Chicago, IL -- "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" may be long dead and buried, but a theologian is taking a new approach to the show.

Author Jana Riess wrote "What Would Buffy Do?" (Jossey-Bass) to explore the spiritual side the "Buffy" brought to TV viewers.

Riess analyzes questions like "How can the knowledge that we are going to die shape our lives?" and "Can we learn to choose forgiveness over vengeance?"

As Riess puts it, self-sacrifice is the highest value on "Buffy:" "Ultimately, the show's message is that although it's great for us to have our own quests and spiritual journeys and all that, it doesn't mean anything unless it's in service of others."

Riess calls "Buffy" one of the most moralistic shows on TV because in her opinion it shows "evil never goes unpunished and doing good is its own reward."

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