The Darkling: A T...

Myth is oral, collective, sacred, and timeless. Fantasy is a modern literary mode and a popular entertainment. Yet the two have always been inextricably intertwined. Stories about Stories examines fantasy as an arena in which different ways of understanding myth compete and new relationships with myth are worked out. The book offers a comprehensive history of the modern fantastic as well as an argument about its nature and importance. Specific chapters cover the origins of fantasy...