I Ain't 'Fraid of No Ghost
by K. L. McFarland
Photo by Stefano Pollio on Unsplash
Boo.
Ghosts in popular culture are usually painted as scary phantoms who hate the living. Even “friendly” ghosts like Casper and Slimer have the tendency to terrify whomever they encounter. From simple campfire ghost stories to multimillion-dollar blockbuster horror movies, ghost stories permeate our culture.
Are ghosts something that Christians should be worried about? Or should we just blow them off and put them in the same category as mutants and superheroes? What should people of faith do when we hear a story about something someone saw? Or if we saw something ourselves? Can houses be haunted? How are we to respond; we who have entrusted our souls to Christ?
A Haunted History
In the West, Plato’s philosophy shaped a belief that the spiritual and physical worlds are distinctly split. This “dualism” was pushed even further during the Enlightenment as the Scientific Method was developed, and eventually, this grew to a near-complete rejection of the supernatural. If scientists couldn’t explain or confirm something through science, it was often dismissed as superstition. Ghosts, along with all other spiritual beings, are notoriously difficult to get to sit still under a microscope, so they were categorically rejected. Research into the paranormal was rejected as pseudoscience. With the coming of Freud, belief in spiritual realities went even further out of fashion. If someone saw a ghost, they were labeled as psychotic by the psychological community.
So where does this leave a thoughtful Christian today? Can a Bible-believing person still stand with both Science and their faith? Or, must a Christian choose one or the other?
Interestingly, with the rise of Postmodern thought, the Scientific community as a whole seems to be opening up to the idea of spirituality. Science and faith can coexist, and even learn from each other! So then, if we don’t need to choose between science and faith, how might one respond to a ghost story? Honestly, most are simply entertainment. We, humans, are drawn to them because they get our hearts racing and then we get a rush of joy when we “survive” the story.
But if we just left it there, we would be guilty of behaving just like a secular scientist! Ghosts don’t exist, so don’t worry about them…Or do they? As Christians, we must take a few additional steps.
“Are ghosts something that Christians should be worried about? Or should we just blow them off and put them in the same category as mutants and superheroes?”
Haunted Scriptures
The most famous ghost story in Scripture is when King Saul contacted the ghost of Samuel through the Witch of Endor in 1 Sam 28. What is interesting about this passage is not that a witch or King Saul was doing something wrong, but rather that it says that Samuel was summoned.
Similarly, when the disciples believed Jesus was a ghost (Matthew 14:26, Luke 24:39), Jesus did not correct them and say that ghosts don’t exist, nor did He proclaim that all ghosts were actually demons. Nor did He say that all ghosts only exist in Hell or Heaven.
It simply isn’t simple. The only simple thing that can be easily said about ghosts in Scripture is that we don’t know. We have no way to scientifically prove that ghosts are actually demons, or that a house is or isn’t haunted by ghosts, demons, or delusions. Biblical scholars today argue about the existence of hell, the location of heaven, the role/identity/existence of the Satan, if other minor gods exist, or if they’re just demons, if demons serve God, and so, so much more.
Interestingly, Paul’s reference to “being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” could be interpreted as being surrounded by ghosts of the faithful in Heb 12:1. Or was he speaking metaphorically (the traditional interpretation)? How can we prove this, either way? Complicating things even more, Catholic theology gives a far more exhaustive treatment of the afterlife than Protestant theology. Could it not be said that when a Saint appears to someone, they’ve seen a ghost? Just a holy ghost? Even our term for THE Holy Ghost itself has been sanitized to the Holy Spirit, to avoid all of the confusion and weirdness that the word ‘ghost’ evokes.
This doesn’t mean that the average Christian (and even the overeducated theologians) can do nothing. Action steps around ghosts are actually relatively straightforward. Don’t. The Old Testament clearly prohibits witchcraft (Lev 19:31, Deuteronomy 18:9-14), which includes summoning ghosts. All of our attention and prayers should be directed to God and God alone. Additionally, Christ has been given authority over everything, which also includes ghosts. Through Christ, we have not been given a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7) and every knee must bow to Him on heaven and earth (Philippians 2:10-11) and everywhere in between!
That does NOT mean that you should go out looking for haunted mansions or inviting ghosts in for a friendly chat. I’ve spoken to some Christians who say, “oh look, ghosts are in the Bible” and they take this to mean that the Bible is okay with befriending ghosts. This is the opposite of what the Bible says! Yes, witchcraft, divination, necromancy, and all sorts of other such practices are in the Bible. But they are condemned, over and over and over. As Christians, our only source of power and information is God, no matter how friendly or helpful a spirit may seem to be. Contemporary Western culture is shifting and becoming more aware that spiritual realities are in fact realities. They do exist, but that does not mean that God is chill with us interacting with them. Our generation will need to re-learn this Biblical truth, in a post-modern, post-secular world.
“It simply isn’t simple. The only simple thing that can be easily said about ghosts in Scripture is that we don’t know. We have no way to scientifically prove that ghosts are actually demons, or that a house is or isn’t haunted by ghosts, demons, or delusions.”
So what do you do if you’ve seen something, or know someone who has? Here are a few options:
Pray. This ‘no-duh’ option should be a default in any and all situations. Ask God to give you wisdom and be with you. You’re not alone and the Holy Ghost (lol) can and will guide you.
Go get even more not alone! Find other believers to pray with you. Ask a pastor or spiritual mentor to pray with you about what to do next. You don’t need to know all the details of who or what it is. You can pray together for the spirit to leave you alone and go somewhere else.
If the spirit you or your friend is seeing is telling you to harm yourself or others, seek immediate help from a professional therapist. I cannot say this more strongly. Go. Now. Get help. It doesn’t matter if it is in your head (psychosis) or supernatural, causing harm to yourself or others is never of God. A Christian therapist or psychologist can help you sort out what is what in a way that respects the Bible and your faith. They can help you determine the right sort of help you may need, be it prayers, medication, or both. You don’t need to fight those messages on your own. (And no, they’re not going to immediately assume you are super crazy and lock you up. They’re there to help you, in any way possible.)
Don’t be afraid. The Bible seems to indicate that ghosts are real, but it really doesn’t freak out about it. The disciples certainly did, but Jesus was super chill, even when talking to actual demons. Let’s remember who has true power, and keep our focus on Him.
“Don’t be afraid. The Bible seems to indicate that ghosts are real, but it really doesn’t freak out about it.”
That last point brings me to my conclusion. It is tempting to swing from one extreme to another. Either we are tempted to completely disregard ghosts, following the Enlightenment Scientists, or to go to the opposite end of the pendulum and hyperfocus on ghosts and spiritual beings. Neither is appropriate. Our focus, as Christians, is to be on YHWH and the Messiah, Christ Jesus. Sure we can study ghosts, angels, and demons, to understand the glories of God’s creation, much like we might study magma or phosphorescence. But they are not to be given any authority or obsessive attention, as fascinating as they might be. Simply put, they are not God.
So instead, let’s focus on God. If we encounter a spiritual being, then we do. But let’s not make too big a deal about it and redirect our attention to what matters. Rather than freaking out about ghosts, instead let us act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). That’s what we are called to do, so let’s do it!
Resources
We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.
The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.
And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.
Read. Engage. Enjoy!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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