Lucifer Ascending The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture (Audible Audio Edition) Bill Ellis Marcus D Durham University Press Audiobooks Books
Download As PDF : Lucifer Ascending The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture (Audible Audio Edition) Bill Ellis Marcus D Durham University Press Audiobooks Books
Despite their centuries-old history and traditions, witchcraft and magic are still very much a part of modern Anglo-American culture. In Lucifer Ascending, Bill Ellis looks at modern practices that are universally defined as "occult," from commonplace habits such as carrying a rabbit's foot for good luck or using a Ouija board, to more esoteric traditions, such as the use of spell books. In particular, Ellis shows how the occult has been a common element in youth culture for hundreds of years.
Using materials from little-known publications and archives, Lucifer Ascending details the true social function of individuals dabbling with the occult. In his survey of what Ellis terms "vernacular occultism," the author is poised on a middle ground between a skeptical point of view that defines belief in witchcraft and Satan as irrational and an interpretation of witchcraft as an underground religion opposing Christianity. Lucifer Ascending examines the occult not as an alternative to religion, but rather as a means for ordinary people to participate directly in the mythic realm.
Lucifer Ascending The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture (Audible Audio Edition) Bill Ellis Marcus D Durham University Press Audiobooks Books
Terrible disappointment! A grown man who believes in fantasy and preaches it as reality can be explained by his strong exoteric ties to a modern religious organization. Witches (Hollywood-type witches), chain-letters, etc. This is how the book starts out. This has nothing to do with the Occult or Lucifer; only a strong Christian's incorrect concept of the Occult. This is the typical narrow-minded lack of understanding you can expect from someone who subscribes strongly to any modern Christian religion.I couldn't get past page 50. I really started forcing myself to continue reading after the first few pages; I didn't want to give up without giving the author the benefit of the doubt. But wow...it doesn't get any better. The statements he makes and the quotes he gathered from who he claims to be reputable sources are ridiculous and mostly pointless due to their lack of understanding. I'll just stick to Manly P Hall, Blavatsky, Albert Pike, Aleister Crowley, Cornelius Agrippa, the Hermetic writings, and those who define occult literature.
Product details
|
Tags : Amazon.com: Lucifer Ascending: The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture (Audible Audio Edition): Bill Ellis, Marcus D Durham, University Press Audiobooks: Books, ,Bill Ellis, Marcus D Durham, University Press Audiobooks,Lucifer Ascending: The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture,University Press Audiobooks,B01HFGFV3M
People also read other books :
- Pokemon Go the Ultimate Full Guide (Audible Audio Edition) Clarence Lefort Keith Yeager Books
- The Prince of Physics Logic to the Rescue Book 2 edition by Kris Langman Children eBooks
- Inspired by Art Fighting Goliath The David Chronicles Book 4 edition by Uvi Poznansky Arts Photography eBooks
- Hygge A Complete Introduction Into The Art Of Cosy Living Hygge Life Book 1 eBook Freja Petersen
- La Dama de las Camelias Spanish Edition Alejandro Dumas 9781542713306 Books
Lucifer Ascending The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture (Audible Audio Edition) Bill Ellis Marcus D Durham University Press Audiobooks Books Reviews
Bill Ellis, associate professor of English and American Studies at Penn State Hazleton, published in the year 2000 the book Raising the Devil Satanism, New Religions, and the Media. That was a great read indeed, and so is its companion Lucifer Ascending, where Ellis continues his studies and research of Satanism, the occult, and alternative worldviews and what they mean to the people involved.
But first a few words about the author. It should be stated that Ellis is a Christian, a fact that many Satanists or other non-Christians will claim makes him much too subjective to be able to explore the left-hand path. Yeah, well, one shouldn't forget that he's also a scholar. And a damn good one, too. Ellis, an active member of The Evangelical Lutheran Church, makes it clear from the very start that he believes in God, that he's taught in Sunday School, that his daughter went to a catholic church during her childhood, and so on. But despite all this he's still lightyears away from a stereotype American fundamentalist who despises and loathes everything that happens not to be Christian.
Because, as I said, Ellis is a scholar. And he's written another book that cannot, and should not, be missed.
A common theme that appears throughout the book is Harry Potter. Many fundamental Christian groups in America fully believe that J.K. Rowling's stories about the spectacled wizard are indeed propaganda in order to promote "traditional" (whatever that means) satanic and occult teachings, and this debate, which is still pretty heated from place to place, has received a lot of attention in American media. Ellis dissociates himself from this craziness and flatly admits that the adventures of Harry Potter are both well-written and makes a great read. The notion that children who read them will become Satanists or something equally horrible is something Ellis denies. With a passion.
However, the debate itself is definitely worth studying, and each chapter in Lucifer Ascending deals with something from this debate, or the books themselves, that can be analyzed and questioned using different religious and sociological perspectives. Ellis makes clear that young people's fascination with the forbidden, mystical, paranormal and (at least according to some) anti-Christian is nothing new, and he refutes the somewhat paranoid ideas about how Ouija boards are a serious threat to the Christian faith, a claim made by several different organizations with an anti-occult agenda.
Beware, though. Lucifer Ascending is not an easy book to read, and if you're unfamiliar with scholarly books this one will turn out to be quite a challenge. The witch-hunts during the 17th and 18th centuries are thoroughly described, and Ellis isn't afraid to criticize what "his" faith has done to numerous innocent people through the centuries. Furthermore, he's not, and in this he's differing from many other American Christians, convinced that some sort of satanic conspiracy is responsible for the abduction of infants and drinking of virgins' blood.
"(...) we should not be so naïve as to assume that `there were no witches' or `there are no satanists'. Occult practices have existed for many centuries, and they provide a ground for the more sensational claims that emerge from time to time. But crusades have always exaggerated the number and seriousness of crimes committed by witches and Satanists, as well as the numbers said to be involved."
No one is perfect. We all have our flaws, and Ellis believes his task to be to ANALYZE, not CRITICIZE. There's a great difference between the two attitudes, but not everybody are willing to accept that.
Both Anton LaVey and Michael Aquino receive acknowledgement in the beginning of the book, and the chapter about LaVey's Church of Satan is both balanced and interesting. He's even found a typo in The Satanic Bible (Avon's paperback edition) where the black mass is described. On page 109 it says "...he is careful not to choose one that is not in vogue to parody." However, and which LaVey himself confirmed to Ellis, "not" is a typo. The correct word should be "now".
And believe it or not, this book's also got a dose of humor and self-irony. For instance, the chapter about Ouija boards, with the great name "The @#$%&! Ouija Board", has a section named - and this is sure to make many Christians mad with anger - something as controversial as "Suck the Greasy Cock of the Dark Lord!".
That last one almost made me fall of my chair from uncontrollable bursts of laughter. And how often does that happen when you read a non-fiction book about religion?
Lucifer Ascending is an interesting study of occult traditions throughout the centuries and the only thing I can do is to fully recommend it. Bill Ellis is living proof that narrow-minded self-appointed Satanists who claim to "hate all Christians" (and by all means their Christian counterparts) really should do some serious research before they start arguing about something as complex as religious beliefs.
The worldwide popularity of the Harry Potter books has been seen as a boon not just for publishers, but for children who are getting excited about reading and are looking forward to reading the next one. But a large segment of American society does not see this as good news. The books are seen by some Christian fundamentalists as spiritually dangerous to children, since they introduce concepts of the occult in attractive ways. Certainly not all Christians feel this way, recognizing the books as belonging to the type of fantasies written by Christians like C. S. Lewis and others. If fundamentalists feel that the Harry Potter books are the works of the devil, however, they are in good historical company. In _Lucifer Ascending The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture_ (University Press of Kentucky), Bill Ellis has continued an academic query which he described in his previous _Raising the Devil_. While his current book is not an analysis of Harry Potter books and the movement against them, J. K. Rowling's works are shown to be just a contemporary part of folklore beliefs that have gone back for centuries.
Witchcraft was (and is) practiced in opposition to an increasingly rationalistic theology. The practices allow marginalized groups to use traditions to give themselves a sense of degree of control over their lives, but can also be employed by those who have no particular conflict with society. Ellis examines such hardware of the occult as the "grimoire" or magic book, chain letters (!), and even the rabbit's foot. He shows how young people are especially prone to old-time occult activity. Since medieval times, people have made special trips to, say, Neolithic monuments. Folklorists call this "legend-tripping," and teenagers have kept up the tradition. The trip, often to a forbidden house or a graveyard, is made in a cultivated atmosphere of fear; stories of previous trippers who suffered the penalty for violating the taboo get passed along and keep the tripping alive rather than restraining it. Ellis shows that teens calling upon spirits by means of the Ouija board is quite similar to calling spirits out during exorcisms, an illustration of how belief in the occult actually compliments and supports orthodox belief. Frightened fundamentalists may be taking the Ouija threat too seriously; one student user says, "You really don't get any answers that mean anything. We just get drunk and have a good time."
Ellis, himself an active Lutheran, makes clear that he is not advocating for the folklore practices described here, or even apologizing for them. He admits that while many of the practices might be harmless, spooky fun for teens, there may be bad consequences as well. He gives such concrete examples as vandalism resulting from a graveyard visit, rather than the possibility that Satan might take over the souls doing the trip. His is an academic work, but even so, with its unusual themes, it is an entertaining one. He is especially amused by the famous spoof article in the satirical paper _The Onion_, telling about how satanic groups were being overwhelmed by Harry Potter readers trying to join up. The article was ridiculous, but was sent as a chain letter by many Christian youth counselors as a bona fide warning about the danger Harry poses. Their more Internet-savvy students were embarrassed that their elders could not tell reality from a joke. _The Onion_ just gave the elders an opportunity to overreact, but Ellis's book shows that the pattern of overreaction, giving definition to both orthodoxy and the occult, has been going on for centuries.
Terrible disappointment! A grown man who believes in fantasy and preaches it as reality can be explained by his strong exoteric ties to a modern religious organization. Witches (Hollywood-type witches), chain-letters, etc. This is how the book starts out. This has nothing to do with the Occult or Lucifer; only a strong Christian's incorrect concept of the Occult. This is the typical narrow-minded lack of understanding you can expect from someone who subscribes strongly to any modern Christian religion.
I couldn't get past page 50. I really started forcing myself to continue reading after the first few pages; I didn't want to give up without giving the author the benefit of the doubt. But wow...it doesn't get any better. The statements he makes and the quotes he gathered from who he claims to be reputable sources are ridiculous and mostly pointless due to their lack of understanding. I'll just stick to Manly P Hall, Blavatsky, Albert Pike, Aleister Crowley, Cornelius Agrippa, the Hermetic writings, and those who define occult literature.
0 Response to "[LGO]⇒ Descargar Free Lucifer Ascending The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture (Audible Audio Edition) Bill Ellis Marcus D Durham University Press Audiobooks Books"
Post a Comment