Evil in modern myth and ritual

by Richard Stivers

Richard Stivers' concern is with the social construction of evil, that is, with how modern societies, in a partly unconscious way, create evil as a category of the sacred and how symbols, myths, and rituals of evil are related to this. He is interested, moreover, in how modern societies provoke individuals to commit evil actions. This fascinating and stimulating book is the first attempt to work out in detail how the concepts of the sacred, symbol, myth, and ritual form a cultural configuration in modern technological societies, and not just in traditional societies.

Hardcover

Reviews

[ORAN · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's compelling, and worth reading, but is so, so, so outdated. A lot of the references to our culture no longer are worth comparison due to the invention of the Internet. It's a good book if you're into occultism, but a lot of the premise is based on examples from what sounds like the 1970's or 80's.