Maps of heaven, maps of hell
Subtitle: religious terror as memory from the Puritans to Stephen King
By: Edward J. Ingebretsen.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: M.E. Sharpe
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Armonk, N.Y
Language: eng
Number of pages: 239
Subjects: Horror tales, American -- History and criticism; Gothic revival (Literature) -- English-speaking countries; Fiction -- Religious aspects -- Christianity; American fiction -- English influences; Puritan movements in literature; Christianity and literature; Heaven in literature; Memory in literature; Hell in literature
Description: Puritan theology maintained the "men need to be terrified, so that they may be converted." Yet the fear of self-loss at the heart of religious conversion was, oddly enough, similar to the fear provoked by witchery and demonic possession. Thus terror entered American culture partly by way of religious sanction, and it continues to be an important social tool for the shaping of hearts and minds.

This book defines the use of terror in the American popular imagination from its beginnings in Puritan sermonizing to its prominent place in contemporary genre film and fiction.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.