This Week in the News: Cults Edition
Sep. 2nd, 2024 07:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingThe Demon Slayers: The new age of American exorcisms
https://harpers.org/archive/2024/08/the-demon-slayers-sam-kestenbaum-exorcisms/
Americans crave spectacle, in all matters, and exorcisms like this are today experiencing a season of growth. We Americans are drawn to those things that feel somehow both novel and ancient, old dreams and nightmares made new. Polling is fairly consistent, heathens be damned: roughly half of this country believes in the existence of demons and the ability of such spirits to possess humans. The gloomy pandemic years saw a new demand for enterprising religious figures with a remedy. And why not? Who would deny that this cursed land is in need of a deep cleanse with a power washer? This, our country of suburban satanic panics and active-shooter drills, of mob riots, hollowed-out downtowns, and tech paranoias. The vibes are foul. And lo, a cavalry of screen-ready revivalists has arrived to wage the End Times war against the satanic infantry.
This is a long read, and also a very upsetting read.
Speaking of demons, I was editing my review of Sam Beck's newest graphic novel about an Evangelical Christian cult in Ohio, and I was thinking that it would be good to link to some news articles about cults in Ohio. I thought there would be maybe one or two big ones, but I was wrong. There are dozens.
I mean obviously these people are vile. But still. I get it. I could probably use an exorcism myself.
https://harpers.org/archive/2024/08/the-demon-slayers-sam-kestenbaum-exorcisms/
Americans crave spectacle, in all matters, and exorcisms like this are today experiencing a season of growth. We Americans are drawn to those things that feel somehow both novel and ancient, old dreams and nightmares made new. Polling is fairly consistent, heathens be damned: roughly half of this country believes in the existence of demons and the ability of such spirits to possess humans. The gloomy pandemic years saw a new demand for enterprising religious figures with a remedy. And why not? Who would deny that this cursed land is in need of a deep cleanse with a power washer? This, our country of suburban satanic panics and active-shooter drills, of mob riots, hollowed-out downtowns, and tech paranoias. The vibes are foul. And lo, a cavalry of screen-ready revivalists has arrived to wage the End Times war against the satanic infantry.
This is a long read, and also a very upsetting read.
Speaking of demons, I was editing my review of Sam Beck's newest graphic novel about an Evangelical Christian cult in Ohio, and I was thinking that it would be good to link to some news articles about cults in Ohio. I thought there would be maybe one or two big ones, but I was wrong. There are dozens.
I mean obviously these people are vile. But still. I get it. I could probably use an exorcism myself.
