Cover, featuring the "Eye of Providence" on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States, which appears on the United States one-dollar bill.
| |
| Author | Michael Barkun |
|---|---|
| Published | 2003 (University of California Press; 1st edition) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 255 |
| ISBN | 0-520-23805-2 |
| OCLC | 51305869 |
| Preceded by | Religion and the Racist Right |
| Followed by | Chasing Phantoms |
A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America is a 2003 non-fiction book written by Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.[1]
Along with the Internet playing a key role in introducing individuals to beliefs once consigned to the outermost fringe of American political and religious life, Barkun points to the convergence of two phenomena that influence contemporary American conspiracism:
Publishers Weekly gave the book a positive review by stating "Scholarly but fluently written and free of excessive jargon, Barkun's exploration of the conspiratorial worldview combines sociological depth with a deadpan appreciation of pop culture and raises serious questions about the replacement of democracy by conspiracy as the dominant paradigm of political action in the public mind."[2]
In a February 2004 review,[3] writer and political blogger Daniel Pipes wrote:
Some people believe in the lost continent of Atlantis and in unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Others worry about an 18th-century secret society called the Bavarian Illuminati or a mythical Zionist-Occupied Government secretly running the United States. What if these disparate elements shared beliefs, joined forces, won a much larger audience, broke out of their intellectual and political ghetto, and became capable of challenging the premises of public life in the United States? This is the frightening prospect, soberly presented by Michael Barkun in his important, just-published book.
Books:
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Reviews
