There are Other Worlds than These

Exploring Stephen King's "The Gunslinger" and the Theology of Paul Tillich

Abstract

This article is a practical teaching case study connecting the literary world of Stephen King’s The Gunslinger, the first novel in King’s sci-fi/fantasy Dark Tower series, to key elements of Paul Tillich’s theology. The study interweaves previously unexplored connections between Stephen King and Paul Tillich with practical reflections from teaching this topic to a class of seminary students. This article aims to show Stephen King’s The Gunslinger has theological-existential themes that are worth exploring in relation to Paul Tillich’s theology, in order to show the intersection of popular literature and systematic theology to seminary students.