In The Force of Fantasy, Ernest Bormann creates a misleading dichotomy between evangelical, conversionary abolitionists and secular, radical abolitionists. By relying on superseded historical interpretation, he has constructed a narrative based on this dichotomy which leads to confusion about the origins and dynamics of abolitionist rhetoric. This essay seeks to amend Bormann's narrative by employing terministic analysis to trace the development of radical abolitionism to its origins in evangelical religion. Such analysis can enrich our understanding of abolitionist rhetoric and point to new directions for research in rhetorical movement studies.