Ark Encounter as Material Apocalyptic Rhetoric: Contemporary Creationist Strategies On Board Noah’s Ark

The Ark Encounter (AE) is a tourist site that opened July 2016 in Kentucky, which features a replica of Noah’s ark. I argue that the AE is a material exemplar of the apocalyptic genre, because it makes fear of the second coming present and physical for visitors. Employing a material rhetorical analysis and participant observation, I analyze how the AE constructs an apocalyptic argument based on the topoi of authority, evil, and time. Through its material, visual, and linguistic elements, the AE promotes adherence to a specific Christian identity that includes belief in creationism.