Tornado God: American Religion and Violent Weather
Tornado God: American Religion and Violent Weather
Cite
Abstract
One of the earliest sources of humanity’s religious impulse was severe weather, which ancient peoples attributed to the wrath of storm gods. Enlightenment thinkers derided such beliefs as superstition and predicted they would pass away as humans became more scientifically and theologically sophisticated. But in America, scientific and theological hubris came face to face with the tornado, nature’s most violent windstorm. Striking the United States more than any other nation, tornadoes have consistently defied scientists’ efforts to unlock their secrets. Meteorologists now acknowledge that even the most powerful computers will likely never be able to predict a tornado’s precise path. Similarly, tornadoes have repeatedly brought Americans to the outer limits of theology, drawing them into the vortex of such mysteries as how to reconcile suffering with a loving God and whether there is underlying purpose or randomness in the universe. In this groundbreaking history, Peter Thuesen captures the harrowing drama of tornadoes, as clergy, theologians, meteorologists, and ordinary citizens struggle to make sense of these death-dealing tempests. He argues that, in the tornado, Americans experience something that is at once culturally peculiar (the indigenous storm of the national imagination) and religiously primal (the sense of awe before an unpredictable and mysterious power). He also shows that, in an era of climate change, the weather raises the issue of society’s complicity in natural disasters. In the whirlwind, Americans confront the question of their own destiny—how much is self-determined and how much is beyond human understanding or control.
-
Front Matter
- Introduction
-
1
“Whirlwind of the Lord”: The Enduring God(s) of the Storm
-
2
“The Violence of Winds, and the Reasonings of Men”: Storms and Providence in Colonial America
-
3
“Stormy Wind Fulfilling His Word”: Meteorology and Theology in the Nineteenth Century
-
4
“Every Wind of Doctrine”: Explaining the Whirlwind, 1900–1965
-
5
“As Stubble Before the Wind”: Divine Mystery and Human Responsibility
-
Conclusion: The Primal Whirlwind
-
End Matter
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 5 |
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 3 |
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 3 |
October 2022 | 3 |
October 2022 | 6 |
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 3 |
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 1 |
November 2022 | 1 |
November 2022 | 1 |
November 2022 | 2 |
November 2022 | 6 |
November 2022 | 5 |
November 2022 | 7 |
November 2022 | 8 |
November 2022 | 2 |
November 2022 | 5 |
November 2022 | 7 |
November 2022 | 4 |
December 2022 | 1 |
January 2023 | 2 |
January 2023 | 1 |
January 2023 | 39 |
January 2023 | 1 |
February 2023 | 2 |
February 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 3 |
March 2023 | 4 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 3 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 11 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 3 |
April 2023 | 1 |
April 2023 | 3 |
May 2023 | 4 |
May 2023 | 2 |
May 2023 | 2 |
June 2023 | 3 |
June 2023 | 2 |
June 2023 | 1 |
June 2023 | 1 |
June 2023 | 1 |
June 2023 | 4 |
June 2023 | 1 |
July 2023 | 3 |
July 2023 | 2 |
July 2023 | 2 |
July 2023 | 7 |
July 2023 | 1 |
July 2023 | 2 |
July 2023 | 5 |
July 2023 | 3 |
July 2023 | 3 |
July 2023 | 1 |
July 2023 | 7 |
August 2023 | 2 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 3 |
August 2023 | 6 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 2 |
August 2023 | 2 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 5 |
August 2023 | 2 |
October 2023 | 4 |
October 2023 | 5 |
October 2023 | 5 |
October 2023 | 4 |
October 2023 | 4 |
October 2023 | 4 |
October 2023 | 7 |
November 2023 | 2 |
November 2023 | 1 |
November 2023 | 1 |
November 2023 | 1 |
November 2023 | 1 |
November 2023 | 1 |
November 2023 | 1 |
November 2023 | 1 |
November 2023 | 4 |
December 2023 | 1 |
January 2024 | 4 |
January 2024 | 2 |
January 2024 | 1 |
January 2024 | 3 |
January 2024 | 1 |
January 2024 | 1 |
February 2024 | 4 |
February 2024 | 1 |
February 2024 | 3 |
February 2024 | 1 |
February 2024 | 1 |
February 2024 | 7 |
March 2024 | 1 |
April 2024 | 1 |
April 2024 | 3 |
May 2024 | 2 |
May 2024 | 2 |
June 2024 | 2 |
June 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 2 |
June 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 2 |
June 2024 | 7 |
June 2024 | 2 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 3 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 2 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 2 |
September 2024 | 4 |
September 2024 | 2 |
September 2024 | 2 |
September 2024 | 2 |
September 2024 | 2 |
September 2024 | 2 |
September 2024 | 2 |
October 2024 | 4 |
October 2024 | 5 |
October 2024 | 3 |
October 2024 | 3 |
October 2024 | 2 |
October 2024 | 1 |
November 2024 | 1 |
December 2024 | 2 |
December 2024 | 3 |
December 2024 | 4 |
December 2024 | 2 |
December 2024 | 2 |
December 2024 | 3 |
December 2024 | 2 |
January 2025 | 2 |
January 2025 | 6 |
January 2025 | 3 |
January 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 1 |
February 2025 | 3 |
February 2025 | 4 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 4 |
March 2025 | 2 |
March 2025 | 2 |
March 2025 | 3 |
March 2025 | 1 |
March 2025 | 1 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 1 |
April 2025 | 5 |
April 2025 | 3 |
April 2025 | 3 |
April 2025 | 3 |
April 2025 | 4 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 4 |
April 2025 | 3 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 3 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 2 |
May 2025 | 1 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.