Ryan G. Duns, SJ, is an associate professor of theology at Marquette University. In addition to many articles and book chapters, he is the author of Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age: Desmond and the Quest for God (University of Notre Dame Press, 2020), winner of the College Theology Society Best Book Award. The University of Notre Dame Press is thrilled to publish his newest book, Theology of Horror: The Hidden Depths of Popular Films (October 2024). He recently answered some of our questions about his research and writing processes.
When did you first get the idea to write this book?
During my interview for a position at Marquette University, I was asked what my “Dream Course” would be. Without hesitation I replied, “The Theology of Horror.” I’m a lifelong fan of horror films (as I write this, in fact, I’m watching Fright Night) and I know that horror is a very popular genre among young adults. So I figured I could bring together two of my passions: Horror movies and Theology!
Certainly these are unprecedented times in the United States, Europe, and around the world. What can readers find in your book that will resonate with them during this era?
A friend asked me why she should watch horror movies when it seems like we are already living in a horror story. This is a good question and I hope my book helps readers, by using popular horror films, to recognize and respond glimmers of hope even in the midst of darkness.
How did you choose the films included in this book?
I have been watching horror movies for decades, so I had the unenviable task of having to choose only fifteen of them to discuss in the book. I picked films based on a few criteria. First, they generally had to be films that had entered into popular culture. Second, they needed to be movies I would feel comfortable showing college students in class. No torture porn or gratuitous nudity in these films! Finally, I selected films that I thought would be useful for raising and discussing theology. Each film, if you will, serves as a doorway to deeper discussion.
What did you learn while writing this book?
I learned that, when watched with a theologically attuned eye, a lot of horror movies have unexpectedly profound depths. Horror moves are profoundly conservative. Conservative? Yes! Characters in horror films are deeply committed to preserving the status quo . . . whether that be of their bodily integrity because a masked killer is trying to decapitate them or because a monstrous incursion threatens to overturn human society. Horror films expose and exploit the cracks in our world and invite us to wonder what if maybe, just maybe, whether what we see depicted on the silver screen might be able to reveal truths we might otherwise miss.
In what way is the book you wrote different from the book you set out to write?
Well, it was much easier and much more fun! I started writing in early January and finished the draft by early June. I broke the book into fifteen chapters which meant fifteen films. At first, I envisioned writing fifteen stand-alone chapters that could be read independently of each other. Once I started, I however, I found that the book was becoming more of a pilgrimage that needed to be unfolded one step at a time. With this realization, the book took shape as much as a scholarly work as a course text to be used for other instructors who needed a fun way to invite students into the task of metaphysical and theological reflection.
Which theologian(s) and/or philosopher(s) are the biggest influence on you and your work?
I think there are five key thinkers lingering in the background of this book: William Desmond, Karl Rahner, Herbert McCabe, Iris Murdoch, and René Girard. These have been my intellectual companions for many years, and they have helped to shape my theological imagination. While none of these thinkers wrote on the topic of horror, I hope they would see and appreciate their influence on me.
Two thinkers who are also present are Douglas Cowan and David Tracy. Douglas Cowan wrote an excellent book, Sacred Terror, on the role of religion in horror films. I lean heavily on this book to frame my own project. David Tracy contributes the idea of the “fragment.” In each chapter I search for a “fragment” of theological insight amid the wreckage of the bloody breakdown of horror.
What is your writing schedule like?
I’m a very disciplined writer. I try to be at my desk and writing by 7:00 am Monday–Friday. For this book, I set out a goal of writing one 6,500 to 7,000-word chapter a week. I would re-watch the week’s film on Sunday night and write the introduction to the chapter on Monday morning. Over the next few days, I would tease out the philosophical and theological insights I found in the film. On Fridays I would re-read and polish the chapter to make it as readable as possible. I took a few weeks off during the semester when I went to visit family, but for the most part I stuck with my schedule.
What advice would you give to a writer who wants to start a book on a subject that is similarly unique?
Honestly, you have to love it. My dad once counseled me to major in a topic I loved so much that I would want to teach it. For that reason, I write as a teacher or as one who wants to introduce others to what I love. I think writing as a teacher keeps one mindful that one needs to be understood by one’s readers.
Who would you like to read Theology of Horror and why?
There are a few audiences intended by this work. First, I’d love to engage people who love horror films but are skeptical about Christianity’s claims. My thesis is that true lovers of horror are already closet metaphysicians and theologians! For they, too, are drawn by the mystery of “things visible and invisible” that Christians profess in the Creed. On a practical level, I would love to see this book adopted as a course text for a “Theology of Horror” course that is taught vis-à-vis films.
What books are you currently reading? And since your book deals with films, what films have you recently watched?
Right now I’m on a sociology kick and I’m reading a lot of Hartmut Rosa. I’m also reading a lot of Karl Rahner and Martin Heidegger in preparation for a doctoral seminar I’m teaching in the Fall. As for films . . . I’m afraid to say I’ve taken a bit of a break from watching horror movies . . . not because I have fallen out of love with the genre but because I’m swamped with other obligations.
What book are you working on next?
My next book is tentatively entitled Theology of Fear: Revelation, Rupture and the Foundations of Theology.