Brandon R. Grafius - Reading the Bible with Horror

LEXINGTON BOOKS/FORTRESS ACADEMIC

Lanham Boulder New York London

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019949957

ISBN: 978-1-9787-0168-7 (cloth : alk. paper)

ISBN: 978-1-9787-0169-4 (electronic)

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Writing and research are solitary endeavors, but they can only happen with the support of family, friends, and community. The support Ive received, from so many places, during the writing of this book has been overwhelming, and the gratitude I can express in these acknowledgments is only a small part of what is due.

Some of these chapters were presented, in significantly different form, at meetings of the Midwest Society of Biblical Literature; a version of chapter 5 was presented at the first Gods and Monsters conference, hosted by Texas State University. Thanks is due to Natasha Mikles and Joseph Laycock for organizing this conference, which will hopefully be the first of many. I have deep admiration for my colleagues at Ecumenical Theological Seminary, who have continued to support my rather nontraditional approach to biblical studies. In addition, I am grateful for the students who have studied with me through the writing of this book, particularly in courses on the book of Job and biblical interpretation. The richness and depths of our classroom discussions are due in large to the particular nature of Ecumenical Theological Seminary, whose students have a diversity of religious and life experiences that is truly unique.

Kelly Murphy, the coeditor on this series with me, has been a support since the very early stages of this project; her insights on all things monstrous have been indispensable in helping me develop my own thinking. The anonymous peer reviewer offered challenging and cogent critiques that led to more focused and tightly constructed arguments. And thanks are due to my editor Neil Elliott, who not only accepted this proposal for publication but proposed that we launch the Horror and Scripture series of monographs. Im excited to see where this series will lead in the coming years.

My family has been an unwavering source of support. My parents, Edward and Ellen Grafius, helped me to learn the importance of critical thinking from an early age and instilled in me the value of following ideas wherever they may lead. My children, Fenton and Reece, have grown along with this book to the point where we can discuss the jump scares in James Wans films together. I am so grateful for their presence in my life. And my wife, Kate Simon, has so graciously allowed my scholarly needs to set the evening film agenda and is always ready to challenge and deepen my ideas with precisely the right question. I feel lucky every day to have her as a life partner.

Biblical quotations are my own translations, unless otherwise noted. When discussing a particular Hebrew word or phrase, I have included the Hebrew consonants, as well as a rough transliteration to aid non-Hebrew readers.