Bystander evil and upstander intervention: the stories of Job and Jesus

Perpetrators are committed to wrongdoing due to four types of evils: individual, diabolical, superego, or institutional evil. Yet bystanders can be just as problematic. First, classic “bystander effect” is often linked to individual or ego-evil. Second, the dark side of human nature can advance byst...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ki, Magdalen Wing-chi (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Critical research on religion
Year: 2025, Volume: 13, Issue: 1, Pages: 47-64
Further subjects:B groupthink
B Legalism
B attachment patterns
B coping methods
B Bystander Effect
B diabolism
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Perpetrators are committed to wrongdoing due to four types of evils: individual, diabolical, superego, or institutional evil. Yet bystanders can be just as problematic. First, classic “bystander effect” is often linked to individual or ego-evil. Second, the dark side of human nature can advance bystander diabolism. Third, a law-abiding subject may be (mis)guided by their superego, taking comfort in inhuman bystander legalism. Fourth, institutional dynamics can spearhead bystander groupthink. The stories of Job and Jesus show that bystanders—whether active, passive, or interactive—often play an important role in human affairs. In the darkest hours, individuals can battle bystander evil due to their different attachment patterns and coping methods, championing upstander interventions at the individual or collective level.
ISSN:2050-3040
Contains:Enthalten in: Critical research on religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/20503032251314468