The zombie gospel by Danielle J. Strickland.
Author and speaker Danielle Strickland didn't expect to be drawn to a show about zombies, but she was surprised by the spiritual themes the show considers. In The Zombie Gospel she explores the ways that The Walking Dead can help us think about survival, community, consumerism, social justice, and the resurrection life of Jesus. After all, in the gospel God raises up a new humanity―a humanity resuscitated and reanimated by the new life of the Holy Spirit.
This was a really good read. 4*.

This is an interesting book. It is well-written and would be a fine read for Christians who are Walking Dead fans.

As some one who wrote a Christian blog dedicated to the idea of the fact we die for Christ each day and that "we are the walking dead!", I was excited to see how the popular TV Show (or comic, in my case) inspired people's faith.
Danielle J Strickland delves into the philosophy and faith of The Walking Dead TV but only the only surface layer. Immediately, it is clear she takes the most basic ideas from The Walking Dead and doesn't look into deeper meanings of actions (for example, Shane killing Otis is called just selfish; no mention is made that he was trying to save Carl's life with those supplies). While these surface ideas spark debate it does an injustice to the complexity of the show especially when discussing the early seasons.
But these ideas do make a decent springboard into Christian ideals especially the Gospels. From these actions or characters she walks you through basic ideals and how we can take those ideal and strengthen our faith. She also shares personal stories of her humanitarian work. The ideals paired with her personal stories are effective as a growth mechanism but connecting it back to The Walking Dead is tenuous. It feels like she's just using the show to bring you in, not to actually discuss the meaning in the show.
This is sad really when you read the acknowledgements. She and her father talked about what they watched and how it affected their out look on life and her faith and she seems passionate about how you can take modern media and see deeper layers.

I have a confession to make: I am a fan of the Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead. After a tentative start watching the first season, I gave up at the beginning of the second. But I came back to it, and from then on I was hooked. There are so many layers to it. It raises many philosophical, theological and sociological issues. So, I was delighted to find this book that deals with The Walking Dead and the gospel. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

There is so much depth to The Walking Dead. It raises deep questions such as:

What is the purpose of forgiveness and reconciliation?
What is the right use of power?
What happens when power is abused?
What is the role of revenge?
Is there a place for force and violence?
What does it mean to be human?
Are zombies human? Can zombies exist?
What is the role of crime and punishment in a (seemingly) lawless society?
Can there be a lawless society and still be society?
What is family? Is it more than blood and kinship?
What is the role of religious belief?
Is there a role for the church?

Sadly, this book only scrapes the surface. Scenes from The Walking Dead are used only as a springboard to develop a moral or theological parallel, with some personal anecdotes added. Sadly, there is no attempt to get beyond the surface. That is not to say there are not some good points in the book (not least the cover design!), only that it is a missed opportunity to explore deeper the meanings in and behind the TV series. Rob Joustra and Alissa Wilkinson’s How to Survive the Apocalypse: Zombies, Cylons, Faith, and Politics at the End of the World is a better example of what is a Christian ‘take’ on The Walking Dead.


For someone who likes The Walking Dead and has an interest in finding out something about the Christian faith then this might be the book to get for them. However, there are so many spoilers in the book — so make sure they have seen at least the first five seasons before you give it to them, or they may not thank you!