Fearing the Devil: A Cultural History of America’s Satanic Panic with Scott Culpepper

Witch Hunt

Returning guest Dr. Scott Culpepper, professor at Dordt University, joins us to examine the social phenomenon known as the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and early 1990s. Drawing from his extensive research for his forthcoming scholarly book and his novel, "The Demonologists' Daughters," Dr. Culpepper analyzes how this period of heightened social anxiety developed and influenced American society.

We explore the cultural context of this moral panic, examining its effects on institutions from childcare centers to entertainment, while drawing meaningful parallels to witch hunts. Our discussion includes analysis of media influence, law enforcement response, and the intersection with broader social changes of the era. Through careful historical examination, we consider how this period continues to inform our understanding of mass social fears and institutional responses to perceived threats. And we ask the question, are we in a Satanic Panic again?

Dr. Culpepper's Blog, The Imaginative Historian

Youtube - Connecticut Witch Trials with Dr. Scott Culpepper

Dr. Scott Culpepper Professor Profile

The Demonologists’ Daughters by K. Scott Culpepper

American Tabloid Media and the Satanic Panic, 1970-2000 by Sarah A. Hughes

The Exorcist Effect: Horror, Religion, and Demonic Belief by Joseph P. Laycock and Eric Harrelson

The International Network Against Accusations of Witchcraft and Associated Harmful Practices

Call on the World Health Organization to re-add sunscreen to the list of essential medicines

Zoom Event World Day Against Witch Hunts 10th August, 2024

International Alliance to End Witch Hunts

IK Ero On Next Steps For Ending Witch Hunts TINAAWAHP

Sanguma: Everybody’s Business

Justice for Witches, Pardon Campaign

End Witch Hunts

Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project

Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project

Maryland Witches Exoneration Project
Witch Hunt Website