The quest for the historical Satan
By: Miguel A. De La Torre and Albert Hernández
Contributors: Hernández, Albert
Publisher: Fortress Press
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Minneapolis
Language: eng
Number of pages: 248
ISBN-13: 9780800663247
Subjects: History of doctrines; Devil; Christianity; History
Description: The figure of Satan has for centuries embodied or incarnated absolute evil. Existing alongside more intellectualist interpretations of evil, Satan has figured largely in Christian practices, devotions, popular notions of the afterlife, and fears of retribution in the beyond. Satan remains an influential reality today in many Christian traditions and in popular culture. But how should Satan be understood today? This volume probes the murky origins of the satanic legends and beliefs back to their pre-Christian roots in the Middle East. In it the authors unearth the Satan's roots in Egyptian and Babylonian understandings of evil. They also show, however, that the ancient Satan has some characteristics we would hardly recognize, especially his appearance in most ancient cultures and survival in many traditional religions as the 'trickster' figure. While a minor tradition in historic Christianity, the authors argue, seeing Satan as trickster is historically accurate and holds real promise for Christian rethinking in 'theology, philosophy, and practice of evil' and how it can be dealt with. This is a study that helps the reader reframe basic elements of our worldview of good and evil.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction. Desperately seeking Satan; title: Satan in the modern world; title: The birth of Satan : a textual history; title: Satan through the ages; title: Satan comes of age; title: The devil made me do it.