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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies > Satanism & demonology
"There are forces better recognized as belonging to human
society than repressed or left to waste away or growl about upon
its fringes." So writes Valerie Flint in this powerful work on
magic in early medieval Europe. Flint shows how many of the more
discerning leaders of the early medieval Church decided to promote
non-Christian practices originally condemned as magical--rather
than repressing them or leaving them to waste away or "growl."
These wise leaders actively and enthusiastically incorporated
specific kinds of "magic" into the dominant culture not only to
appease the contemporary non-Christian opposition but also to
enhance Christianity itself.
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'Deliverance is an intriguing, strangely comforting book that
shines a light into a world that's little talked about' - The Mail
on Sunday
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I turned towards the door. It was closed, but I sensed there was
something - someone - standing on the other side, staring straight
at me. A prickling sensation ran through me... I was absolutely
terrified, rooted to the spot and unable to breathe. His name is
Jason Bray. He's your quintessential vicar: that guy in the long
dress and poncho who stands at the front of the church and tells
you God loves you. He's the person who will baptise your children,
take your wedding, and conduct your Auntie Beryl's funeral. But
then he's also the person you will call in when Auntie Beryl still
keeps appearing on the landing in her nightie, or when things go
bump and rattle and your shoes start moving on their own, or when
you think your mother-in-law might be possessed. Jason is a
deliverance minister, and this is a story of oppression and
possession, of ghosts, poltergeists and other paranormal phenomena,
and how to deal with them. He is the first Anglican deliverance
minister to write a book about this ministry for the general
reader. A warm, sympathetic and humorous character who sees it as
his mission to serve the community and help families in distress,
each true-life adventure is like a detective story. At times, it's
a case of mental illness. At others, an energy or memory that has
latched itself onto a place or property. Sometimes, he's even
encountered fraud! Welcome to his world.
The history of witchcraft and sorcery has attracted a great deal of
interest and debate, but until now studies have been largely from
the Anglo-Saxon perspective. This book shows how that approach has
blurred our understanding and definition of the issues involved,
and sheds new light on the history of witchcraft in England. What
had thus far been seen as peculiar to England is here shown to be
characteristic of much of northern Europe. Taking into account
major new developments in the historiography of witchcraft--in
methodology, and in the chronological and geographical scope of the
studies--the authors explore the relationship between witchcraft,
law, and theology; the origins and nature of the witch's sabbath;
the sociology and criminology of witch-hunting; and the comparative
approach to European witchcraft. An impressive amount of archival
work by all of the contributors has produced an indispensable guide
to the study of witchcraft, of interest not only to historians, but
to anthropologists, criminologists, psychologists, and
sociologists.
"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
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