Society reverts back to paganism after the death of God because the fear his wrath is no longer there to control them. It was presented as a major theme in James Morrow book Towing Jehovah. The counteracting force that restores order is Kantian Moral Law. The basic concept of the Idea of the Corpse is that without the threat of imminent or future retribution we will push the absolute limits, discarding morals and the concept of right and wrong until we have explored the depths of our souls. Testing all of our darkest emotions and urges.