"Death to the World" and the Aesthetics of Conspiracy

Abstract

This study examines the small but influential "Death to the World" movement within U.S. Eastern Orthodoxy. The study offers the first comprehensive history of the movement from its origins into the present, and it also demonstrates how key affective components of the movement's appeal (asceticism, punk rock aesthetics, etc.) have been adapted into participation in conspiracy theorizing. The dissertation draws on contemporary conspiracy theory scholarship, religious studies, and sociology to make the case that "Death to the World" stands as a helpful case study for how the affective dimensions that make a movement successful also open it up to conspiracy theory participation.