J.W. Morehead is a scholar who made it his mission in life to learn more about obscure religions, and counter-culture, such as Vampirism, Satanism, Wicca, Spiritualism, and other subcultures, as well as their role in modern society. He's also the Director of the Western Institute for Intercultural Studies, which makes its mission to educate Christians about new religions, and subcultures. He wrote a great comment on our coverage of Bill Schnoebelen's 'Interview with an Ex Vampire', and we thought you'd like to hear some opinions (other than mine) about vampire and other alternative culture from a Christian with an open mind.
Q. Tell us about your philosophy on the vampire subculture, and its evolution through the popular film culture eras, --what do you think about vampire culture and its changes over the decades and what do you think of today's vampire culture?
A. Thank you again for the invitation to respond to some questions. I came across your website through a Facebook post by Merticus Stevens with the Atlanta Vampire Alliance who shared a website post on Bill Schnoebelen. Of course, he is notorious for his claims of being an "ex-" from any number of religions, new religions, and identity groups, including a former vampire. I initially took your post to be referring to Schnoebelen with some kind of credibility in terms of an "expose," and I decided to share my concerns with you on your website and through email. I'm glad to see that I mistook your understanding of Schnoebelen. I'm happy to engage in a conversation about my thoughts on vampires, and that related to Schnoebelen's claims. By way of background, I am a scholar with a background in cultural and religious studies, as well as theology, with a special emphasis in new religious movements. Some of my research foci include what has been called popular "occulture" and various groups, movements, and identities within this, including vampires. I also have an interest in religion and film studies related to the fantastic genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. These elements come together as personal and academic research areas which gives me an opportunity to write on related topics in various venues.
