Rhetoric Review Jan 2007

Jonathan Edwards Goes to Hell (House): Fear Appeals in American Evangelism

Brian Jackson University of Arizona

Abstract

Abstract This article traces the argumentum ad baculum, or appeal to fear, from Jonathan Edwards in the eighteenth century to the contemporary fundamentalist Christian practice of staging morality plays, often called Hell House. In his scare-for-salvation sermons, Edwards used descriptions of the reality of hell to invoke psychosomatic reactions of terror in his audience, and we see similar rhetorical tactics at work in evangelical hell houses. In a post-9/11 world where leaders, governments, and media can exert considerable power over individuals by frightening them into impulsive behavior, and considering the New Testament's message of love, this strategy seems questionable.

Journal
Rhetoric Review
Published
2007-01-01
DOI
10.1080/07350190709336685
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Mara (2021)
    Argumentum Ad Baculum, Aristotelian Civic Fear, or Praeteritio: Threats in Anti…
    Argumentation
  2. Lynch (2013)
    “Prepare to Believe”: The Creation Museum as Embodied Conversion Narrative
    Rhetoric & Public Affairs
  3. Sahlane (2012)
    Argumentation and Fallacy in the Justification of the 2003 War on Iraq
    Argumentation

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CrossRef global citation count: 13 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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