Fundamentalist religion and the moral crusade against Satanism: The social construction of deviant behavior

Abstract

This article presents a symbolic interactionist model of the social dynamics of moral crusades to define a new form of deviant behavior. It identifies the collective behavior processes through which a contemporary legend leads to the social construction of deviant behavior, particularly when underlying sources of social stress activate the search for scapegoats. The cognitive content of scapegoating is constructed when a frame for a perceived threat links a contemporary legend to a current ideology. The contemporary legend enables the claims of moral crusaders to reach a wide audience because their propaganda will appeal to familiar preconceptions of the nature of evil in society. The model was developed from research on the claims‐making activity of fundamentalists in the moral crusade against satanic cult crime. Fundamentalist religion plays a central role in the social construction of satanic cult crime because it offers: (1) a receptive ideology, (2) a well‐established communication network, and (3) organizational resources for moral crusaders.