"David Frankfurter's valuable, well-written study takes us to the
far reaches of demonology. In documenting the harm done by labeling
others evil, he poses a challenge to those of us who believe,
however regretfully, in the necessity of the concept."--Robert Jay
Lifton, author of "The Nazi Doctors" and "The Genocidal Mentality"
"David Frankfurter has taken a sensationalist topic and given it
a serious, sober, and thoroughly enlightening treatment. At the
heart of moral panics--witch crazes, red scares, rumors of Satanic
ritual abuse, and others--he perceives not evil as an entity or
sinister force, but rather a discourse of evil that draws on old
traditions and common fantasies to stimulate horror, shock, and
also prurient pleasure. Repeatedly, this volatile mix proves
capable of inflaming passions and spawning violent campaigns whose
excesses all too predictably fall on society's most marginal, and
therefore most vulnerable, members. Drawing on a great many
examples and much prior research, he makes a strong--and profoundly
moral--argument."--Bruce Lincoln, University of Chicago
"David Frankfurter's valuable, well-written study takes us to
the far reaches of demonology. In documenting the harm done by
labeling others evil, he poses a challenge to those of us who
believe, however regretfully, in the necessity of the
concept."--Robert Jay Lifton, M.D., Distinguished Professor
Emeritus, City University of New York
"Challenging the idea of evil being a reality beyond human
comprehension, David Frankfurter's sharp and original analysis
explores how this very idea produces a terrifying, unsettling
reality of its own. The great merit of this elegantly written,
substantial book isthat it moves us beyond a rather particularistic
attitude toward separate, locally bounded cases and shows that
there is a system in the variegated realm of evil."--Birgit Meyer,
Free University Amsterdam
"A significant contribution to several fields including
comparative religions, ancient and contemporary religious history,
and even literary criticism. Frankfurter's approach--looking at
evil not as some force or essence but as a discourse--is highly
original."--Hugh Urban, Ohio State University
"Engrossing and well-informed, "Evil Incarnate" presents a
cornucopia of amazing material in lucid prose, cogently organized
and constructed into an engaging argument. Few authors have the
range, the vision, and the boldness to break through the
disciplinary and chronological boundaries to bring off a book like
this."--Charles Stewart, University College London