Historiographies of the demonic
90 minCompare theological, folkloric, psychiatric and social-historical explanations.
Advanced Demonological Inquiry
Design an original, ethically governed research project capable of handling disputed beliefs and difficult archives.
Study requirement: complete Interpreting Demonological Sources before this level opens. You may purchase it in advance or choose the complete pathway.
The syllabus.
Six 90-minute guided modules account for approximately nine hours. Source work, the field notebook capstone, revision and final assessment add approximately three hours.
Authority, expertise and contested evidence
90 minTrace who was authorised to name an event and how that authority changed.
Emotion, sound and sensory history
90 minRecover how environments of fear were produced beyond words.
Digital humanities and motif networks
90 minUse computational patterns without mistaking database structure for historical reality.
Designing research with living communities
90 minShare authority where historical topics intersect with current faith and practice.
Curating difficult supernatural histories
90 minBuild public work that is compelling, sourced and safe.
Timed project route
Three-hour capstone studio
Turn the six notebook checkpoints into a coherent advanced-level inquiry. The result should demonstrate how to design an independent inquiry, test rival explanations and communicate responsibly to a public audience, not merely repeat lesson summaries.
- 01Frame and plan20 min
Rewrite the capstone as one bounded research question. List the six notebook components you will reuse, identify the intended audience and state what the finished work will not claim.
- 02Audit the evidence40 min
Select at least four authoritative public resources and build a citation ledger. For every source, record the item or page, institution, date, access date, direct evidence, interpretive use and one limitation.
- 03Build the synthesis55 min
Draft the required exhibition, dossier, protocol, atlas or case study. Connect each claim to a source or notebook observation, preserve local terminology and keep observation separate from interpretation.
- 04Challenge the argument30 min
Write the strongest reasonable rival interpretation. Test it against the same evidence, retain one unresolved disagreement and revise any sentence that carries more certainty than its source.
- 05Edit and document25 min
Finish the 200-word evidence-limit statement, standardise citations, add useful headings and check that a reader can distinguish fact, historical claim, interpretation and reflection without assistance.
- 06Revise for assessment10 min
Review the six module explanations and your corrected knowledge checks. Note three reasoning rules you will apply in the final assessment and one area that requires another source check.
Completion checklist
- A bounded question and clearly identified audience
- Evidence from all six notebook checkpoints
- At least four complete public-source citations
- A rival interpretation and unresolved disagreement
- A 200-word evidence-limit statement
- A conclusion that respects this pathway boundary: historical records establish beliefs, practices and consequences; they do not license a verdict about supernatural reality
Research foundations.
Lessons are independently written and source-led. These starting collections support the pathway; individual modules explain interpretation limits.
British Museum: Mesopotamian demon objects
The Met: Demons and fantastical creatures in art
Wellcome Collection: magic and protection
The National Archives: witchcraft records
One-off access
Advanced Demonological Inquiry
No subscription. Unlimited revision-led assessment retakes.