A key theme in the anthropology of beliefs is the relationship between socio-economic change and changes in the belief system. It has been widely argued that rapid economic change, particularly the introduction of capitalism, leads to an increase in beliefs in, and representations of, evil and the devil. These beliefs, it is argued, constitute forms of resistance to, or rejection of, "modernity." This volume builds on these arguments, suggesting that rather than an indigenous resistance to capitalism, such representations signal a profound moral ambivalence towards the socio-economic process inherent in capitalist economy. Using a range of examples, from Surinamese zombies to American horror films, it demonstrates the extent to which evil imagery is linked to a fear of excess, particularly in situations where people find themselves, or perceive themselves, to be peripheral to the centers of political, economic, and cultural power.
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A key theme in the anthropology of beliefs is the relationship between socio-economic change and changes in the belief system. It has been widely argued that rapid economic change, particularly the introduction of capitalism, leads to an increase in beliefs in, and representations of, evil and the devil.
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List of Illustrations Introduction Jon P. Mitchell Chapter 1. Dangerous Creatures and the Enchantment of Modern Life Bonno Thoden van Velzen and Ineke van Wetering Chapter 2. Witchcraft and New Forms of Wealth: Regional Variations in South and West Cameroon Peter Geschiere Chapter 3. The Devil, Satanism and the Evil Eye in Contemporary Malta Jon P. Mitchell Chapter 4. 'You Devil, Go Away from Me!' Pentecostalist African Christianity and the Powers of Good and Evil Birgit Meyer Chapter 5. Modernity, Crisis, and the Rise of Charismatic Catholicism in Maltese Islands Nadia Theuma Chapter 6. Good, Evil and Godhood: Mormon Morality in the Material World Hildi J. Mitchell Chapter 7. The State and the Empire of Evil Jojada Verrips Chapter 8. The Iconography of Evil in Maltese Art Isabelle Borg Conclusions: The Political Economy behind the Powers of Good and Evil Paul Clough Index
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“…lively and ethnographically interesting. This makes Powers of Good and Evil an excellent teaching resource." • Ethnos

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781571813138
Publisert
2001-06-01
Utgiver
Vendor
Berghahn Books, Incorporated
Vekt
313 gr
Høyde
216 mm
Bredde
140 mm
Aldersnivå
UU, UP, P, 05, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
264

Biographical note

Paul Clough (1949-2019) was Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Malta.