Narrativity and Emotionality in Explaining Extreme Beliefs and Behaviors

Abstract While research on extreme beliefs and behaviors often focuses on factors such as marginalization, societal relations, and out-group violence, it pays less attention to the dynamics that promote continued membership. Yet, such dynamics may help us to more fully explain extreme beliefs and behaviors. This chapter focuses on narrativity and emotionality in in-group dynamics and tries to unfold how they contribute to staying in, seeing both as embodied and mediated training techniques. They play a role in supporting identity fusion, motivating costly sacrifice, and training devotion in tight-knit groups. While beliefs may be what allows a society to label some groups as extreme, beliefs may not be the most decisive factor in promoting continued membership and devotion. This chapter argues that narrative and emotional involvement are more consequential for persistence in extreme movements and suggests strategies for analysis. It draws on a historical example of total religious devotion in ancient Judaism.