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Scare the Hell Out of Them: Christian Horror in Frank Peretti and
Ted Dekker’s House
Every October, a number of American churches construct “Hell
Houses,” intended to scare the hell out of visitors while also filling them
with an understanding of redemption, the Judeo-Christian God, and most
importantly, sin. Brandishing the popular Bible verse, “The wages of sin
is death,” Hell Houses incorporate abortion, sexual abuse, rape,
homosexuality, school shootings, and a variety of other supposed sins
into violent scenes that demonstrate the punishment for those who
partake in these activities and refuse the redemption of the Christian
Jesus. Closely resembling common haunted houses, visitors are lead
through Hell Houses by a Christian guide, visiting various rooms
depicting scenes of salvation and damnation. By the end of their journey,
guests have visited heaven and hell and are asked to give their lives to
the Christian God. The author of the essay “Fear Appeals in American
Evangelism,” Brian Jackson, appropriately describes Hell Houses as “a
modem morality play” intended to educate youth about the
“inexpressible horrors” that await them in the afterlife should they reject
salvation (52). Dating back to the early 1990s, Hell Houses demonstrate
a notable regenesis of the scare tactic in American Christianity which is
germane not only to early Puritanism, but also an emerging genre of
Christian appeal otherwise labeled Christian Horror. Over time, new
depictions of “sinners” are derived, revealing ideologies and Biblical
interpretations that are representative of contemporary Christian beliefs.
Although the methodologies incorporated into the Hell Houses
may seem overly zealous, evangelical scare tactics have been
consistently present throughout American history. Throughout his essay,
Jackson specifically addresses the incorporation of fear during the Great
Awakening, identifying Jonathan Edward’s (1703-1758) sermons as
prominent examples of the religious scare tactic, which blatantly appears
throughout his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (45).
Edwards’s sermon focuses on the hopelessness and excmciating pain that
awaits the unbeliever stating, “[t]he wrath of God bums against them,
their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made
ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them” (476). The violent
denouncement of unbelievers persists throughout the entirety of the
sermon, exemplifying the incorporation of fear utilized during the Great
Awakening. Likewise, Thomas Adams (1818-1905) is highly acclaimed