The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Monsters

by Brandon R. Grafius (Editor), John W. Morehead (Editor)

Overview

The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Monsters brings together the work of world-renowned scholars in Bible, theology, religion, and cultural studies to explore the monsters that rampage through the biblical text. Essays provide in-depth analysis of the Ancient Near Eastern background of these creatures, explore how they have continued to live on after the biblical text, and discuss how they remain impactful through art and literature today. The chapters not only study where monsters came from, but continually focus on what they mean, and how these meanings are generated. These chapters work to bridge the perspectives of traditional scholarship and more postmodern ideas of monsters as cultural and rhetorical constructions. There are chapters on the Ghosts of Mesopotamia, Leviathan, and the Giants, but also on the Monstrous Jew in the Gospels and the Monstrosity of the Crucifixion. They serve both as foundational pieces of research for scholars looking to familiarize themselves with monsters and discourses of monstrosity, but also as creative and provocative examinations of how these monsters generate meaning. While working to summarize the research that has been done on biblical monsters up to the present day, this Handbook points the way forward towards new and exciting studies in unnatural creatures and the rhetoric of horror.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780197565070
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/10/2025
Series:	Oxford Handbooks
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	480
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Brandon R. Grafius is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Academic Dean at Ecumenical Theological Seminary, Detroit. He is the co-chair of the Bible and Film Session of the Society of Biblical Literature. The author of numerous books and articles, he is also the film area editor for de Gruyter's Encyclopaedia of the Bible and Its Reception. John W. Morehead is an adjunct instructor in new and world religions at the Multnomah Campus of Jessup University. He is the editor of several books including Horror Comics and Religion, Theology and Horror, and The Paranormal and Popular Culture.

Table of Contents

Introduction by Brandon R. Grafius and John W. Morehead Background Studies 1. Overview of Monster Theory by Doug Cowan 2. Monstrous God and Monstrous Creators by Anthony Rees 3. Demons and Monsters of Mesopotamia by Anne Marie Kitz 4. Ghosts of Mesopotamia by JoAnn Scurlock Hebrew Bible Explorations 5. Moloch by George Heider 6. Anzu by Tammi Schneider 7. Giants by Brian Doak 8. Lilith by Jessi Knippel and Leland Merritt 9. Shapeshifters in Daniel by Michael Hammett 10. Monsters of Daniel 7 by Eric Jarrard Monsters of the Divine 11. Leviathan by Robert Miller II 12. Behemoth by Mark Sneed 13. Satan by Ryan Stokes 14. Sheol by Christopher B. Hays 15. The Mischwesen of Ezekiel by Megan Remington Rhetoric of Control 16. The Monstrous Feminine in the Hebrew Bible by Rhiannon Graybill and Peter Sabo 17. Monstrosity in the Wisdom of Solomon by Thomas Scott Cason New Testament and Second Temple Era 18. The Monstrosity of the Crucifixion by Richard Walsh 19. Demons in the New Testament by Archie Wright 20. The Monstrous Jew in the Gospels by Kelly J. Murphy 21. The Monstrous Dragon of Revelation by Heather Macumber 22. The Other Monsters of Revelation by David Barr Monstrous Afterlives 23. Monstrous Angels in the Modern World by Gregory Stevenson 24. Biblical Demons in Contemporary Culture by Joseph Laycock 25. Satan in Contemporary Culture by Scott Poole 26. The Monsters of Young-Earth Creationists by Valarie Ziegler 27. Today's Apocalyptic Monsters by Elizabeth Coody