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Michael E. Heyes

@thedemonologist.bsky.social
1.9K followers 482 following 451 posts

I am a professor of religion who teaches elements of popular culture, monstrosity, and medieval studies. My writings are primarily about demons and the demonic, currently present-day American demonology and politics: www.michaeleheyes.com

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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 10h
“Our department is, you might say putting on the full armor of God, because while we wage physical war, we all know the real battle is spiritual,” he said. “God is good, evil is not, and America’s military must understand the difference.”
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Can we start to counter conspiracies by thinking differently about truth and value? First post in a short series: michaeleheyes.substack.com/p/countering...
michaeleheyes.substack.com
Countering Conspiracy: Truth or Value - Part 1
Are conspiracies a move towards a medieval form of thought?
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Reposted by Michael E. Heyes
The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 30/09/2026
A Justice Department probe into a supposed “grand conspiracy” to politically persecute Donald Trump is collapsing, @dgraham.bsky.social writes. He explores the flaws in the DOJ’s plans:
bit.ly
The DOJ’s Collapsing Probe Into a Supposed Anti-Trump Conspiracy
It’s buckling under the weight of strategic errors, staff turnover, and, most of all, the facts.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
There appears to be an emerging rhetoric ahead of the mid-terms about the “Red-Green Alliance,” an idea that Islam is joining with Marxism. As near as I can figure, this idea had a legitimate origin in discussions about the Iranian Revolution and its later context...
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A New Article in Writer's Digest on Demons and Politics: My favorite line: "These and a host of others catapulted an unlikely candidate into the presidency not once, but twice (three times, if you ask him)." www.writersdigest.com/5-things-wri...
writersdigest.com
5 Things Writers Should Know About the Language of Demons, Evil, and 'The Enemy' in Politics
Author and professor Michael E. Heyes shares five things writers should know about the language of demons, evil, and "the enemy" in politics.
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Reposted by Michael E. Heyes
John Mc @philotheogical.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Excellent new book by Mike Heyes. Mike traces the HX of American fascination with all things ‘devilish,’ and particularly how useful the devil has proven to be politically! Scholarly, accessible.
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Reposted by Michael E. Heyes
Will (Faithful Politics) @faithfulpolitics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
What happens when political disagreement becomes spiritual warfare? Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social joins us to trace America’s history of turning political opponents into demons - from the Civil War and Satanic Panic to the New Apostolic Reformation. Watch: youtu.be/sgo2FYtt_KU
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Recently had a podcast appearance with the wonderful folks over at Faithful Politics (@faithfulpolitics.bsky.social), talking about demons and politics in the US. A real treat! www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgo2...
youtube.com
How America Turns Political Opponents Into Demons | Michael E. Heyes
YouTube video by Faithful Politics Podcast
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
From the Washington Post's article, "He spent 11 months inside DOGE. Now he wants to set the record straight:" "At the heart of the book is a split screen: For many Americans, Musk's project was a callous showcase of bending government to a billionaire's will,....
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
michaeleheyes.substack.com/p/the-proble...
michaeleheyes.substack.com
The Problem with Religious Invisibility in the US
And how to start thinking through it
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Seems like a win-win for the LDS Church here! youtube.com/shorts/_de42...
youtube.com
A special announcement from Rainn Wilson & Dan Beecher #maklelan3462
YouTube video by Dan McClellan
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Reposted by Michael E. Heyes
André Gagné @profgagne.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Two must-read books this fall! Don’t miss these timely, insightful, and refreshingly original contributions by @thedemonologist.bsky.social, J. Derrick Lemons and Amos Yong.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Yesterday, in my Conspiracy Theories course, I had a student who volunteered the information that some family members of theirs who identify as conservative Christian also think of Blavatsky's "Book of Dyzan" as a lost Christian text. Has anyone else run into this? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of...
en.wikipedia.org
Book of Dzyan - Wikipedia
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Watch out Spokane: there's a new church in town.... favs.news/zeal-church-...
favs.news
Zeal Church Brings New Apostolic Reformation to Spokane
Zeal Church, a Mercy Culture church plant in Spokane, reflects the New Apostolic Reformation as it draws scrutiny over theology and its Shalom split.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The other day, the AV Club did a piece entitled "Tech billionaires aren't juvenile science-fiction nerds, they just can't read." It occurred to me as I was reading that I've seen this issue raised before, namely, whether some of these figures in tech might just suffer from poor reading comprehension
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Happy Release Day everyone! You can read part of the introduction to Devils of Democracy: America's Love Affair with Political Demons from the Revolution to Today here: michaeleheyes.substack.com/p/a-bit-of-d...
michaeleheyes.substack.com
A Bit of Devils of Democracy
Happy release day for those reading on September 15, 2026.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
New post on Substack: michaeleheyes.substack.com/p/who-watche...
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Deeply weird and interesting video from the RNC. Obviously, it's a parody of Paul Harvey's "So God Made a Farmer" speech, but I think most Americans probably know that speech from the Dodge Ram commercial (www.youtube.com/watch?v=D25K...) that made use of it.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Just got a new one from Lance Wallnau. Can't wait to dig in! Description: "Today I'm covering the wild details of what happened when a man seated next to Jonathan Cahn on an American Airlines flight was overtaken by a spirit, manifesting violently as Cahn witnessed to him about Jesus.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Today starts oral arguments in the first challenge to Indiana RFRA on whether there is a religious right to abortion. Seems like one to watch. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com
Religious Freedom for All on Trial as Abortion Ban Case Begins
Indiana’s top court is about to become the first in the nation to decide whether there’s a religious right to abortion.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
If you haven’t preordered your copy of Devils of Democracy yet, there’s still time! Plus, you can get 25% off your preorder at Barnes and Noble until the 11th. Less than a week to go before release! www.barnesandnoble.com/w/devils-of-...
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Lance Wallnau - the man behind the Trump=Cyrus equation, the Courage Tour, and accusing Kamala Harris of having a Jezebel Spirit - is at it again in Thailand. In this candid video, he levels the old accusation of any place of worship (i.e., Buddhist) housing demons. youtu.be/s4aRpnovry0?...
youtu.be
Drunk in Spirit
YouTube video by Lance Wallnau
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
New Substack post: Why Do We Need Experts? michaeleheyes.substack.com/p/why-do-we-...
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Vance's recent comments on the antichrist and other weirdness remind me of the OrthoBros, men who have recently converted to Orthodox Christianity, spend a substantial amount of time online, and don't really appear to understand the tradition they've supposedly chosen.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
If you're in the Central PA area, September 15th will mark the launch of Devils of Democracy at Otto's Bookstore, the oldest independent bookstore in PA! Seating is limited, reserve here: www.ottobookstore.com/its-book-lau...
ottobookstore.com
It's a Book Launch Event with Michael Heyes! | The Otto Bookstore
Join us for a fantastic conversation with Michael E. Heyes and Sascha Feinstein on how America's centuries-long obsession with evil has shaped-and endangered-our democracy.Devils of Democracy: America...
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Hilarious, and it nails the consumptive and consumerist elements of these movements. It's not just about walking the walk and talking the talk, but also about buying what needs to be bought. Commercial here: www.youtube.com/shorts/KpjSM...
youtube.com
Demon Guard: Buy Now And Save Yourself
YouTube video by InfoWars
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
If it is mainstream, that's a staggering amount of people who believe in conspiratorial ideas of demons. 7M is - after all - a dominionist demonology that teaches 3rd Wave Christians and others how to take cultures back from Satan.
Tweet from Lance Wallnau extolling how popular the Seven Mountain Mandate has become.
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Reposted by Michael E. Heyes
André Gagné @profgagne.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Check out the fourth episode of our series on "Spiritual Warfare" with @thedemonologist.bsky.social, where we discuss how demons and politics sometimes intertwine! youtu.be/zOjMJm66ioE
youtu.be
Demons, Podcasts, and Politics
YouTube video by Dr. André Gagné
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I always start my Angels and Demons class by asking students how they've been impacted by perspectives on demons. Since I don't come from a tradition that focused on this, I tend to be surprised by the results. Anyone interested in sharing?
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
The last in the series Lance and Leviathan, video five focuses on the way in which Leviathan might be taking another turn. This time, Wallnau might be moving towards an understanding of Leviathan as an identity threat. youtu.be/cQY_eVa0q0k?...
youtu.be
Lance and Leviathan - Part 5 - Leviathan and Identity
YouTube video by ThatDemonProf
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Great article in @theconversation.com today about the shift in religiosity occurring in the United States by Laura Yares and Sharon Avni. Thought provoking particularly for scholars of pop culture! theconversation.com/many-america...
theconversation.com
Many Americans are moving away from congregations, but not necessarily from religion – movies, plays, art and social media fill the gap
To understand what religion looks like in 21st-century America, researchers may need to ask different questions.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
"Colorado GOP Gov Nominee Claims to Have Battled ‘Demons’ With ‘Reptilian’ Eyes" Oh boy, now we get two conspiracies in one!
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Got a lovely (and unexpected) shout out from @maklelan.bsky.social today. If you've not seen his videos before, do yourself a favor and navigate over to @maklelan on YouTube. Top notch work! youtu.be/AlTwmqvfUi4?...
youtu.be
Enoch was prophesying about pharmaceuticals?
YouTube video by Dan McClellan
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
More Lance and Leviathan! This week, we're looking at Levithan and the Gothic Therapeutic (a concept developed by Sean McCloud in *American Possessions*). www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bQp...
youtube.com
Lance and Leviathan - Part 4 - Leviathan and the Gothic Therapeutic
YouTube video by ThatDemonProf
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
If you want to make stop people from engaging with news sources critical of the Trump administration: there's a spirit for that. youtu.be/tI1AgyrQG5s
youtu.be
Lace and Leviathan - Part 3 - Leviathan and the Status Quo
YouTube video by ThatDemonProf
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Reposted by Michael E. Heyes
LibraryThing @librarything.com · 21/07/2026
"Reveals how America's centuries-long obsession with evil has shaped—and endangered—our democracy." Enter to win a copy of Michael E. Heyes / @thedemonologist.bsky.social's "Devils of Democracy" from @broadleafbooks.bsky.social #💙📚 #Booksky www.librarything.com/ner/detail/5...
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Kind of fascinating to see a textbook idea of monstrosity deployed in such an unknowing way.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
One might suggest that being 71 makes Graham's death a little easier to explain than implied here.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
On the differences of Leviathan between pre- and post-Trump Wallnau: youtu.be/aSkjMC_87d4?...
youtu.be
Lance and Leviathan - Part 2 - Leviathan Before Politics
YouTube video by ThatDemonProf
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
"[Victor] Marx [Denver GOP gubernatorial candidate] also talks frequently about praying to free people from demons that, he’s said, can be attracted by porn or unmarried couples living together. In one 2023 podcast, Marx said that he 'hunts demons' and that, after his dog...
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Interesting piece on hiring in higher ed! Hiring scholars for departmental ‘fit’ is a disservice to disciplines share.google/rX8NKQaDfvRK...
share.google
Hiring academics for departmental ‘fit’ is a disservice to disciplines
Recruiting whoever costs least, unsettles least and matches current operational needs most closely is self-defeating on many levels, says Peter Sutoris
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
A little current research on Lance Wallnau and his use of Leviathan over the next few weeks. Let's start with who he is! youtu.be/mXCowYw6kAI?...
youtu.be
Lance and Leviathan - Part 1 - Who is Lance Wallnau?
YouTube video by ThatDemonProf
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Barnes & Noble is doing another preorder sale with code PREORDER25.
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Reposted by Michael E. Heyes
Gerardo Martí @gerardomarti.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Excellent New Article @jssreligion.bsky.social What Counts as Discrimination Against Whom? Understanding Perceived Discrimination Against Christians Michele F. Margolis “White evangelicals are especially attuned to slights directed at fellow Christians” 👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/8H6MDB...
The results show that white evangelicals do not interpret events in a consistent fashion: the protagonist matters. They are quick to identify discrimination when the target is a fellow Christian, even in ambiguous cases. In fact, perceptions of discrimination against Christian individuals remain roughly the same regardless of whether the discriminatory cue is overt or subtle. In contrast, the bar for recognizing discrimination is higher when the target is Muslim: The same ambiguous scenario that triggers concern when directed at a Christian does not prompt the same response when aimed at a Muslim.
Moreover, this pattern is unique to white evangelicals. Among white non-evangelicals and non-white evangelicals, perceptions of discrimination are shaped primarily by the context of the rejection (i.e., whether it is overt or ambiguous), not by the religious identity of the applicant. The results suggest that white evangelicals exhibit a distinctive pattern of in-group bias in ambiguous situations—one not mirrored across the broader Christian population.
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
This week, my favorite demon: Rufus. youtu.be/8Xet4Y_XJJs?...
youtu.be
Demonic Spotlight - Rufus
YouTube video by ThatDemonProf
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Many thanks to Publisher's Weekly for the positive review! www.publishersweekly.com/9798341900936
publishersweekly.com
Devils of Democracy: America’s Love Affair with Political Demons from the Revolution to Today by Michael E Heyes
Heyes (Demons in the USA), a professor of religion at Lycoming College, takes a chilling look at the long relationship between U...
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Good job, CA. Let's keep conspiratorial demonologists out of office. roysreport.com/no-miracle-f...
roysreport.com
No miracle for charismatic leader Ché Ahn in California election results | The Roys Report
Charismatic leader Ché Ahn’s bid for California governor ended in defeat after he failed to qualify for the ballot, despite claiming God called him to run and raising nearly $1 million from supporters...
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
A quick heads up for those interested: I'll be on UnXplained with William Shatner on the History channel tonight at 9EST. The topic is demons, but I figured you might be able to guess that 😉
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
What's the difference between "occult" and "the Occult?" Largely, whether you're part of a paranoid brand of contemporary Christianity or not. youtube.com/shorts/tqMc6...
youtube.com
Talk Like a Professor - What is "occult" and "the Occult?" #occult #theoccult #religiousstudies
YouTube video by ThatDemonProf
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Michael E. Heyes @thedemonologist.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Third video on The Sentinel Group's ideas of Spiritual Warfare, covering the potential negative effects from problematic theologies to cancer: youtu.be/xWNlJbIAPw4?...
youtu.be
Walking the Labyrinth - Environmental Effects, Part 3
YouTube video by ThatDemonProf
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