Holy Horrors: An Illustrated History of Religious Murder and Madness — Sacred Violence

Crisis in Perception · Jul 21, 2026 · 48m

How can a tradition associated with morality become a system that makes cruelty feel righteous?

Welcome to Crisis in Perception, where we examine the systems shaping our world.

Using Holy Horrors: An Illustrated History of Religious Murder and Madness by James A. Haught as its lens, this investigation examines the relationship between supernatural certainty, institutional power, group identity, and organized violence.

Haught argues that religious belief becomes especially dangerous when institutions gain the authority to define enemies, punish dissent, and transform violence into sacred duty…