Demons and the Dynamics of Fear in Late Antiquity

I aim to build upon the existing scholarly discourse on the impact of belief in demons in Late Antiquity by homing in on a psychological response to demons which has not yet received due focus. I shall explore the fear of demons as represented in Late Antique Christian literature. I shall investigate the peculiar contexts in which space is given to the fear of demons/ the demonic.

This framework will allow me to explore the kinds of worldly fears which Christians used to construct the aesthetics and agency of their spiritual enemies in the lived reality of the later Roman empire.

The intellectual, generic and social diversity of Late Antique Christian literature afforded authors remarkable versatility in constructing the demons' place in the world as embodiments of Satan's evil.

I shall therefore investigate the peculiar types of fear that different literary genres emphasise in relation to demons.

Overall, I hope to gain a greater insight into the role that fear of demons plays in shaping Christian discourse about spiritual and temporal power, identity, conflict, and the intervention of the divine in the human sphere.

Underlying my research is also the question of what fear of demons can tell us both about the human subject and demonic object. My research will make an original contribution to the study of society and religion in Late Antiquity.