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Article published In:
Argumentation and the interpretation of religious texts
Edited by Fabrizio Macagno and Lucia Salvato
[Journal of Argumentation in Context 12:1] 2023
► pp. 116–134

Apocalyptic argumentation

Trump and ISIS

ORCID logo | Lund University

Our time is an apocalyptic time, but the argumentation in this apocalyptic time has hardly been studied by scholars of argumentation. This article shows how both Donald Trump and the jihadist warriors of ISIS appeal to an apocalyptic worldview in their argumentation. The three topos of evil, time and authority from Stephen O’Leary’s Arguing the Apocalypse are used in the analysis. Both Trump supporters and jihadist warriors see themselves as fighting for God and their enemies as representing evil forces. For scholars of argumentation the role of arguments woven into narratives that become whole worldviews needs to be studied more thoroughly.

Keywords: apocalyptic, argumentation, ISIS, narrative, reasonableness, religion, rhetoric, Trump
Article outline
  • 1.Rhetorical argumentation
  • 2.Apocalyptic
  • 3.Apocalyptic argumentation
  • 4.Apocalyptic argumentation in the Trump campaign
  • 5.Apocalyptic argumentation by ISIS
  • Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 9 May 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jaic.22007.eri
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