Catholics' Horror

This session contributes to a recent surge in interest in the category of “Catholic horror.” While many are asking about the relationship of real life Catholic horrors and those conjured for film and fiction, this session lifts up diverse sources and shifting meanings of horror for Catholics. Are embodiment and sexuality themselves a horror within certain Catholic settings? What about heavy metal music or the mysterious disappearance of a cherished relic? The papers in this session explore the things that have horrified Catholics in particular contexts, and, as a result, generated vehement cultural, ecclesial, liturgical, and literary responses. Thinking about the targets and sources of Catholics’ fear enables a new kind of perspective on the range and consequences of Catholic imaginings.