
Raising the Devil
Satanism, New Religions, and the Media
Bill Ellis(Author)
The University Press of Kentucky
Published on 5. October 2000
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-0-8131-2170-3 (ISBN)
Description
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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Lexington
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
697 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8131-2170-3 (9780813121703)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
11/2022
The University Press of Kentucky
€18.18
Available for download
Person
Bill Ellis, associate professor of English and American studies at Penn State Hazelton, is the author of Raising the Devil: Satanism, New Religions, and the Media. He has served as president of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research and of the American Folklore Society's Folk Narrative Section and is an active member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Content
Introduction
Knowledge, Truth, and Thought Experiments in Schizopolis, and sex, lies, and videotape
Love, Truth, and the Medium in sex, lies, and videotape
Amplified Discourse and Desire in sex, lies, and videotape
Alain Resnais Meets Film Noir in The Underneath and The Limey
"Doing Time"
The Blend of History
Remade by Steven Soderbergh
Philosophical Reflections on Steven Soderbergh's Kafka
All About Erin
Portrait of the Artist as a Struggling Filmmaker
Mr. Soderbergh Goes to Washington
"You Shook Sinatra's Hand, You Should Know Better"
Stuck in Traffic
The Philosophy of Space and Memory in Solaris
The Dream Factory
Knowledge, Truth, and Thought Experiments in Schizopolis, and sex, lies, and videotape
Love, Truth, and the Medium in sex, lies, and videotape
Amplified Discourse and Desire in sex, lies, and videotape
Alain Resnais Meets Film Noir in The Underneath and The Limey
"Doing Time"
The Blend of History
Remade by Steven Soderbergh
Philosophical Reflections on Steven Soderbergh's Kafka
All About Erin
Portrait of the Artist as a Struggling Filmmaker
Mr. Soderbergh Goes to Washington
"You Shook Sinatra's Hand, You Should Know Better"
Stuck in Traffic
The Philosophy of Space and Memory in Solaris
The Dream Factory