Imagine a world in which more people believe in aliens than in the fairness of the criminal justice system. Where belief in telekinesis is more common than trust in the government. Where more people think ancient aliens visited Earth than think the local news is reliable. We don’t have to imagine, because that world is called New Hampshire, and the rest of the United States isn’t far behind. In his new book The Ghost Lab: How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts Are Wrecking Science, freelance journalist Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling explores the connection between the implosion of institutional trust and the growing interest in the paranormal. His earlier book, A Libertarian Walks into a Bear, follows the disorder caused by the rejection of institutions in one small New Hampshire town. The Ghost Lab is an extended case study on the Kitt Research Initiative (KRI), one of dozens of paranormal investigation groups that operated in New Hampshire in the 2010s. Hongoltz-Hetling intersperses accounts of séances, ghost hunts, and alien abductions with historical vignettes, commentary from scientists, and stories about the everyday triumphs and struggles of KRI members. The result is an alternately fascinating and disturbing portrait of a fraying, post-Christian culture, a portrait that nonetheless illustrates how the church can be a bulwark of truth and an incubator of social trust. Crisis of Faith Traditional institutions are crumbling, along with the trust we once had in them. But people haven’t ceased to trust. Rather, they’ve transferred their trust to an eclectic mix of noninstitutional teachers, gurus, spiritual guides, and healers. People like the members of the KRI. Traditional institutions are crumbling, along with the trust we once had in them. Although his frustration with what he clearly regards as pseudo-scientific nonsense occasionally emerges, Hongoltz-Hetling is largely impartial as he chronicles the exploits of the KRI. He truly wants to understand the lives of “believers.” He explores how they think, how they feel, and how they reconcile their worldview with the disenchantment of modernity. He seems to like them. Yet Hongoltz-Hetling makes it clear that the battle between science and the paranormal is “a zero-sum game.” He writes, “In order to believe that ghosts, aliens, and cryptids are real, one must believe that the lack of acknowledgement by science, government, and other institutions represents a massive failure of competence or corruption” (157). And that is exactly what organizations like the KRI and those that gather in them believe. At the heart of the book is a question of epistemology: How do we know truth? Hongoltz-Hetling’s answer is that science is the sole repository of universal, objective truth. He also laments the loss of trust in institutions, like the University of New Hampshire, which he believes represent the pursuit of pure science. To his credit, Hongoltz-Hetling admits that “institutions themselves bear much of the responsibility” for declining public trust (143). In his view, their main problem is a failure of communication. Institutions have the truth, but they’ve done a poor job of conveying it to the public in a compelling, memorable way. He also grudgingly concedes that “institutional failures” have eroded public trust and names a handful of vague examples like rising income inequality and declining life expectancy. At the same time, he ignores far more specific and egregious examples. Most notably, anyone concerned with institutional credibility has to reckon with the inestimable damage done by transgender ideology. When a 5-year-old can answer the question “What is a woman?” and the ACLU, the AMA, and a Supreme Court justice cannot, the problem doesn’t lie with the 5-year-old. With so much confusion about observable reality, it’s little wonder that many are seeking meaning in the paranormal. Reckoning with the Paranormal Though Jesus promises that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church (Matt. 16:18), Satan is still prowling around seeking to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Therefore, Christians shouldn’t overlook the rising tide of spiritualism and paranormal belief that’s at the heart of this book. Hongoltz-Hetling reports on the misadventures of the KRI with affable indulgence, like a favorite uncle playing make-believe with his nephews and nieces. Indeed, for the first half of the book, I was shocked by how few of the phenomena appeared to be demonic. Almost all of the team’s experiences could be chalked up to overactive imaginations or transparent charlatanism. And then in chapter 21, without warning, a tarot-card reader who’d visited the KRI brutally tortures, rapes, and murders a UNH college student. This incident is disturbing, but Hongoltz-Hetling takes it in his stride. Yes, “Lex” believed he was possessed by four different interdimensional beings and was deeply involved in the occult. But the lesson drawn is that we need to “build a world in which such murders are less likely to happen” (186). Hongoltz-Hetling never considers that a spiritual realm might actually exist and that contact with it might be far less benign than Touched by an Angel reruns suggest. I was reminded of C. S. Lewis’s warning in The Screwtape Letters, where a demon says, “Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick.” Satan isn’t as much interested in spectacular sins as in our slow, unremarkable, lifelong descent into hell. He doesn’t need to employ overt spiritual terrorism if he can snare human souls with a few healing crystals, a blurry picture of Bigfoot, and the whispered assurance that we can forge our own spiritual path. Christians need to be aware that Satan is very real and very dangerous. And he’s no less dangerous because he’s sometimes subtle. Ecclesiocentric Trust Regardless of what happens to our broader cultural institutions, Christians are uniquely positioned to build an “alternative trust economy.” Social media tends to sort people into ideological bubbles that amplify mistrust of other tribes. In contrast, the church is united around a common confession rather than a common cultural background or political goal. Consequently, it organically exposes us to different perspectives. This creates healthy epistemic friction and makes it much harder for us to simply dismiss those with whom we disagree. Satan isn’t as much interested in spectacular sins as in our slow, unremarkable, lifelong descent into hell. The local church can be an incubator for relational trust. When a stranger on the internet gives me advice I don’t like, I can always reject it on the grounds that he must have some ulterior motive. But when I speak to a doctor or a lawyer or a scientist from my church, I don’t have that excuse. I know the person cares about me and wants what’s best for me. He or she might still be mistaken, but I have no reason to doubt the underlying motives. In this way, churches can build up local trust networks that operate independently of institutional failure. Pastors can encourage this kind of trust by resisting the temptation to issue authoritative proclamations on empirical questions. Public policy, scientific studies, and sociological trends may be upended or reversed in a few months. Biblical truths are unchanging. Therefore, extrabiblical topics should be addressed with an epistemic humility that resists overconfidence. Additionally, it’s important that Christians on both sides of policy discussions feel represented, respected, and heard. There’s no doubt that Hongoltz-Hetling, a Pulitzer finalist, is an excellent writer. He ties together the problem of institutional distrust, which is familiar to many of us, and the growth of paranormal subculture, which is unfamiliar to many of us. This book is off the beaten path for many Christians, but it shows how valuable the church is for fostering trust and establishing truth. The Ghost Lab can help church leaders understand how to meet real spiritual needs in an uncertain, confusing, and demon-haunted world.