1. Fear Appeals used in
Sinners at the Hands of
an Angry God & Hell
House
Lacey Solheid
Senior Seminar

2. The Artifacts
Sinners at the Hands of an Angry God
Sermon given in 1741 by Jonathan Edwards
Given during the “Great Revival” of Christianity
One of the most well-known and studied sermons
Known for “fire and brimstone” speaking—graphic
imagery and extravagant language
Hell House
Church’s “Haunted House” put on during Halloween
First started by Trinity Church in Texas
Audience walks through and witnesses how people go
to Hell
Homosexual dying of AIDS, school shooting, date
rape, abortion, family violence
Seen as controversial

3. Research Questions
Are fear appeals used?
How do the artifacts fit the EPPM?
Are these logical appeals?

4. Literature Review
Aristotle: must be perceived as a near threat
“Sinners”:
“The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow
made ready on the string, and justice bends the
arrow at your heart… and it is nothing but the
mere pleasure of God… that keeps the arrow one
moment from being made drunk with your
blood”.
Hell House:
Targeted at teens & young adults. Utilize actors
that are the same age as the intended audience.

5. Literature Review
Glassner: fear mongering
“Sinners”:
Edwards was seen as one of the leaders of the
community. By utilizing these tactics, he is able to
keep people coming to his church to listen to his
sermons.
Hell House:
Continue to push the envelope to see what they
can get away with in their skits. They have had
75000 visitors (according to the video) and have
had 15000 people convert or recommit.

6. Literature Review
Walton: Definition of a fear appeal
“Where it is seen as a kind of argument used
to threaten a target audience with a fearful
outcome (most typically the outcome is the
likelihood of death), in order to get the audience to
adopt a recommended response”
Debiec & LeDoux: Learned fear
This type of fear is a learned fear because
religion is socially constructed.

7. Extended Parallel Process
Model
Fear
Threat
Susceptibility
Severity
Efficacy
Response
Self

8. EPPM & “Sinners”
Threat: Established throughout the speech—makes it
seem as though it could happen at any moment
Susceptibility: “That they were always exposed to sudden
unexpected destruction. As he that walks in slippery
places is every moment liable to fall, he cannot foresee
one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and
when he does fall, he falls at once without warning”
Severity: “The wrath of God burns against them, their
damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the is
made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive
them; the flames do now rage and glow. The glittering
sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath
opened its mouth under them
Efficacy:
Response: “And now you have an extraordinary
opportunity, a day where in Christ has thrown the door of
mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a
loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are
flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God”
(Edwards 14).
Self: Let every one that is yet out of Christ, and hanging
over the pit of hell, whether they be old me and women,

9. EPPM & Hell House
Threat: Made situations seem very realistic
Susceptibility: Show situations that a lot of
families and teens deal with; use people audience
members can relate to.
Severity: The scene at the end of the show
depicts Hell and shows the constant torture,
suffering and brutality of Hell.
Efficacy: At the end, created a scene where it
could be easy for people to recommit themselves
Self: Audience can do the easy thing and walk
through the door and pray.
Response: By going through the door to the
prayer room, they will avoid going to Hell.

10. Logical?
“This type of fear appeal argument tends to be
logically weak, because it is based on
suggestions instead of hard evidence that the
fearful event really will occur”
Not seen as logical.
Based on suggestion, not on actual facts
Emotions distort judgment
Cannot make sound judgment if you are fearful

11. Conclusion
Fear appeals are in fact used
Speakers create a visual of Hell and encourage
the audience to take actions to avoid it
Not logical appeals
There are potentially other ways of getting the
message across to an audience.

12. References
Altheide, David. Terrorism and the Politics of Fear. Lanham, MD: Alta Mira Press, 2006. Print.
Aristotle. Aristotle on Rhetoric. 2nd Edition ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.
Debiec, Jacek and Joseph LeDoux. "Fear and the Brain." Social Research 71 (2004): 807-818. Print.
Dillard, James. Handbook of Communication and Emotion: Research, Theory, Applications, and Contexts. New
York: Academic Press, 1998. Print.
Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards." His Glory.com. Web. 15 Apr.
2012. <http://www.hisglory.com/sinners_in_the_hands_of_an_angry_god.htm>.
Garrigos, Cristina. "Manipulative Rhetoric in 17th and 18th Century Sermons: Aporia, the Borders of
Reason." Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses 22 (2009): 99-114. Print.
Glassner, Barry. "Narrative Techniques of Fear Mongering." Social Research 71 (2004): 819-826. Print.
Gordon, Robert . "Fear." The Philosophical Review 89.4 (1980): 560-578. Print.
"Hell House." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbhQsRJ6ARw>.
Jackson, Brian. "Jonathan Edwards Goes to Hell (House): Fear Appeals in American Evanelism." Rhetoric
Review26.1 (2007): 42-59. Print.
Nussbaum, Martha . Essays on Aristotle's Rhetoric. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1996. Print.
Pfau, Michael . "Who’s Afraid of Fear Appeals? Contingency, Courage, and Deliberation in Rhetorical Theory and
Practice." Philosophy and Rhetoric. 40.2 (2007): 216-237. Print.
Walton, Douglas . "Fear Appeal Arguments." Scare Tactics: Arguments that Appeal to Fear and Threats. Boston:
Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000. 1-29. Print.
Walton, Kendall. "Fearing Fictions."The Journal of Philosophy 75.1 (1978): 5-27. Print.
Witte, Kim. "Fear as Motivator, Fear as Inhibitor: Using the Extended Parallel Process Model to Explain Fear
Appeals Successes and Failures."Handbook of Communication and Emotion: Research, Theory,
Applications, and Contexts IV (1998): 423-450. Print.
Yarbrough, Stephen R. and John C. Adams. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Saints in the Hands of Their
Fathers.” Journal of Communication and Religion. (1997): 25-35.

13. Questions?