What Would Buffy Do

What Would Buffy Do?: The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide is an academic publication by Jana Riess.

Jana Riess argues that despite the show being ostensibly secularity in some ways, it takes on some very spiritual elements. Riess attempts to get to the heart of the show's values. She uses as a key example Buffy's gradual embracement of self-sacrifice for a greater good instead of "normal" teenage commitment to materialism. Such self-sacrifice is typical amongst many key religious figures. The idea of redemption is also an important theme in the show, which is dealt with by many characters on the show (for example with Angel, who has to come terms with beginning to make amends for his past misdeeds as a vampire, Faith, the rogue slayer driven by self-hatred and envy; and Spike, the vampire whose love for a slayer causes him to seek to get back his soul. The book includes an interview with Eliza Dushku.