Category Archives: Theological Interpretation

Theology of Zombies: Part II

19 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by in Human Experience and Theology, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Theological Interpretation

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A theology of zombies can also be derived from how Scripture generally treats the wicked. One of the most notable ways is in its depersonalization of evil persons or a person. Before turning to two notable examples of this in Scripture, We must recognize that Zombies are also humans who have been depersonalized. They are humans with little more than their instinct for survival intact, which removes the rational, moral, and spiritual capacity of humans.

Although the name “Lucifer” or “Satan” takes on the force of a name, both are only titles, not a personal name. Lucifer means son of the dawn and Satan means accuser or adversary. We do not know Lucifer’s real name; but for someone to lack a name is already for them to be depersonalized. In contradistinction to this, we would note that the saints in the Book of Revelation are given another name written on a pearl. Rather than having their name taken away, they get another one: this is personalizing.

Second, the rich man in Luke 16 in the story Jesus tells about the rich man and the poor man Lazarus is never named. Notice that Lazarus is named and he is together with Abraham on the happy or paradise side of Abraham’s bosom. The rich man is just the rich man. This is a depersonalization.

There is another verse that just came to mind: “there is no peace for the wicked” (Isa. 48:22). Whoever these individuals were is no longer what is relevant for their future identity. They are grouped together and simply termed “the wicked.” Communal identity is important, but it is a dark day when communal identity is all we have. The darker still the worse that community identity treats us, that is, what that communal identity stands for.

Scripture, then, lays a basis for understanding depersonalization as part of the process of becoming evil or wicked, and so we see that the idea of zombies moves in the same direction. The more depersonalized a person becomes, the more wicked they are.

Dr. Scalise

A Theology of Zombies

18 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by in Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Theological Interpretation, theology, Zombies

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The idea of zombies has grasped the mind of Western culture. What is it about zombies that we find so interesting or attractive? I asked my students this one time in my theology classes, and the most memorable reply was about survival. Zombies enable a narrative to be crafted in which humans are struggling to survive, clearly battling a malevolent enemy, and offers a thrilling climax when they overcome. Such a narrative is not far from the biblical framework of spiritual warfare, the battle between God and cosmic powers of evil governed by Satan. If we take God’s curse of nature in Genesis 3:15 – 17 as God allowing or permitting Satan to claim rule over humanity and their realm (nature) as Satan’s rightful spoils of war gained through his deception of Adam and Eve, then the hostility we see in and through nature is indicative of something far darker. Why must, after all, carnivorous animals kill one another in such a violent way? Why can’t a pack of wild dogs make sure their prey is dead before they start eating it alive? Lions usually kill quickly in a way we might call “humane” by going for the throat. Why must alligators and crocodiles tear a limb from another animal before killing it, and then eat that limb in the sight of the animal that just had it ripped from its body? This surely is the stuff of nightmares; my father once told me that this life is the hell before hell, and I confess that some of the abominable and repulsive acts of violence done in this world makes me gravitate towards his thought.

People in the zombie shows and stories we are so intrigued by struggle to survive against a malevolent enemy; so do we from this spiritual warfare perspective. We struggle against an enemy who influences every sphere of our natural realm. From beasts to volcanos, this “destroying enemy” oversees devastation — except when God intervenes or causes the natural disaster Himself. Further, this enemy has an army filled with those who “have the reputation of being alive, but . . . are dead” (Rev. 3:1). In Ephesians 2:5 we are told that “we were dead . . .” but “made alive together with Christ” — He is life itself (John 1:3 – 5). There is much more I want to do with a theology of zombies, but that will have to come in subsequent posts. Let me summarize how popular zombie flicks highlight our understanding of a biblical theology of zombies:

Zombies are a malevolent enemy who are unceasing in their hostility towards those who are alive; likewise Satan and his hosts are an unceasing enemy towards those who live and the Author of life Himself.

Zombies set up a scenario where the living must struggle for survival; Satan and his hosts set up circumstances in nature where the living must struggle to survive.

Zombies are the dead who have a semblance of life; Satan is the god over unbelieving humanity, who “have a reputation of being alive, but . . . are dead.” Zombies are the “walking dead,” but — as offensive as this is to say — Scripture identifies unbelieving humanity as “children of wrath,” that is, the “walking dead.”

Dr. Scalise

Women, child bearers & God, Spirit Creator: a harmony of creation

17 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Creating, Exegesis and Interpretation, Theological Interpretation

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1 Peter 1:3 “. . . [God] who beget us again . . .”

Woman is not the birther in 1 Peter 1:3 but, rather, God the Father, the One after whom woman’s giving birth is patterned.  God, on the one hand, creates all things and so births all things whereas, on the other hand, women are the physical medium of this spiritual birthing.

Where is the spirit or who can say from where the soul arrives? No medical procedure will ever turn up some substance called the spirit or soul.  Only the Spirit births spirits; only the Holy Spirit births spirits of endless variety.

Humans think too lowly and narrowly about the nature of birth even if calling birth a real miracle.  Mircle, indeed, for as many humans have a spirit, there are likewise that many miracles.  Birth is an interruption in the flow of time and space for at this moment God intervenes, heaven meets earth, and a divine kiss happens with a new spirit born alive.  Women contain in themselves a unique presencing of God while He weaves His creational work of birthing a new spirit together with the woman’s body’s physical weaving of a new baby.

It is truly amazing that God does not fully override personality qualities of the parent when birthing this new spirit.  No, God incorporates, by means of genes and DNA, some personality qualities of the parents (parent spirits) into the newly born baby (newly born spirit).  What freedom is this that God partners with woman (and man) in making this new baby (spirit).  But all parents know that there is something different about their children, differnt from them.  What is this we see in these personalities of our children that are so different from our own? Are we not seeing a glimpse of God, the Orginator of all human personality?

Woman, giving birth, do a dance with the Divine, sub-creating with Him. Women are not the source of the new creation of lives but are bearers of miracles, coordinated with God, even as David said (Ps. 139:13):

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.