Backrooms with Special Guest Dr. Brandon Grafius (Podcast)

In this episode, we talk about the hit horror film from earlier this year, Backrooms (2026). For this discussion, we’re joined by Dr. Brandon Grafius, who is academic dean and professor of biblical studies at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan, and the author of Concerning Dust and Ashes: Affects of Horror in the Hebrew Bible (Oxford University Press). Over the course of our conversation, we talk about what the Backrooms represent, shared trauma, the horror of endless monotony, and what the Backrooms signal about the future of Horror films. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

Carrying on with spooky season, in this episode, we discuss the 2026 film, Obsession. We’re joined by a special guest, Dr. Laura Robinson, who teaches NT as an adjunct at Butler University and Christian Theological Seminary, co- hosts the New Testament Review podcast, writes at her Substack, Not Peer Reviewed, and has a forthcoming publication called That’s Not What the Bible Says (Eerdmans). Over the course of our conversation, we discuss monkey paw stories, possession narratives, wish fulfillment, coercion, and what “love” has to do it. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Rev. Dr. Madison Pierce.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Brandon Grafius, who is academic dean and professor of biblical studies at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan,…

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