Discerning Dangerous Affections in Hell Houses
Inoculation, Counterfeit Love, and Ressentiment
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21581369 |
|---|---|
| Authors | T J Geiger (corresponding author), Religious Communication Association |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 60-76 |
| Publication date | 2020-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Communication and Religion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0894-2838 |
| Publisher | Philosophy Documentation Center (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.5840/jcr202043423 |
| OpenAlex | W4396588739 |
| Language | EN |
Drawing on insights from revivalist Jonathan Edwards, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and communication theory about inoculation, I examine Hell Houses, haunted house–style events designed to scare audiences into becoming Christians. Performances rely on inoculation to demonize outgroups and reinforce in-group commitment. While scholars identify Edwards as a rhetorical ancestor of Hell House tactics, inoculation reinforces in-group identity in a way that fits Edwards’s critique of “counterfeit love”—excessive in-group affection. The counterfeit love Hell Houses promote is bolstered by what Nietzsche termed ressentiment, Christian morality’s oppositional antagonism. Deconversion narratives from ex-Hell House actors suggest that reifying an oppositional group identity may ultimately undermine evangelistic goals
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |