In the 1980s, a wave of fear swept across the United States, as countless Americans—including law enforcement, journalists, and activists—became convinced that a hidden network of satanic cults was preying on children. Despite a lack of concrete evidence, these claims fueled investigations, trials, and a nationwide moral panic that persisted for over a decade.
Susan Harding, Professor Emerita of Anthropology at UCSC, will delve into the forces that sustained this “Satanic Panic,” exploring what it reveals about the vulnerabilities of liberal secularity. A renowned anthropologist, Harding has spent her career examining American social movements, evangelical politics, and conspiracy theories. Her latest work continues this exploration, shedding light on how secular and religious worlds are shaped—and sometimes undone—by cultural anxieties and moral crusades.
In her lecture, Harding will draw parallels between the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and today’s landscape, noting that similar fears and accusations have reemerged in recent years.
“Similar allegations of widespread criminal satanic activity have resurfaced in the last ten years,” Harding said. “Most famously in ‘Pizzagate,’ QAnon, and language of the January 6th insurrectionists, but they are a part of the everyday common sense in many communities and venues, a common sense that exceeds the norms of modern secularity in many other ways as well.”
According to Harding, while the Satanic Panic of the 1980s sparked debate across the political spectrum, today’s conspiracy-driven accusations have taken on a more explicitly partisan tone.
Harding hopes her lecture will spark deeper reflection on the boundaries and vulnerabilities of modern secularity. By examining both the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and its echoes in today’s political and cultural landscape, she invites attendees to consider how secular norms have been shaped, challenged, and, at times, undermined.
“I hope to open a conversation about the limits of modern secularity and secular norms, in the 1980s and now,” she says.
Join Harding for a critical discussion about the persistence of moral panics and the ways in which secular and religious worldviews continue to intersect and collide.
Register for 2025 Spring Emeriti Faculty Lecture
When: Tuesday, April 8, 7-9 p.m.
Where: UCSC Music Center Recital Hall
