Matthew Arnold

Editor of The Christian Parapsychologist

Matt Arnold is the editor of The Christian Parapsychologist, a publication of the Churches Fellowship for Psychical and Spiritual Studies (CFPSS). The fellowship is a Christian charity set up 70 years ago to help people understand their spiritual experiences within a Christian framework, and which counts among its patrons Rowan Williams and Rupert Sheldrake.

Matt is the education officer for the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena, a member of the Alister Hardy Trust at the Religious Experience Research Centre in the University of Wales, and a member of the Ghost Club (1862).

His passion for understanding paranormal phenomena in the Bible and the world around us saw him produce his master’s thesis, Paranormal Hauntings and Application in Deliverance Ministry: A Critical Investigation, which received first prize for a Master’s thesis at Cliff College, Derbyshire. This, together with further academic research in the field, inspired him to create the website Ghosts, Ghouls and God.

He regularly appears in podcast interviews, both Christian (including the Premier Unbelievable Podcast in January 2023) and non-Christian, and on local BBC radio. These have always been to provide an overview of various paranormal activities within the Bible, and a Christian viewpoint on people’s experiences. He has also written for national Christian websites and periodicals and is currently engaged in a CFPSS 70th anniversary tour, lecturing on this subject matter to the general public across the UK.

Matt is a part-time teacher at a local school in his home town, devoting the remainder of his time to his family and further research and production of material related to his calling in the field of Christianity and the paranormal.

Publications

The Christian Parapsychologist (Editor)

Ghosts, Ghouls and God (Website)

‘Ghosts, the afterlife, and paranormal in the Bible’, Christianity.org.uk

‘Ghosts, haunted houses and bumps in the night: What the Bible really says about all things spooky’, Premier Christianity Magazine, 2021

Forthcoming: Ghosts, Ghouls and the Afterlife in the Bible (Anam Cara Press, autumn 2023)

Lecture titles

Ghosts in the Bible
Together we explore the Hebrew and Greek words for ghosts (active spirits of the dead) which are found in the Bible. As we do so, we discover ghosts appear quite frequently and unexpectedly within the biblical texts.
The Evolution of the Afterlife in the Bible
Many believe the Bible has little to say regarding the afterlife, yet by seeing the texts from the perspectives of their original writers, we discover a beautiful and hope-filled evolution of afterlife understanding develop throughout its pages.
The Paranormal in the Bible
While popular culture is currently experiencing a blossoming interest in the paranormal, we explore the many instances of paranormal happenings within the biblical texts and how we can use them to engage in positive dialogue with culture.