Wright, Lori

English

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
9-8-2006
Does Evil Really Exist?
Lori Wright
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Wright, Lori, "Does Evil Really Exist?" (2006). UNH Today. 1008.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/1008
9/18/17, 1(08 PMDoes Evil Really Exist?
Page 1 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2006/september/lw_060908evil.cfm@type=n.html
 
Does Evil Really Exist?
Contact:  Lori Wright 
603-862-0574
UNH Media Relations
September 8, 2006
DURHAM, N.H. -- No, not in the sense of being satanic or demonic atrocities, according to
David Frankfurter, professor of religious studies and history at the University of New
Hampshire. True evil is a social construction that inspires people to brutal acts in the name of
moral order.
In his new book, Evil Incarnate: Rumors of Demonic Conspiracy and Satanic Abuse in History,
Frankfurter investigates the social and psychological patterns that have given rise to myths of
witches, demons, satanic cults, and cannibalism throughout history. According to Frankfurter,
evil does not exist as an entity beyond the realm of human understanding, but instead
manifests as an unsettling public discourse created by folklore, cultural ideas, literature, and
oral traditions.
The first work to provide an in-depth analysis of the topic, the book draws upon the history of
religion, anthropology, sociology and psychoanalytic theory to probe the myriad ways people
imagine evil, how they treat those who are deemed evil and the factors that give rise to panic
about witches or evil cults.
“People have been obsessed by evil for centuries—obsessed with what evil is, who is evil, and
how to avoid evil—and the 21st century is no exception. President Bush famously dubbed
Iran, North Korea, and Iraq the Axis of Evil in his 2002 State of the Union address. In casual
conversation and media stories alike, terrorists, politicians and criminals are labeled evil. With
all these accepted references to evil, it is time that its true nature is exposed and thoroughly
examined,” Frankfurter says.
According to Frankfurter, linking terrorism and evil shifts the view of the terrorist “from a
concrete mass-killer with a biography, distinct motivations, and specific goals, to a shadowy
opponent of family and society in heartland America. And terrorism, of course, is the evil force
that will stay outside as long as we conduct large-scale military exploits off in the distant
lands we associate with it.”
In many ways, the term terrorism and its close association with the concept of evil conjures
meanings and responses similar to the terms witchcraft, devil-worshipper, and commie. And
that, Frankfurter says, should be of concern to many.
“We become lost in these large-scale terms for evil, invoking them for every anxiety, every
criminal suspect, every political maneuver,” he says. “Those who have become wed to large-
scale schemes of danger and conspiracy have sought to root it out by any means necessary.”
People imagine evil in many ways. In its most basic form, evil for many takes on the likeness
9/18/17, 1(08 PMDoes Evil Really Exist?
Page 2 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2006/september/lw_060908evil.cfm@type=n.html
of demonic spirits: half-animal, monstrous, overly sexual or cannibal. However, often people
have imagined evil as actual people: foreigners, especially those nearby, or members of
strange religions that we imagine ritually abusing or eating children and women.
“Imagining evil people and demons and witches is also exciting: we think about all the
outrageous things they do with a kind of prurience,” Frankfurter says.
So how do certain people or groups become labeled as evil? According to Frankfurter, the
major factor is the arrival of "experts in the discernment of evil" -- witch-finders or experts in
satanic ritual abuse or cults who bring a broad and intensified concept of evil to a community
already anxious about misfortune, subversion, enemies, foreigners, cults and demons.
“But more broadly, we find these panics especially in cultures that are experiencing a kind of
tension between their familiar worlds of neighbors, spirits, demons, evil eye, and bad luck,
and a larger world of institutions (churches, child protective services, presidents and law
enforcement). What happens is that the small community begins to feel that its familiar
problems must now be understood in terms of the large-scale evil,” Frankfurter says.
For those deemed evil, often the public response is to take drastic measures to cleanse them
from the landscape. “One imagines the view of Tutsis in 1994 Rwanda, the view of Jews in
1939 Germany (and often in European history), and the view of Christians in second-century
Rome. They represent predators, obstacles to safety and success,” Frankfurter says.
When society labels people as evil, it places them outside humanity where others don't have
to think about motivations or context in any critical way. “Use of this label amounts to
intellectual laziness and has led, consistently, to the worst atrocities we know about. Speaking
of ‘evil’ leads people to evil,” Frankfurter says.
And according to the professor, people are thinking more about evil today. “We see and hear
about so many horrible atrocities and crimes, yet are constantly presented with contexts and
backgrounds and ways of understanding how they could happen. For many people, especially
people of evangelical Christian bent, to label something or somebody evil has a refreshing
clarity to it,” he says.
This clarity provides an easier concept for understanding evil than thinking about the complex
motivations of a person or a group. Thinking about evil is also exciting, Frankfurter says,
offering a kind of license to think about sexual perversions and brutality we couldn’t otherwise
let ourselves imagine.
Frankfurter, a specialist in ancient Mediterranean religions, is a professor of religious studies
and history at the University of New Hampshire. He is also the author of Religion in Roman
Egypt (Princeton), which won the 1999 award for excellence in the historical study of religion
from the American Academy of Religion.
EDITORS AND REPORTERS: Frankfurter can be reached at 603-862-3015 and
davidtf@hopper.unh.edu.
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Does Evil Really Exist?

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices9-8-2006Does Evil Really Exist?Lori WrightFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationWright, Lori, "Does Evil Really Exist?" (2006). UNH Today. 1008.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/10089/18/17, 1(08 PMDoes Evil Really Exist?Page 1 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2006/september/lw_060908evil.cfm@type=n.html Does Evil Really Exist?Contact:  Lori Wright 603-862-0574UNH Media RelationsSeptember 8, 2006DURHAM, N.H. -- No, not in the sense of being satanic or demonic atrocities, according toDavid Frankfurter, professor of religious studies and history at the University of NewHampshire. True evil is a social construction that inspires people to brutal acts in the name ofmoral order.In his new book, Evil Incarnate: Rumors of Demonic Conspiracy and Satanic Abuse in History,Frankfurter investigates the social and psychological patterns that have given rise to myths ofwitches, demons, satanic cults, and cannibalism throughout history. According to Frankfurter,evil does not exist as an entity beyond the realm of human understanding, but insteadmanifests as an unsettling public discourse created by folklore, cultural ideas, literature, andoral traditions.The first work to provide an in-depth analysis of the topic, the book draws upon the history ofreligion, anthropology, sociology and psychoanalytic theory to probe the myriad ways peopleimagine evil, how they treat those who are deemed evil and the factors that give rise to panicabout witches or evil cults.“People have been obsessed by evil for centuries—obsessed with what evil is, who is evil, andhow to avoid evil—and the 21st century is no exception. President Bush famously dubbedIran, North Korea, and Iraq the Axis of Evil in his 2002 State of the Union address. In casualconversation and media stories alike, terrorists, politicians and criminals are labeled evil. Withall these accepted references to evil, it is time that its true nature is exposed and thoroughlyexamined,” Frankfurter says.According to Frankfurter, linking terrorism and evil shifts the view of the terrorist “from aconcrete mass-killer with a biography, distinct motivations, and specific goals, to a shadowyopponent of family and society in heartland America. And terrorism, of course, is the evil forcethat will stay outside as long as we conduct large-scale military exploits off in the distantlands we associate with it.”In many ways, the term terrorism and its close association with the concept of evil conjuresmeanings and responses similar to the terms witchcraft, devil-worshipper, and commie. Andthat, Frankfurter says, should be of concern to many.“We become lost in these large-scale terms for evil, invoking them for every anxiety, everycriminal suspect, every political maneuver,” he says. “Those who have become wed to large-scale schemes of danger and conspiracy have sought to root it out by any means necessary.”People imagine evil in many ways. In its most basic form, evil for many takes on the likeness9/18/17, 1(08 PMDoes Evil Really Exist?Page 2 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2006/september/lw_060908evil.cfm@type=n.htmlof demonic spirits: half-animal, monstrous, overly sexual or cannibal. However, often peoplehave imagined evil as actual people: foreigners, especially those nearby, or members ofstrange religions that we imagine ritually abusing or eating children and women.“Imagining evil people and demons and witches is also exciting: we think about all theoutrageous things they do with a kind of prurience,” Frankfurter says.So how do certain people or groups become labeled as evil? According to Frankfurter, themajor factor is the arrival of "experts in the discernment of evil" -- witch-finders or experts insatanic ritual abuse or cults who bring a broad and intensified concept of evil to a communityalready anxious about misfortune, subversion, enemies, foreigners, cults and demons.“But more broadly, we find these panics especially in cultures that are experiencing a kind oftension between their familiar worlds of neighbors, spirits, demons, evil eye, and bad luck,and a larger world of institutions (churches, child protective services, presidents and lawenforcement). What happens is that the small community begins to feel that its familiarproblems must now be understood in terms of the large-scale evil,” Frankfurter says.For those deemed evil, often the public response is to take drastic measures to cleanse themfrom the landscape. “One imagines the view of Tutsis in 1994 Rwanda, the view of Jews in1939 Germany (and often in European history), and the view of Christians in second-centuryRome. They represent predators, obstacles to safety and success,” Frankfurter says.When society labels people as evil, it places them outside humanity where others don't haveto think about motivations or context in any critical way. “Use of this label amounts tointellectual laziness and has led, consistently, to the worst atrocities we know about. Speakingof ‘evil’ leads people to evil,” Frankfurter says.And according to the professor, people are thinking more about evil today. “We see and hearabout so many horrible atrocities and crimes, yet are constantly presented with contexts andbackgrounds and ways of understanding how they could happen. For many people, especiallypeople of evangelical Christian bent, to label something or somebody evil has a refreshingclarity to it,” he says.This clarity provides an easier concept for understanding evil than thinking about the complexmotivations of a person or a group. Thinking about evil is also exciting, Frankfurter says,offering a kind of license to think about sexual perversions and brutality we couldn’t otherwiselet ourselves imagine.Frankfurter, a specialist in ancient Mediterranean religions, is a professor of religious studiesand history at the University of New Hampshire. He is also the author of Religion in RomanEgypt (Princeton), which won the 1999 award for excellence in the historical study of religionfrom the American Academy of Religion.EDITORS AND REPORTERS: Frankfurter can be reached at 603-862-3015 anddavidtf@hopper.unh.edu.[an error occurred while processing this directive]

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