The Two Cities

Episode #313 - Theology, Religion, and Twin Peaks with Dr. Trevor Babcock, Dana Abu Dbay, Joel Santos, Dr. Zachary Sheldon, and Andrew Waller

The Two Cities

Show Notes

In this episode, Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Kris Song of The Two Cities team introduce their new book for the pop culture and theology series published by Bloomsbury on the TV show, Twin Peaks. The volume is called Theology, Religion, and Twin Peaks (w/ Bloomsbury). In the episode, we're joined by five of the contributors to the volume, and we each talk about our respective essays. The guests on the episode include:

Trevor Babcock, who is an Assistant Professor of English at Williams Baptist University (Walnut Ridge, AR).

Dana Abu Dbay, who is an independent scholar based in Nazareth, who received her masters from the University of Edinburgh and specializes in the intersection of theater and film with literature.

Joel Santos, who is a PhD Candidate in archeology at the University of Leicester (UK).

Zachary Sheldon, who is a lecturer in the Department of Film and Digital Media at Baylor University (Waco, TX).

Andrew H. Waller, who is a PhD Candidate in New Testament at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from The Two Cities

Oct 21, 2026

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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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University and Christian Theological Seminary, co-hosts the New Testament Review podcast, writes at her Substack, Not Peer Reviewed, and has a forthcoming publication called That’s Not What the Bible Says (Eerdmans).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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 7, 2026

In this episode, we're talking about the Emmy Award-winning show on Apple TV, Widow's Bay. We discuss our favorite moments, why it's such a great show, our pet theories, and where we think the story will head in season 2. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Rev. Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Rev. Dr. Madison Pierce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 30, 2026

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, and he’s the author of several works on religion and horror, including the book that we’re excited to talk about in this episode, Concerning Dust and Ashes: Affects of Horror in the Hebrew Bible (Oxford University Press). Over the course of our conversation, we discussed horrifying elements in the Bible. Specifically, we discuss how horror cannot be limited to narrative or scary monsters, but should be rooted in an affective mood that the text evokes. With this in mind, Dr. Grafius highlights how there’s so much more terror in the Bible than is often acknowledged. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Brandon Hurlbert. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 23, 2026

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Kutter Callaway, the William K. Brehm Chair of Worship, Theology, and the Arts and Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Seminary. He is also the author of Be Afraid: What Horror Reveals About Facing the Darkness (IVP Academic). During our conversation, we discuss what horror fiction in film and TV reveals about our fears and how we can find God within the horror genre. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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