Series: Discovering God in Pop Culture #1
Published by IVP, IVP Academic on September 29, 2026
Genres: Academic, Non-Fiction, Theology
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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.
About the Series
The Discovering God in Pop Culture series seeks to demonstrate how Christian faith is enriched and made better by critical and creative engagement with pop culture. In each volume, readers explore a popular topic through the lens of the Christian faith.
As Kutter Callaway acknowledges in Be Afraid, some people love horror movies and enjoy the thrill of feeling scared, while for others, exposure to horror films leaves lasting scars. If you’re in that second category, then you might like another book just released by this same publisher: The Highly Sensitive Christian! I requested review copies of both books at the same time, and the juxtaposition makes me laugh.
For me personally, I have never watched a single horror movie. The most I can handle is Doctor Who. However, I have read a few horror novels recently, and it surprised me to realize that they were no scarier than the intrusive thoughts I had when I was twelve. As a result, I was primed to enjoy this book, which explores how horror films speak to the psychological experience of fear and the reality of life’s horrors. Callaway argues that even though Christians have often frowned up horror as an ungodly genre, horror stories have inherent value, even when individual movies might not.
This multi-faceted book explores a variety of topics. Callaway notes that horror is one of many genres in the Bible, and he writes about the complicated relationship that many evangelicals have with horror, especially for people who grew up in church communities that leveraged spiritual terror towards desired ends while rejecting the genre of horror. Callaway explores different people’s experiences with horror movies, shares insights from his interviews with several filmmakers, and offers perspectives on horror subgenres. In all this, he emphasizes that horror often speaks the truth about reality, helping us face difficult realities in society and within ourselves.
There were times when I wished that Callaway would dig deeper into something or address the likely counterarguments that would arise from people who would disagree with him. However, most of the critiques I could pinpoint aren’t significant flaws, and are just areas for future exploration. I found this book fascinating, and it piqued my interest to pursue similar titles from the recommended reading list in the back.
Callaway shares sociological findings about fear and leans into theological reflections. He helps readers see how they can approach horror movies with an eye to deeper themes, and he briefly cautions against some excesses in horror. Each chapter also concludes with discussion prompts for individual reflection, book clubs, or classroom discussions. On that note, I felt that the author struck the perfect balance of keeping this book academic enough for classroom use without making it needlessly complex. This is accessible to any teenage or adult reader who is interested in the topic.
Be Afraid: What Horror Reveals About Facing the Darkness is an insightful look at a complicated genre. Christian who love horror films will appreciate this unique reflection on an often-maligned genre, and people who don’t watch horror can learn a lot from this book about what other people value in that genre. This book also has a powerful message about how facing the reality of evil and darkness is crucial for living an honest Christian life.