How Engaging Horror Helps Us Fear Rightly

Is it possible to be scared―in a good way?

In Be Afraid, theologian and psychological scientist Kutter Callaway explores the surprising relationship between fear, horror, and Christian faith. Drawing from film, psychology, and theology, this book engages popular horror narratives to ask what our deepest fears reveal about what we truly love, long for, and believe.

Be Afraid explores how our Christian faith is made better when we engage with the horror genre. According to Callaway, Christian life isn’t about eliminating fear, it’s about redirecting it. This book offers a fresh, often funny, and deeply honest theological reflection on the shared fears and anxieties of our culture that is as engaging in a classroom as it is in a book club.

By exploring the genre of horror through the lens of Christian faith, Be Afraid:

demonstrates how that faith is enriched by engaging with horror;
offers theological insight into our culture's fascination with the terrifying;
helps readers learn how to redeem real world fears; and
includes discussion questions for individual or group reflection.

Scripture itself contains many stories filled with horror and gore: Jael and Sisera, John the Baptist's beheading, and even the crucifixion of Jesus. Be Afraid argues that engaging with horror stories―whether in the media or in the Bible―can benefit our spiritual lives by teaching us how to fear rightly.

The Bible calls on Christians to think about what is good, beautiful, and true. And sometimes, the truth is horrifying.

Matthew Brake