Death Cults and Dystopian Scenarios: Neo-Nazi Religion and Literature in the USA Today
In this article, I investigate the literary representation of the religious convictions and political strategy of neo-Nazi ideologues who are influential in rightwing authoritarian movements in the USA today. The reason that I do this is because in contemporary fascism, the novel has replaced the po...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/12/1067 |
| _version_ | 1797501022189387776 |
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| author | Geoff M. Boucher |
| author_facet | Geoff M. Boucher |
| author_sort | Geoff M. Boucher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article, I investigate the literary representation of the religious convictions and political strategy of neo-Nazi ideologues who are influential in rightwing authoritarian movements in the USA today. The reason that I do this is because in contemporary fascism, the novel has replaced the political manifesto, the military manual and proselytizing testimony, since fiction can evade censorship and avoid prosecution. I read William Luther Pierce’s <i>Turner Diaries</i> and <i>Hunter</i> together with his text on speculative metaphysics and religious belief, <i>Cosmotheism</i>. Then, I turn to Harold Covington’s <i>Northwestern Quintet</i> with <i>The Brigade</i>, reading this with Christian Identity and his own conception of Nazi religious tolerance. Finally, I look at OT Gunnarsson’s <i>Hear the Cradle Song</i>, reading this together with discussions of racism in Californian Odinism. I propose that what this literature shows is that the doctrinal differences between the three main strands of neo-Nazi religion—Cosmotheism, Christian Identity and Odinism—are less significant than their common ideological functions. These are twofold: (1) the sacralization of violence and (2) the sanctification of elites. The dystopian fictions of fascist literature present civil war scenarios whose white nationalist and genocidal outcome is the result of what are, strictly speaking, supremacist death cults. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:12:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1f0558c63d354c8f88c872baf4b1b518 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:12:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-1f0558c63d354c8f88c872baf4b1b5182023-11-23T10:22:09ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442021-12-011212106710.3390/rel12121067Death Cults and Dystopian Scenarios: Neo-Nazi Religion and Literature in the USA TodayGeoff M. Boucher0Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, AustraliaIn this article, I investigate the literary representation of the religious convictions and political strategy of neo-Nazi ideologues who are influential in rightwing authoritarian movements in the USA today. The reason that I do this is because in contemporary fascism, the novel has replaced the political manifesto, the military manual and proselytizing testimony, since fiction can evade censorship and avoid prosecution. I read William Luther Pierce’s <i>Turner Diaries</i> and <i>Hunter</i> together with his text on speculative metaphysics and religious belief, <i>Cosmotheism</i>. Then, I turn to Harold Covington’s <i>Northwestern Quintet</i> with <i>The Brigade</i>, reading this with Christian Identity and his own conception of Nazi religious tolerance. Finally, I look at OT Gunnarsson’s <i>Hear the Cradle Song</i>, reading this together with discussions of racism in Californian Odinism. I propose that what this literature shows is that the doctrinal differences between the three main strands of neo-Nazi religion—Cosmotheism, Christian Identity and Odinism—are less significant than their common ideological functions. These are twofold: (1) the sacralization of violence and (2) the sanctification of elites. The dystopian fictions of fascist literature present civil war scenarios whose white nationalist and genocidal outcome is the result of what are, strictly speaking, supremacist death cults.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/12/1067fascismneo-Nazism<i>Turner Diaries</i>dystopian fictionNazi religionterrorism and literature |
| spellingShingle | Geoff M. Boucher Death Cults and Dystopian Scenarios: Neo-Nazi Religion and Literature in the USA Today Religions fascism neo-Nazism <i>Turner Diaries</i> dystopian fiction Nazi religion terrorism and literature |
| title | Death Cults and Dystopian Scenarios: Neo-Nazi Religion and Literature in the USA Today |
| title_full | Death Cults and Dystopian Scenarios: Neo-Nazi Religion and Literature in the USA Today |
| title_fullStr | Death Cults and Dystopian Scenarios: Neo-Nazi Religion and Literature in the USA Today |
| title_full_unstemmed | Death Cults and Dystopian Scenarios: Neo-Nazi Religion and Literature in the USA Today |
| title_short | Death Cults and Dystopian Scenarios: Neo-Nazi Religion and Literature in the USA Today |
| title_sort | death cults and dystopian scenarios neo nazi religion and literature in the usa today |
| topic | fascism neo-Nazism <i>Turner Diaries</i> dystopian fiction Nazi religion terrorism and literature |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/12/1067 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT geoffmboucher deathcultsanddystopianscenariosneonazireligionandliteratureintheusatoday |