Halloween & Horror | The Complete LTN Resource List

Halloween, often associated with ghouls, witches, and all things spooky, might seem an unlikely ally to the Christian faith. Yet, beneath the eerie masks and macabre decorations lies an intriguing potential for spiritual reflection and allegorical interpretation. Just as horror movies can serve as more than mere sources of fright, they can also be powerful tools for exploring deeper themes of faith, morality, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. In this paradoxical dance between the sacred and the sinister, Halloween and horror content provides a unique opportunity for Christians to find allegorical significance that speaks to their beliefs and the human condition itself. Here is a collections of articles and podcasts that discuss this topic and more.

Redeeming Halloween | The Devil Doesn’t GET a Day

• Redeeming Halloween: The Love of Jesus & Full-Sized Candy Bars by Craig Nash | A look at the complete history of Halloween, the different ways Christians approach it, and how we can use the holiday to be the love of Jesus, just like LTN does with nerd culture.

Photo Credit: Christians Who Curse Sometimes

Outside Articles | Terrifyingly Good Reads

• Holy Horror: What Halloween Says about Us and God by Jaclyn S. Parrish | A look at the complete history of Halloween, the different ways Christians approach it, and how we can use the holiday to be the love of Jesus, just like LTN does with nerd culture.
• What Horror Films Can Teach Christians about Their Faith by Emi Stewart | Fear is unifying, and we’ve got the flashlights.

LTN Articles | Skipping These Would Be Psycho

• Can You be a Christian and Love Cosmic Horror? by Madeline Turnipseed | Finding comfort in things out of our control.
• The Walking Dead, The Horror of Choice, and the Value of Second Chances by Steven Sukkau | Making a tough decision is easy, how we live with our choice is what counts.
• How to Read, Watch, and Play with Less Guilt and More Care by Brittany Lofland | The stories that we are told and that we tell ourselves can be edifying to our lives if we think critically about what it is we’re watching, reading, and playing.
• Werewolf by Night and Choosing Your Own Path by Amy Cokenour | There is always the opportunity to take an inward look at the beliefs we’ve been raised with and determine what we want to carry forward.
• Grappling with Darkness in Diablo II by Elliott Iannello | The peculiar thing about light is it can deceive the eyes. Only when sight is absent can we distinguish with certainty between the oasis and the mirage. This is the necessity of trial.
• The Haunting of Bly Manor and the Redemptive Pain of Friendship by Joey Thurmond | All of life’s joys are decreased, our sorrows increased, and our very being lesser, when we have no real relationships with others.
• When There’s Nowhere to Run: A Reflection on Something Is Killing the Children by Drew Hood | Empathizing with the disenfranchised.
• Finding Forgiveness in Silent Hill 2 by Daniel Motley | Regret isn’t a simple emotion.

• The Batman Who Laughs and the Importance of Facing Our Fears by Drew Hood | Understanding and confronting fear head on and without compromise.
• Resident Evil 2 is How We Feel Inside by M. Joshua Cauller | The horror genre externalizes our worst emotions.
• Our Minds Haunt Us in The Haunting of Hill House by Joshua Morris | Exposing the monster inside each of us.
• Mansions of Madness In-Depth by Craig Falvo | A rundown of the game Mansions of Madness, which pulls inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.
• Childlikeness and Play in Stranger Things by Matt Civico | Accepting our strange world as it really is.
• Twisted Exodus: A Reflection on Brightburn by Drew Hood | Looking in the mirror and answering some tough questions about ourselves.
• Five Times Video Games Scared Us Out of Our Minds by LTN Writers | Sometimes it’s fun to be scared.
• 15 Games That Gave Us the Creeps by LTN Writers | Looking to get creeped out? We’ve got a good list.
• Rationalizing Evil in Doom by Joey Thurmond | Hell leads to Hell, even if it seems Heaven is on the horizon.
• Why is There So Much Hell in Video Games and So Little Heaven? by Eric Bailey | Why Hell resonates with the human experience.

Podcasts | The Sounds of Spookiness

• Church Nerds 82 | The Marshmallow of Doom… and Other Spoopy (Bible) Stories by Bubba & Anna | A post-Halloween episode full of spoopiness as the Church Nerds share some of their nightmares and go through 8 different scary Bible stories.
• Church Nerds 58 | Midnight Mass by Bubba & Anna | The Church Nerds unpack the Netflix series “Midnight Mass” in a spoiler-filled deep-dive review.
• Church Nerds 56 | Oh, the Horror by Bubba & Anna | The Church Nerds dive deep into Halloween-related topics and memories. They also welcome the author of the article “Holy Horror” – Jaclyn S. Parrish – to discuss our fascination with the scary and supernatural.
• The Back Row Morning Show 289 | A Halloween Like We’ve Never Seen by Radio Matt & Mo | A COVID-era special reviewing COVID-era Halloween ideas and hilarious 2020-themed Halloween costumes.
• The Back Row Morning Show | Hallow-Rewind Special by Radio Matt & Mo | A collection of highlights from 3 classic Halloween-themed episodes prior to joining the LTN Podcast Network.
• LTN Book Club 13 | It Began With a Lie by the Book Club | The LTN Bookclub discusses the thriller It Began With a Lie by Michele Pariza Wacek and delves into the mystery, horror, and tragedy that occurs when an isolated woman returns to a town from her past.

LTN Shorts | Boo! 

• Reviews of the Nerds | The Last of Us | A quick TV review from Marc Davis.
• Reviews of the Nerds | Stranger Things (Season 4) | A quick streaming series review from Tieranie Albright.
• Reviews of the Nerds | NOPE | A quick movie review from Julien Jamar.
• Faith & Fandom 180 | Things Unseen | A quick devotional inspired by The Sandman from Hector Miray.
• Faith & Fandom 180 | Running Up That Hill | A quick devotional inspired by an 80s song made popular today by Stranger Things from Hector Miray.

This resource was compiled by Bubba Stallcup and Radio Matt. Last Updated October 19th, 2023.