By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them: A Proposed Framework By Which To Understand & Categorize Self-proclaimed Christian “Occult Experts”
For many years, there has been the phenomenon of Christians who appear in newspapers, TV, radio and the internet, or host seminars and are presented as “occult experts” or “experts in Satanism”.
Many of these have also given their input as police consultants or advisors for law enforcement agencies, and have influenced how crimes have been perceived and subsequently reported on in the media.
What is glaringly obvious about these “experts” – to adherents of religious Satanism, and various other occult religions – is that the version of “Satanism” they present to their audiences is incompatible with Satanism as they know and have experienced it to be.
What the information put out by these self-proclaimed “experts” has achieved, is to influence the perception of the public in how it perceives Satanism – which, if one considers the hysterical manner in which Satanism is consistently misrepresented by non-Satanists, falls neatly in line with the incitement of a moral panic.
The aim of this Proposal, is to identify and outline the different types of perceived Christian “occult experts” prevalent today, and present a list of characteristics which can be used to classify, categorize, identify and confront them accordingly.
Keywords:
Satanism, neo-paganism, New Religious Movements, conflation, pseudo-satanism, satanic-panic, hysteria, misconceptions, satanic ritual abuse, occult related crimes unit, occult experts, frauds, fakes, charlatans, South Africa.
Citation:
Engela, C. (March 2, 2023). By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them: A Proposed Framework By Which To Understand & Categorize Self-proclaimed Christian “Occult Experts”. From https://www.academia.edu/97848392/By_Their_Fruits_You_Shall_Know_Them_A_Proposed_Framework_By_Which_To_Understand_and_Categorize_Self_proclaimed_Christian_Occult_Experts_