encyclopedist
An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles ...
,
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...
, 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
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
and a PhD from
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
in 1981. He has worked at
Lamar University
Lamar University (Lamar or LU) is a public university in Beaumont, Texas. Lamar has been a member of the Texas State University System since 1995. It was the flagship institution of the former Lamar University System. As of the fall of 2021, t ...
in Beaumont and the
University of Central Arkansas
The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School, the university is one of the oldest in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As the state's only n ...
in 2001 as chair of the history department. He is currently Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at
Athens State University
Athens State University is a public upper-division university in Athens, Alabama. Its academics are housed in three colleges: Education, Arts and Sciences, and Business.
History
Athens State University is Alabama's oldest educational institution ...
.
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
Martin Gardiner Bernal (; 10 March 1937 – 9 June 2013)
was a British scholar of modern Chinese political history. He was a Professor of Government and Near Eastern Studies at Cornell University. He is best known for his work '' Black Athena'', ...
's ''Black Athena'',
Erich von Däniken
Erich Anton Paul von Däniken (; ; born 14 April 1935) is a Swiss author of several books which make claims about extraterrestrial influences on early human culture, including the best-selling '' Chariots of the Gods?'', published in 1968. Von D ...
,
Immanuel Velikovsky
Immanuel Velikovsky (; rus, Иммануи́л Велико́вский, p=ɪmənʊˈil vʲɪlʲɪˈkofskʲɪj; 17 November 1979) was a Jewish, Russian-American psychoanalyst, writer, and catastrophist. He is the author of several books offering ...
,
Atlantis
Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus'' and ''Critias'', wherein it represents the antagonist naval power that bes ...
,
Christian Identity
Christian Identity (also known as Identity Christianity) is an interpretation of Christianity which advocates the belief that only Celtic and Germanic peoples, such as the Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon, Nordic race, Nordic nations, or Aryan race, Ary ...
,
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930.
A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...
, and fringe related
pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact theories
Pre-Columbian transoceanic contact theories are speculative theories which propose that possible visits to the Americas, possible interactions with the indigenous peoples of the Americas, or both, were made by people from Africa, Asia, Europe, ...
. 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. The book has received positive reviews.Tonkin, Boyd. (2009) "How the book world is taking on the false idols of our time" ''The Independent''. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
Publications
*''Faith and Faction: Religious Changes, National Politics, and the Development of Local Factionalism in Hampshire, 1485-1570'' (1981)
*''Reflections on Western Civilization: A Reader'' ith Randy Roberts, James Olson(1990)
*''Historical Dictionary of Tudor England, 1485-1603'' (1991)
*''Legend and Lore of the Americas Before 1492: An Encyclopedia of Visitors, Explorers, and Immigrants'' (1993 online *''Historical Dictionary of Stuart England, 1603-1689'' ith William B. Robison(1996)
*''Travel Legend and Lore: An Encyclopedia'' (1998)
*''New Worlds: The Great Voyages of Discovery, 1400-1600'' (2002)
* ''Historical dictionary of late medieval England, 1272-1485'' ith William B. Robison(2002 online * ''Reference Sources in History: An Introductory Guide'' ith Brian Coutts, Louis Vyhnanek(2004)
*''Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science and Pseudo-religions'' (2009)
*''Egyptomania: A History of Fascination, Obsession and Fantasy'' (2016)
*''Hope and Fear: Modern Myths, Conspiracy Theories, and Pseudo-History'' (2022)
See also
*
Ancient astronauts
Ancient astronauts (or ancient aliens) refers to a pseudoscientific hypothesis which holds that intelligent extraterrestrial beings visited Earth and made contact with humans in antiquity and prehistoric times. Proponents suggest that this ...
*
Kenneth Feder
Kenneth L. "Kenny" Feder (born August 1, 1952) is a professor of archaeology at Central Connecticut State University and the author of several books on archaeology and criticism of pseudoarchaeology such as '' Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Scien ...