To fight real monsters, we don’t need toxic empathy or the notion that exorcisms can resolve all demonic problems. Instead we start with the gospel of Jesus Christ that alone brings holiness. Yet how do we also train our imaginations with better stories to help us battle the beasts? Geoffrey Reiter returns to the studio to explore how great literature reflects God’s grace that helps us defeat the darkness.

Episode sponsors

 1. Maxine Justice: Galactic Attorney by Daniel Schwabauer [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/oasis-family-media/]
 2. A Faie Tale by Vince Mancuso [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/vince-mancuso/]
 3. Above the Circle of Earth by E. Stephen Burnett [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/above-the-circle-of-earth/]

Mission update

 * New at Lorehaven: reviews for Lord of Winter [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/lord-of-winter/] and Picked Up Pieces [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/picked-up-pieces]
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]

Backstory: Geoffrey Reiter

Geoffrey Reiter is Associate Chair of Arts and Sciences and Coordinator of Humanities at Lancaster Bible College. He is also an Associate Editor at the website Christ and Pop Culture, where he frequently writes about weird horror and dark fantasy. As a scholar of weird fiction, Reiter has published academic articles on such authors as H. P. Lovecraft, Arthur Machen, Bram Stoker, and Clark Ashton Smith. His poetry and fiction have previously appeared in Spectral Realms, Star*Line, Psenumbra, ParABnormal, The Mythic Circle, 34 Orchard, and Black Wings VII. His book The Lime Kiln and Other Enchanted Spaces was published by Hippocampus Press earlier this year.

 * Geoffrey Reiter at Christ and Pop Culture [https://christandpopculture.com/author/greiter/]
 * The Lime Kiln and Other Enchanted Spaces from Amazon [https://amzn.to/437SvgU]
 * The Lime Kiln and Other Enchanted Spaces from Hippocampus Press [https://www.hippocampuspress.com/other-authors/fiction/the-lime-kiln-and-other-enchanted-spaces-by-geoffrey-reiter]

1. Behold the monsters we may see in reality.

 * Last week critics were discussing when to “deplatform” monsters.
 * Today’s popular memes and franchise stories portray evil demons.
 * Others talk about human “monsters” who abuse and manipulate.
 * Some victims or bad counselors advise empathizing with real evil.
 * Others leap straight for exorcisms or aggressive countermeasures.
 * But secular folks may have limited success with combating evil.
 * As one Spider-Man 3 poster said, “The greatest battle lies within.”
 * First we must address the problem of our own monstrous hearts.
 * O

287. How Do Great Stories Help Us Defeat Monsters? | with Geoffrey Reiter

Demons do bad things in the Bible and in the modern world. But how does a fallen spirit get around its limitations as an immaterial being? Meanwhile, how do creators of movies about demons get around the obvious budget limitations and need for showing not telling? Answer in both cases: demons “possess” people. Even in sci-fi the bad “entities” do this. But is this really the best word to use for how these Satanic agents can really influence, provoke, or oppress human beings?

Episode sponsors

 1. Audio-Epic.com: “1232” podcast [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/audio-drama-podcast-1232/]
 2. The Seekers series by J. A. Webb [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/j-a-webb/]
 3. Above the Circle of Earth by E. Stephen Burnett [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/above-the-circle-of-earth/]

Mission update

 * New at Lorehaven: review for Sara Ella’s Glass Across the Sea [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/glass-across-the-sea/]
 * Coming next: reviews for Lord of Winter and Picked Up Pieces
 * Also new Onscreen: Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Cuts a Careful Line Between Evil and Redemption [https://lorehaven.com/demon-slayer-infinity-castle-cuts-careful-line-between-evil-redemption/] by A. D. Sheehan
 * Finally, @‌jenbooth.author [https://www.instagram.com/jenbooth.author/] won the Cultural Engagement Giveaway!
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]

1. People love scary stories about demons.

 * Jesus and the apostles often cast demons out of their victims.
 * Acts has further accounts of what we call “demon possession.”
 * Rumors of demons in society or the wild forests persist in history.
 * Such supernatural narratives have long captured our imaginations.
 * In all history, the present, and in fiction, we often blame demons.
 * And we have many accounts and legends about possession.
 * Christians make whole ministries about “spiritual warfare.”
 * Frank E. Peretti memorably dramatized such encounters.
 * Even pop culture loves the image of priests and exorcisms.
 * Many movies, like Fallen with Denzel Washington, explore demons.
 * A more Christian example is Nefarious, with its possessed killer [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txwrLGAL7Sg].
 * Even sci-fi gets in on the spooky, with tales of incorporeal entities
 * Many a Star Trek story hosted these critters from a creepy storm planet, alternate dimension, and/or mystery nebula of the week.
 * These inform our imaginations when we see horribly evil actions.
 * People will say, “that’s demonic” or even “that is demons’ work.”
 * Yet this habit goes way back in the Church—for good or ill.

2. ‘Demon possession is an unfortunate term’

The term demon possession is an unfortunate term that has found its way into some English translations of the Bible but is not really reflected in the Greek text. The Greek New Testament can speak of people who “have a demon” (Matt. 11:18; Luke 7:33; 8:27; John 7:20; 8:48, 49, 52; 10:20), but it never uses language that suggests that a demon actually “possesses” someone.

The problem with the terms demon possession and demonized is that they give the nuance of such strong demonic influence that they seem to imply that the person who is under demonic attack has no choice but to succumb to it. They suggest that the person is unable any longer to exercise his or her will and is completely under the domination of the evil spirit. While this may have been true in extreme cases such as that of the Gerasene demoniac (see. Mark 5:1–20; note

286. Can Demons Really ‘Possess’ Humans?

Many fans love the idea of demon hunters, whether they are Dr. Abraham Van Helsing’s warrior band, hyper-disciplined young shonen slayers, immortal elves, or K-pop stars. But in response to these righteous crusades, some fans find themselves defending the monsters. Are they really that bad? Shouldn’t we find ways to empathize with them? Today we explore the thorny problem of fans who won’t just defend but actually liken themselves to demons.

Episode sponsors

 1. Enclave Publishing: Glass Across the Sea by Sara Ella [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/oasis-family-media/]
 2. The Seekers series by J. A. Webb [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/j-a-webb/]
 3. Cultural Engagement Giveaway: The Pop Culture Parent, On Magic and Miracles, and Above the Circle of Earth [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/lorehaven-giveaway/]

Mission update

 * Lorehaven reviews: Hideous Beauty [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/hideous-beauty/], next: Glass Across the Sea [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/glass-across-the-sea]
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]

Concession stand (demon hunters edition)

 * If you’re new, we approach this topic from a biblical worldview.
 * “Demon” definitions get fuzzy when speaking in fantasy worlds.
 * Eastern portrayals get closer to neutral “spirits” or even like fae.
 * But that’s very different in Frieren’s East-looks-West fantasy tale.
 * For more biblical explorations of demons, wait until next week’s ep.

Quotes and notes

 * “Killing Demons is Awesome, Actually,” Master Samwise on YouTube, Oct. 17, 2025 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7hQwNfEric]
 * When Can Deconstructionism Threaten Christian Fiction? | with Michael Young aka ‘Wokal Distance’, Lorehaven podcast, March 14, 2023 [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/153-when-can-deconstructionism-threaten-christian-fiction-with-michael-young-aka-wokal-distance/]

1. In some tales, ‘demons’ are neutral/broken.

 * For this, we must concede fictional redefinitions of “demons.”
 * That goes double for stories with moral, yet not Christian, beliefs.
 * Howl’s Moving Castle (book and film) describes a “fire demon.”
 * But in other tales, demons are more like corrupted human beings.
 * They only have a particular bent toward physical acting-out of evil.
 * Demon Slayer is one franchise that presents demons this way.
 * So does that smash hit of last summer, K-Pop Demon Hunters.
 * Even the Count Dracula gets some sympathy at the very end.
 * Basically they’re more like fantasy monsters, e.g. metahumans.
 * These by design help us reflect on our own monstrous natures.
 * But … that self-directed empathy must lead to desire for change.
 * And in many hero stories, demons must change or else be slain.

2. And in Frieren, demons are evil deceivers.

 * Setup for Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End manga/anime season 1.
 * This world is directly inspired by DnD/RPG tropes, the classic kind.
 * It’s a thoughtful/action sequel to the monomyth fantasy narrative.
 * What happens after mortals die and the noble elf-mage lives on?
 * Frieren trains a protege and recruits friends to take smaller quests.
 * Along the way, they encounter a main series villain: demons.
 * These demons look like humans but have supernatural powers.
 * Moreover, they’re anti-empathetic. No tragic backstory. No hope.
 * Unlike sinful humans or other villains,

285. Do Some Fantasy Fans Seriously Identify with Demons?

Thanks to all the human drama of this year, you may have missed the news about even more professional military men been sharing testimonies about their witnessing unknown aerial phenomena blasting through the laws of physics. These sightings are not going away, forcing us to reckon with some truly potential scenarios. If aliens really invaded Earth, where from and how would they do it? And how do we discern these invasions and fight back?

Episode sponsors

 1. Enclave Publishing: Glass Across the Sea by Sara Ella [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/oasis-family-media/]
 2. The Seekers series by J. A. Webb [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/j-a-webb/]
 3. Cultural Engagement Giveaway: The Pop Culture Parent, On Magic and Miracles, and Above the Circle of Earth [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/lorehaven-giveaway/]

Mission update

 * New at Lorehaven: weekly(ish!) reviews of the best Christian fantasy
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]

Listen to last year’s previous episode entry [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/235-what-are-the-scariest-stories-about-aliens-among-us/] in our Armies of the Aliens series [https://lorehaven.com/series/armies-of-the-aliens/].

Quotes and notes: Armies of the Aliens [https://lorehaven.com/series/armies-of-the-aliens/] series

 * 22. How Do Christians Discern UFO Accounts in Light of Scripture? [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/22-how-do-christians-discern-ufo-accounts-in-light-of-scripture/]
 * 47. Why Do Some People Long for Escape to a Galactic Community? [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/47-why-do-some-people-long-for-escape-to-a-galactic-community/]
 * 63. Did God Create Aliens and Would Jesus Need to Save Them? [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/63-did-god-create-aliens-and-would-jesus-need-to-save-them/]
 * 73. Does the Pentagon’s UFO Report Expose Unidentified Aerial Phenomena? | with Colin Samul [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/73-does-the-pentagons-ufo-report-expose-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-with-colin-samul/]

284. How Would Any Real Aliens Actually Invade Earth?

How often does this happen to you? You’re a plain, ordinary, gorgeous heroine, who’s suddenly abducted by aliens and taken to Planet Gladiator Violence VI. There you encounter a bull-headed man with piercings in all his massive muscles, and various events ensue, and if we kept up this description the grown-ups would not let you listen to this podcast episode. And that’s probably the tamest version of what’s now called “romantasy.” These kinds of monster stories are winning legions of female fans. What manner of perversity is this?

Episode sponsors

 1. Enclave Publishing: Singularity by Shannon McDermott [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/oasis-family-media/]
 2. The Seekers series by J. A. Webb [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/j-a-webb/]
 3. Cultural Engagement Giveaway: The Pop Culture Parent, On Magic and Miracles, and Above the Circle of Earth [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/lorehaven-giveaway/]

Mission update

 * New at Lorehaven: new Embergold review [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/embergold/], Monster Month returns [https://lorehaven.com/series/monster-month]
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]
 * Our current book quest is This Present Darkness [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/this-present-darkness/]

Quotes and notes

 * Lorehaven podcast ep. 149. Why Do Christian Fiction Fans Love So Much Romance? [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/149-why-do-christian-fiction-fans-love-so-much-romance/]
 * Lorehaven podcast ep. 249. What is ‘Romantasy’? | with Parker J. Cole [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/249-what-is-romantasy-with-parker-j-cole/]
 * Here Be Dragons: What Christians Need to Know About Romantasy [https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/christians-need-know-romantasy/], Kathryn Butler at The Gospel Coalition, Feb. 28, 2025
 * Ep 1240 | TikTok’s Spicy Novels Are Warping Women’s Minds [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1uTzyUHvmXegPe6hg0J3t8], Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey, Sept. 10, 2025

Backstory: Parker J. Cole

Onscreen writer Parker J. Cole is a USA Today Bestselling author of historical romance as well as a speaker, podcast host, and CEO of the podcast network PJC Media. As an author, Parker enjoys exploring history through the vehicle of romance. Her speaking topics focus on inspiration for aspiring authors. For over a decade, she has interviewed authors from all over the world via her podcast network. Consumed with a plethora of interests that keep her life busy, she lives in Detroit, Michigan. Visit her website at ParkerJCole.com [https://parkerjcole.com].

1. Explore romantasy’s love and monsters

 * Review of the original better purpos

283. Why Are Female Fantasy Fans Falling in ‘Love’ With Monsters? | with Parker J. Cole

Distortionists in the real world corrupt the beautiful, good, and true.[1. Photo by Bree Anne [https://unsplash.com/@breebuddy?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash] on Unsplash [https://unsplash.com/photos/people-raising-their-hands-during-daytime-1vR0TtVM9bo?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash].] Some individuals who fall into such a dark side might make themselves beyond repentance—that is, reprobate. We might call them “ghouls.” … And such were some of you. We wanted to talk about monsters today, and we’ll start next week. First, let’s turn from the darkness and into the light, keeping our eyes open for hazards as we head into an exciting, messy, promising season of … spiritual revival and renewal for the souls of men and women?

Episode sponsors

 1. Enclave Publishing: Singularity by Shannon McDermott [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/oasis-family-media/]
 2. Cultural Engagement Giveaway: The Pop Culture Parent, On Magic and Miracles, and Above the Circle of Earth
 3. The Tixie Chronicles by Jack Borden [https://lorehaven.com/sponsnors/jack-borden]

Mission update

 * New at Lorehaven: This Present Darkness [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/this-present-darkness/] book quest
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]

Backstory: Bethel McGrew

Bethel McGrew has a doctorate in math and is a widely published freelance writer. Her work has appeared in First Things, National Review, The Spectator, and many other national and international outlets. Her Substack, Further Up [https://www.furtherup.net/], is one of the top paid newsletters in “Faith & Spirituality” on the platform. She has also contributed to two essay anthologies on Jordan Peterson. When not writing social criticism, she enjoys writing about literature, film, music, and history.

 * FurtherUp.net [https://www.furtherup.net/]
 * Bethel McGrew on X: @‌BMcGrewvy [https://x.com/bmcgrewvy]
 * Life on the Silent Planet: Essays on Christian Living from C.S. Lewis’s Ransom Trilogy [https://davenantinstitute.org/life-on-the-silent-planet]
 * WORLD Magazine (Oct. 2025): “A tragic vision of the world: Three books that shaped my thinking [https://wng.org/articles/a-tragic-vision-of-the-world-1756870231]“
 * WORLD Opinions: “Shocked by evil: the surprising seekers going to church in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder [https://wng.org/opinions/shocked-by-evil-1759027719]“

Quotes and notes

“The salvation of

282. How Can Creative Christians Prepare in Case of Revival? | with Bethel McGrew

Since the late 2000s, children and grownups have been getting drawn into their mobile devices and tablets. Before then, some were also hooked on TV and video games. Yet how could anyone create those devices without training their imaginations on great works of art? Carolyn Leiloglou, author of The Restorationists fantasy series, returns to help us recall the biblical purpose of art and stories, and how we help children learn to love them.

Episode sponsors

 1. Enclave Publishing: Beneath False Stars by S. D. Grimm [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/oasis-family-media/]
 2. Outlaw Blood by Noah J. Matthews [https://lorehaven.com/sponsnors/noah-j-matthews]
 3. The Tixie Chronicles by Jack Borden [https://lorehaven.com/sponsnors/jack-borden]

Mission update

 * New at Lorehaven: review of Augmented [https://lorehaven.com/review/augmented] and more every Friday
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]
 * We’re finishing Echo Nova and moving to This Present Darkness

Carolyn Leiloglou

Backstory: Carolyn Leiloglou

Carolyn Leiloglou (lay-LAW-glue) is the author of the middle grade fantasy novels Beneath the Swirling Sky [https://lorehaven.com/library/beneath-the-swirling-sky/] and Between Flowers and Bones [https://lorehaven.com/library/between-flowers-and-bones/] as well as the picture book Library’s Most Wanted. Carolyn is the granddaughter of art collectors, daughter of an art teacher, and homeschooling mom to four wildly creative kids. She’s an award-winning author whose poems and short stories have appeared in children’s magazines around the world, including Clubhouse Jr. Carolyn also reviews her favorite children’s books on her platform, House full of Bookworms. Her newest book, middle-grade fantasy Beyond the Far Horizon, released this month.

 * CarolynLeiloglou.com [https://www.carolynleiloglou.com/]
 * TheRestorationists.com [https://therestorationists.com]

281. How Do Books Teach Kids to Value Stories Over Screens? | with Carolyn Leiloglou

Last week, an assassin’s bullet ended the earthly life of Christian brother, husband, father, and popular political activist Charlie Kirk. Thousands were watching on the campus of Utah Valley University in the early afternoon of Sept. 10, 2025. Millions more prayed for an hour that Kirk would somehow survive. And then we mourned his death. Lorehaven is not a political group. But we do join in this public lamentation. And we look to fantastical stories of great villains and greater heroes to explore the bigger and pre-political questions beneath this tragedy: how we must fight evil in the world.

Episode sponsors

 1. Enclave Publishing: Beneath False Stars by S. D. Grimm [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/oasis-family-media/]
 2. Outlaw Blood by Noah J. Matthews [https://lorehaven.com/sponsnors/noah-j-matthews]
 3. The Tixie Chronicles by Jack Borden [https://lorehaven.com/sponsnors/jack-borden]

Mission update

 * New at Lorehaven: reviews of Suspended in the Stars [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/suspended-in-the-stars/] and Augmented [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/augmented]
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]

Quotes and notes

Our episodes about “culture war” vs. culture creation:

 * 40. How May Fantastic Stories Help Us See Politics in Biblical Perspective? [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/40-how-may-fantastic-stories-help-us-see-politics-in-biblical-perspective/]
 * 136. How Did Politics Become King of Evangelical Popular Culture? [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/136-how-did-politics-become-king-of-evangelical-popular-culture/]
 * 178. Should We Weaponize Fantastical Stories To ‘Own the Libs’? [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/178-should-we-weaponize-fantastical-stories-to-own-the-libs/]
 * 188. Can Political Pundits Create Fantastical Stories? [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/188-can-political-pundits-create-fantastical-stories/]
 * 251. Could a Cultural ‘Vibe Shift’ Advance Christian-Made Fiction? [https://lorehaven.com/podcast/251-could-a-cultural-vibe-shift-advance-christian-made-fiction/]

Psalm 7:12–17

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;
he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.

Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.

He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made.

His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 (ESV)

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (ESV)

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not

280. What Can Men Do Against Such Reckless Hate?

To become a hero following your God-given destiny, you’d best stay out of jail.[1. Photo by Saad Chaudhry [https://unsplash.com/@saadchdhry?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash] on Unsplash [https://unsplash.com/photos/silhouette-of-padlock-on-window-AqHIWSsF24I?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash].] Yet some Christian heroes do get caught in bad habits that keep them pacing in their tiny cells rather than practicing wise discipline as they go on adventures. How do Christian creators, in particular, fall into the traps of “cage stages”?

Episode sponsors

 1. Enclave Publishing: Beneath False Stars by S. D. Grimm [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/oasis-family-media/]
 2. Outlaw Blood by Noah J. Matthews [https://lorehaven.com/sponsnors/noah-j-matthews]
 3. The Tixie Chronicles by Jack Borden [https://lorehaven.com/sponsnors/jack-borden]

Mission update

 * New at Lorehaven: weekly reviews, Jenneth’s Light of the World review [https://lorehaven.com/light-of-the-world-shows-jesus-as-a-friend-to-children/]
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]

Concession stand

 * Some people and personalities are more prone to certain obsessions.
 * Here we make no judgment about motivations; these things happen.
 * Seeing someone in a “cage” should prompt pity, not anger or mockery.
 * Still, you may want to keep a distance from cages or point the way out.

1. ‘Everything is about my distinct doctrines’!

 * This is the original “cage stage,” referring to folks who find “Calvinism.”
 * That’s a nickname for a particular Christian view of God’s sovereignty.
 * It’s often tied with strong beliefs about local church leadership.
 * The late R. C. Sproul, himself a Reformed teacher, wrote in 2013 [https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/escaping-cage-stage]:

My friend Michael Horton often comments on the phenomenon of “cage-stage Calvinism,” that strange malady that seems to afflict so many people who have just seen the truth of the Reformed doctrines of grace. We’ve all known one of these “cage-stage Calvinists.” Many of us were even one of them when we were first convinced of God’s sovereignty in salvation.

Cage-stage Calvinists are identifiable by their insistence on turning every discussion into an argument for limited atonement or for making it their personal mission to ensure everyone they know hears—often quite loudly—the truths of divine election. Now, having a zeal for the truth is always commendable. But a zeal for the truth that manifests itself in obnoxiousness won’t convince anyone of the biblical truth of Reformed theology. As many of us can attest from personal experience, it will actually push them away.[1. R. C. Sproul, “Escaping the ‘Cage Stage’ [https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/escaping-cage-stage],” Ligonier Ministries, Nov. 24, 2013.]

 * But we’ve known folks who found any new beliefs and became intense.
 * Sometimes it feels like a fandom, often associated with famous leaders.
 * In fact, you may have this story when you found Jesus or a new church.
 * But what feels new and thrilling to you may be dull or familiar to others.
 * It’s a challenge to preserve our enthusiasm while also respecting others.

2. ‘Everything is about this fandom I found!’

 * This one covers a wide spectrum, including Christian doctrine fandoms.
 * But this also covers fantasy franchises, authors, worlds, games, hobbies.
 * Stephe

279. Which Top Three ‘Cage Stages’ Trap Christian Creators?

Here in the U.S., we just had Labor Day, meant to mark the actions of hard-working Americans. And right now many Christian families honor the work of Christian heroes who are now at rest, such as pastor John MacArthur and Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson. Many fantastical stories wouldn’t be here without faithful Christians. When they pass on, and people discuss and debate their legacies, how can we best honor their labors?

Episode sponsors

 1. Enclave Publishing: Beneath False Stars by S. D. Grimm [https://lorehaven.com/sponsors/oasis-family-media/]
 2. Outlaw Blood by Noah J. Matthews [https://lorehaven.com/sponsnors/noah-j-matthews]
 3. The Tixie Chronicles by Jack Borden [https://lorehaven.com/sponsnors/jack-borden]

Mission update

 * Lorehaven new reviews: The Heart of the King [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/the-heart-of-the-king/] and Beneath False Stars [https://lorehaven.com/reviews/beneath-false-stars]
 * Subscribe free [https://lorehaven.com/subscribe] to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild [https://lorehaven.com/lorehaven-guild/]

Quotes and notes

 * “John MacArthur, Fiery Preacher and Culture Warrior, Dies at 86 [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/us/john-macarthur-dead.html],” Ruth Graham at The New York Times, July 15, 2025
 * “James Dobson Was My Horror, and Yours [https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/james-dobson-was-my-horror-and-yours.html],” Sarah Jones at New York Magazine, Aug. 27, 2025 (only six days after Dobson’s Aug. 21 death)

Naiveté is not a trait to be cultivated in our children. Prudishness is foolish immaturity. It leaves our children gullible and vulnerable. The naïve are the easiest targets for the seductive wiles of temptation. Throughout the book of Proverbs, the naïve (“simple” in many translations) are held up as negative examples. It is a grave mistake to think of our children as little angels who need to be handled delicately so they don’t get corrupted. Rather, they are corrupt little sinners who need to be led to righteousness.

“Treating the Symptoms, Not the Sin [https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B150508],” John MacArthur sermon dated May 8, 2015

It began as an experiment. In 1986 Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family wanted to produce a high-quality drama series for the radio. He hoped that it would appeal to Christians looking for alternatives to Saturday morning cartoons or simply families in search of wholesome entertainment. Steve Harris and Phil Lollar, the show’s creators, brainstormed what the series could be. They decided that it should be set in a small town (called Odyssey) somewhere in the Midwest and hearken to the golden age of radio without sounding dated.

In 1987, a 13-week test series was aired on the Focus on the Family broadcast. It was called Family Portraits and chronicled the lives and times of Odyssey residents — including John Whittaker and a special “soda shop and discovery emporium” called Whit’s End.

Audience response was so favorable that Focus went one step further and created the weekly radio program that would eventually be called Adventures in Odyssey.

“The History of Adventures in Odyssey [https://web.archive.org/web/20110720231938/http:/www.whitsend.org/aboutshow/History.aspx],” WhitsEnd.org, undated article now archived

1. We love ‘small’ and ‘big’ Christian heroes

 * Big heroes take big risks to meet big needs during big moments.
 * They’re truly multi-talented, often skilled with speaking and writing.
 * Best of all, despite their flaws, th

278. When Christian Heroes Die, How Can We Debate and Honor Their Work?

Explore the best Christian-made fantasy, sci-fi, and beyond, and apply these stories’ meanings in the real world Jesus calls us to serve.

Fantastical Truth