Ronald H. Fritze (born 1951) is an American encyclopedist, historian, and writer known for his criticism of pseudohistoric ideas.

Biography

Fritze earned his BA in history at Concordia College in 1974. He obtained a master's degree from Louisiana State University and a PhD from Cambridge University in 1981. He has worked at Lamar University in Beaumont and the University of Central Arkansas in 2001 as chair of the history department. He is currently Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Athens State University.[citation needed]

Fritze is the author of Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science, and Pseudo-religions (2009) a book which critically examines the pseudohistoric claims of Martin Bernal's Black Athena, Erich von Däniken, Immanuel Velikovsky, Atlantis, Christian Identity, Nation of Islam, and fringe related pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact theories. According to Fritze pseudohistory is a "charlatan's playground" targeting those too "willing to suspend disbelief" and slip into an "abyss of fantasy". Fritze considers such pseudohistoric ideas to be irrational and misleading the public.[1][2] The book has received positive reviews.[3][4][5]

Publications

See also

References

  1. ^ Allchin, Douglas. "Review of Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science and Pseudo-religions". (Review no. 819). Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  2. ^ "Invented Knowledge". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  3. ^ "Invented Knowledge". University of Chicago Press. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  4. ^ George, Alison. (2009). "Review: Invented Knowledge by Ronald Fritze". New Scientist. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  5. ^ Tonkin, Boyd. (2009). "How the book world is taking on the false idols of our time". The Independent. Retrieved 2015-05-14.

External links

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