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The Origin of Satan How Christians Demonized Jews Pagans and Heretics Elaine Pagels 8601406348462 Books

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The Origin of Satan How Christians Demonized Jews Pagans and Heretics Elaine Pagels 8601406348462 Books

This is a nice, reasonably sized book that suffers from a lot of information squeezed into a tiny package. I bought this book primarily in the hopes it would shed some light on the convoluted history of Christianity's Cousin It, Satan. Having grown up in the church, you tend to hear about the devil more than you do god with no real clear explanation of why these two dudes can't get along and the other, supposed 'creator' of his enfant terrible can't do anything about his formerly angelic progeny.

I'm not sure how to describe the contents herein. It's a lot of information that is slightly narrative in structure but also of the dry, scholarly kind which presents many different figures, points, quotes, footnotes, etc. as both distinct and yet apart of the narrative. As another reviewer mentioned, this book is primarily concerned with Christianity's historical, real world application of Satan and satanic figures and how it has metamorphosed into the sort of cancerous 'us vs. them' mentality which creates such a rift I'm thought between followers and non-followers.

The title should best be read as 'The Origin of the Historical Satan' in contrast to the mythical Demi-god we are typically presented with. Read this book for the historical implications and how 'satanism' (for lack of better words) takes shape in reality. If you're looking to debunk the myth of Satan as a divine being at war with god, you might want to look at other books which deal primarily in the spiritual aspects of demonic theory. This book still deserves a spot on anyone's reading list who is frustrated with the lack of transparency in the history of this religion.


Tags : The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics [Elaine Pagels] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. From the religious historian whose The Gnostic Gospels </i>won both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award comes a dramatic interpretation of Satan and his role on the Christian tradition. With magisterial learning and the elan of a born storyteller,Elaine Pagels,The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics,Vintage,0679731180,Christian Theology - General,Satanism,Biblical teaching,Christian Theology - Angelology & Demonology,Christianity - History - General,Christianity and antisemitism,Christianity and antisemitism.,Devil,Devil - Biblical teaching,Devil;Biblical teaching.,General Adult,HISTORY Social History,History,JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY,Non-Fiction,RELIGION Christian Church History,RELIGION Christian Theology General,RELIGION Christianity History,RELIGIOUS,Religion,Religion & beliefs,Religion - Theology,ReligionChristian Theology - Angelology & Demonology,ReligionChristian Theology - General,ReligionEthics,ReligionTheology,SOCIAL SCIENCE Discrimination & Race Relations,antiquity;bible;devil;gnostic;gnostic gospels;heresy;Judaism;religious history;theodicy;satan;myth;mythology;theology;paganism;jews;angels;apocrypha;demons;early christianity;christianity;Jesus;Gospel of Mark;Gospel of Matthew;second temple;Gospel of Luke;Pharisees;elaine pagels;pagan christianity;christian;sociology;world history;feminism;law;social justice;civil rights;christian books;inspirational books;inspirational gifts;history books;history;politics;christian gifts;political books,antiquity; bible; devil; gnostic; gnostic gospels; heresy; Judaism; religious history; theodicy; satan; myth; mythology; theology; paganism; jews; angels; apocrypha; demons; early christianity; christianity; Jesus; Gospel of Mark; Gospel of Matthew; second temple; Gospel of Luke; Pharisees; Jewish war; Valentinus; world history; christian books; christian; sociology; feminism; law; social justice; civil rights; inspirational books; inspirational gifts; history books; history; political books; christian gifts; politics,Christian Theology - Angelology & Demonology,Christianity - History - General,Religion Christian Theology General,Religion - Theology,Biblical teaching,Christianity and antisemitism,Devil,Judaism And Christianity,Religion

The Origin of Satan How Christians Demonized Jews Pagans and Heretics Elaine Pagels 8601406348462 Books Reviews

If you're looking for the beginnings of "Satan" (capital "S"), and/or you are not patient with scholarly work, then you really need to pass on this book.

Elaine Pagel is a brilliant scholar and writer, but the reader must understand that the subject matter of this book is better characterized by its subtitle "How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics.

Ms. Pagel invests much of the reader's energy by parsing through the gospels (canonical and Gnostic)and other historic documents to illustrate how frictions of faith in the early church became elevated to a point of putting the mantel of "evil" and "children of darkness" and "demonic" upon those who opposed (and still oppose) Christianity. For those who are truly interested in the early Christian church and its struggles, this is a good work. I was particularly intrigued by the changes that occurred as the early church moved from being primarily a Jewish sect to becoming a Gentile religion.

If you're uncertain whether or not this book is for you, read the final chapter, "Conclusion." Ms. Pagel does an excellent job bringing together her main arguments and observations. If what you read interests you, buy or check-out the book. Otherwise, move on to something like "History of Hell," by Alice K. Turner or "A History of Witchcraft," by Russell and Alexander. Those books may be more along the line of what you're looking for in terms of "the origin of Satan."
This is a very interesting book that recapitulates the emergence of Christianity in context, detailed and vivid, from its origins in Palestine to its expansion westward. But the focus is on the use of Satan, first as a kind of gadfly or tester of belief in the Jewish and Pauline traditions to the "cosmic war" of later Christianity, whereby opposition from without and within are portrayed as intrinsically evil and irredeemable. It is beautifully written and fascinating throughout, but it was not what I was looking for.

The evolution of the notion of Satan progresses from an angel who tests people for God, posing questions and proposing alternatives to the righteous in contravention of God's will, into the embodiment of evil, whether as a being or a force within one's heart and mind. Pagels explains this strictly from both Biblical and "heretical" texts, with a keen eye on political developments of the time. First, in the Hebrew Bible, Satan (or Bielzebub or by any array of names) is an angel. Slowly, he becomes the force behind sectarian disagreements, from intra-Jewish ones to opponents of Jesus' supposed vision for the Jews. He also serves as the source of evil to be found in GOYIM, or those who are not of the nation of Israel. Second, as Christianity progressively becomes dominated by gentiles, the notion of the devil's evil work moves from a) vilification of non-believing Jews, Romans, and Pagans, to b) the condemnation of those Christians who promote rival interpretations to one's own, ending in c) a question of what is in one's own heart and what causes one to sin.

All of these notions, Pagels argues persuasively, came to dominate the consciences of the various branches of monotheism over the next 2,000 years. With the accusation (or "demonization") of the "other" as irredeemably evil and not on the side of God and his righteous, it creates a kind of solidarity and certainty in the face of sometimes overwhelming odds - and an excuse to treat others as less than human in a cosmic war. This makes her argument, in my view, essential reading.

Nonetheless, I was looking for an examination of Satan himself, not only as a socio-political phenomenon, but as imagery, characterization, etc. As he appears in this book, Satan is a kind of morphing gravity well, a murky socio-political force. While very interesting, I was disappointed and will have to seek the other perspective elsewhere.

REcommended with enthusiasm. It is a great review of early Christianity and crucial to understanding the monotheistic mind.
Pagel's writing is always clear and to the point. However, her brush with the Old Testament Satan hardly stands the test of good scholarship. Moreover, her idea that Satan is socially constructed based on her analysis of the New Testament writings left me with an unsatisfied hunger, a need for more. I will confess a bias here, a bias against the fuzzy-headed thinking of postmodern scholars. If you can't explain it, particularly if it is traditional thinking, it 'ain't there.' It's in your head with the rest of the world. It was an interesting book, but Pagel's ideas fall short of the promise in the title. She has no clue about the origin of Satan.
This is a nice, reasonably sized book that suffers from a lot of information squeezed into a tiny package. I bought this book primarily in the hopes it would shed some light on the convoluted history of Christianity's Cousin It, Satan. Having grown up in the church, you tend to hear about the devil more than you do god with no real clear explanation of why these two dudes can't get along and the other, supposed 'creator' of his enfant terrible can't do anything about his formerly angelic progeny.

I'm not sure how to describe the contents herein. It's a lot of information that is slightly narrative in structure but also of the dry, scholarly kind which presents many different figures, points, quotes, footnotes, etc. as both distinct and yet apart of the narrative. As another reviewer mentioned, this book is primarily concerned with Christianity's historical, real world application of Satan and satanic figures and how it has metamorphosed into the sort of cancerous 'us vs. them' mentality which creates such a rift I'm thought between followers and non-followers.

The title should best be read as 'The Origin of the Historical Satan' in contrast to the mythical Demi-god we are typically presented with. Read this book for the historical implications and how 'satanism' (for lack of better words) takes shape in reality. If you're looking to debunk the myth of Satan as a divine being at war with god, you might want to look at other books which deal primarily in the spiritual aspects of demonic theory. This book still deserves a spot on anyone's reading list who is frustrated with the lack of transparency in the history of this religion.