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American Paranormal

with Dr. Thorn Mooney

October 1st - November 19th

Lectures recorded Wednesdays 2:30 PM EST

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What can America’s fascination with UFOs, ghosts, and the supernatural reveal about our ideas of religion, science, and culture?

What does alien abduction have to do with civil rights?

Did the CIA really use psychics to spy on the pope during the Cold War?

And why is ghost hunting such a popular subject for reality television?

Register now for Dr. Thorn Mooney’s new 8-week seminar, American Paranormal, starting Wednesday, October 1st at 2:30 PM EST!

From alien abductions to haunted houses, Bigfoot to psychic spies, the paranormal has captured the American imagination for generations — but what does our obsession really say about us? In this new 8-week seminar with Dr. Dr. Thorn Mooney, you’ll explore how reports of paranormal phenomena blur the boundaries between “religion” and “science,” and why some beliefs are embraced as legitimate while others are pushed to the cultural margins.

Through case studies, historical accounts, and popular media, we’ll investigate the surprising ways the mysterious unknown has shaped religious movements, influenced public debate, and reflected changing spiritual landscapes in the U.S. Whether you’re fascinated by ghosts, UFOs, cryptids, or the history of paranormal research, this course offers a fresh lens on how Americans grapple with belief, evidence, and the unexplained.

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$200 ($100 for members)

  • ✔ 8 live 90-minute lectures, Mondays at 2:00 PM ET, September 29 – November 17
  • ✔ Lectures are recorded live with immediate lifetime access
  • ✔ Community Discussion Forum
  • ✔ Weekly Exercises

Class Schedule

Your Textbook

Your Instructor

Dr. Thorn Mooney

Dr. Thorn Mooney

Thorn Mooney is completing her PhD in Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Her research considers the messy cultural and political boundaries around religion, science, and the secular, which leads her to spend a lot of time with communities that tend to exist on the margins: paranormal investigators, contemporary witches and magicians, the spiritual but not religious, and the rapidly growing landscape of new religious movements.

Prior to pursuing her PhD, Thorn worked as a Title I English teacher and literacy tutor. Her experience in a wide variety of classrooms has made her a flexible, dynamic teacher with a passion for public scholarship. She is the author of Witches Among Us: Understanding Contemporary Witchcraft and Wicca.

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Class Text Book

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Your Instructor

Dr. Travis Proctor

Dr. Travis Proctor

A first-generation college graduate and scholar of the bible and early Christianity, Travis Proctor received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill, specializing in ancient Mediterranean religions. His teaching and research focus on biblical studies, early Christianity, and environmental studies.

His work has appeared in academic journals such as the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Journal of Early Christian Studies, Harvard Theological Review, and the Journal of Ecclesiastical History, as well as public venues including Bible Odyssey, Religion for Breakfast, Religion Dispatches, The Bart Ehrman Blog, and the “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” podcast.

His first book, Demonic Bodies and the Dark Ecologies of Early Christian Culture (Oxford University Press), explored how early Christian theorizations of demonic bodies influenced ancient understandings of cosmic “ecosystems,” and how such historical perspectives may inform contemporary environmental ethics. He is currently working on a book on early “apocryphal” traditions that regarded Jesus as an animal, plant, or “inanimate” object.

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What students are saying about
Dr. Thorn Mooney’s seminars:

“Thorn pushed me to think more deeply about what people mean when they say ‘religion.’ She’s helped me to be much more careful with the assumptions I make when discussing other people’s beliefs and practices.”

“Thorn is so fun! It’s great to take a class with someone who is obviously excited to be there. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I know I’ll be thinking about the things I learned in this class for a long time.”

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An online seminar brought to you by Religion for Breakfast

From Andrew Henry's YouTube channel about the academic study of religion, the Religion Department connects world experts of religion to global learning communities. Our classes are designed to be engaging, entertaining, and to accommodate multiple learning styles and schedules.

Enrollment is now open!

Tuition

$200

  • Live & Lifetime Access 
  • Weekly Exercises and Discussion
  • Join a Learning Community
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Tuition + Membership

$199

after 50% seminar discount

  • Full Tuition Benefits

  • One Year Membership including:

    • 50% off Seminars
    • Guest Lectures 
    • Guided Readings w/ Andrew Henry
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