Raising the Devil reveals how the Christian Pentecostal
movement, right-wing conspiracy theories, and an opportunistic
media turned grassroots folk traditions into the Satanism scare of
the 1980s. During the mid-twentieth century, devil worship was seen
as merely an isolated practice of medieval times. But by the early
1980s, many influential experts in clinical medicine and in law
enforcement were proclaiming that satanic cults were widespread and
dangerous. By examining the broader context for alleged "cult"
activity, Bill Ellis demonstrates how the image of contemporary
Satanism emerged during the 1970s. Blaming a wide range of mental
and physical illnesses on in-dwelling demons, a faction of the
Pentecostal movement became convinced that their gifts of the
spirit were being opposed by satanic activities. They attributed
these activities to a "cult" that was the evil twin of true
Christianity. In some of the cases Ellis considers, common folk
beliefs and rituals were misunderstood as evidence of devil
worship. In others, narratives and rituals themselves were used to
combat satanic forces. As the media found such stories more and
more attractive, any activity with even remotely occult overtones
was demonized in order to fit a model of absolute good confronting
evil. Ellis's wide-ranging investigation covers ouija boards,
cattle mutilation, graveyard desecration, and "diabolical
medicine"--the psychiatric community's version of exorcism. He
offers a balanced view of contentious issues such as demonic
possession, satanic ritual abuse, and the testimonies of confessing
"ex-Satanists." A trained folklorist, Ellis seeks to navigate a
middle road in this dialog, and his insights into informal
religious traditions clarify how the image of Satanism both
explained and created deviant behavior.
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