The Journal of Gods and Monsters

Editors’ Note

We are pleased to present another edition of the journal. In this issue there are items that will provide much to think about in the connection between religion and the monstrous.

In this issue, we take turn towards the experiential, and are especially interested in the way that monstrous creatures become a way to encounter the ultimately terrifying. This includes an essay by Daniel Wise who explores the pop culture phenomenon of ghost hunting. This is not only a popular individual pursuit, but it has also become the focus of several television programs. In his discussion, Wise draws upon Rudolf Otto and his concept of the numinous which is used as an analytical lens to shed light on the popularity of the belief in demons among ghost hunters.

This issue continues with a contribution by Filip Andjelkovic who explores the subject of techno-horror. Andjelkovic makes the case that techno-horror can become a way of expressing unconscious fantasies which then function as a vehicle for experiences of the transcendent.

Finally, this edition of The Journal of Gods and Monsters includes several reviews of significant books in the field. It is our hope that these reviews help the reader to get a feel for some of the printed scholarship on religion and monsters, and that this might be helpful in making decisions about adding these works to personal or university libraries. The review section concludes with reflections on some recent films that offering interesting opportunities to think through the intersection of religion and the monstrous.
We hope that you will be informed and challenged in your reading of this edition of the journal.

- The Editors