The Snakebite Letters: Devilishly Devious Secrets for Subverting Society As Taught in Tempter's Training School

by Peter Kreeft

By Peter J. Kreeft Taking his cue from the new literary genre invented by C. S. Lewis in Screwtape Letters, Peter Kreeft has gathered together fifteen spicy letters from Satan's agents below that allow the reader to spy into Hell's inter-office communication. Now that it is becoming more and more obvious that we are at war--not only cultural but spiritual war--it is also more necessary to understand our diabolical enemy and his strategy. Combining satire, humor and devilish insights, these fifteen letters from Snakebite to his trainee, Braintwister, provide a complete Satanic strategy for corrupting American society, public and private morality, and the Church. Focusing especially on the critical areas of sex, media, liturgy, theology and religious education, these letters reveal the inroads that Screwtape's satanic American counterparts of the 90s have made into subverting our modern culture. The Koran "Before shooting the arrow of truth, dip it in honey." This genre of devilish correspondence allows serious this-worldly social criticism to take the form of witty other-worldly letters. Table of Introduction On Spiritual Warfare On the Primacy of the Mind Sex and the Media How to Shoot Chastity in the Head On Abortion Is Going to Church Really Important? What Has the Lowerarchy Done to the Liturgy? On Liturgical Music On Liturgical Language How to Sabotage Worship On Catholic Education On Elitism and Egalitarianism in Catholic Education On What They Learn in Theology Class On Disintegration and Integration in Theology Rethinking 199-: A Revisionist View Acknowledgement  

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Philosophy, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Theology

155 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Peter Kreeft is an American philosopher and prolific author of over eighty books on Christian theology, philosophy, and apologetics. A convert from Protestantism to Catholicism, his journey was shaped by his study of Church history, Gothic architecture, and Thomistic thought. He earned his BA from Calvin College, an MA and PhD from Fordham University, and pursued further studies at Yale. Since 1965, he has taught philosophy at Boston College and also at The King’s College. Kreeft is known for formulating “Twenty Arguments for the Existence of God” with Ronald K. Tacelli, featured in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics. A strong advocate for unity among Christians, he emphasizes shared belief in Christ over denominational differences.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's amusing, and I like Kreeft, but he isn't Lewis. I think he knows that perfectly well, but where as Lewis's book is timeless and deals with the temptations faced by everyman everyday, Kreeft's is largely political. A convinced and devout Christian reads the "Screwtape Letters" and realizes how far he has left to go in his pilgrim's progress, but Kreeft's book is written more to elicit a "Yay team!" response.

I suppose the biggest problem with the book is that Lewis had his devils see in every person sitting in the pews on Sunday a potential Pharisaical hypocrite and in every person not in the pews a potential practical atheist. Kreeft, seeing church attendance dropping, is oblivious.

I don't disagree with his opinions, mind you. The overwhelming majority of reasons why Christians don't go to church on Sunday really are excuses for a practical atheism. The bishops have allowed some bone-headed things to be done to the liturgy. Abortion is a euphemism for "murdering babies." On every issue, I think Kreeft is on the right side of it.

But it is not done well. No one who reads it will learn from it. No one who needs to read it will read it (or finish it if they start.) I know from experience that even an atheist learns from Screwtape (if only that the moral life is more complex than "reason = my own opinions = the epitome of goodness.")

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you read The Screwtape Letters? The writer here opens with an admission that this book is pretty much the same idea. He's proud of it....cool.

This is an excellent book. Lewis' book is better, but then that's sort of an unfair comparison (except for the fact that the author invited it). Lewis' book is a classic of Christian writing. This one is good but the author himself does limit some of it's effect.

I've read other books by Mr. Kreeft and I like his writing. He does however here aim this book pretty much exactly at Roman Catholics. In the book where Lewis used the word "Christian" ("I see your client has become a Christian") Mr. Kreeft uses the word "Catholic" ("I see your client has become a Catholic"). Aside from that many of the chapters apply souly to the Mass.

I'm not sure of the author's stance or belief as I know many Catholics believe the Roman Catholic Church to be the only church that is Christ's. I'm not sure if that is a Catholic belief or not (as in I don't know if the word from Rome is that if you aren't shriven by a Catholic priest you can't enter God's Kingdom).

Still the book has a lot in it for any Christian reader. If you're a Roman Catholic then it can/will of course apply directly to you...be on point as it were. If like me you're of a Reformed or non-Catholic denomination there's still a lot of value to be found here.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Kreeft borrows "The Screwtape Letters" format from CS Lewis to tackle modern-day issues. (If you've never read The Screwtape Letters, get on Amazon right now and order a copy!)

In a series of letters from Assistant Demon "Snakebite" to an apprentice demon "Braintwister", the inner-workings from the central command of Hell is revealed. These letters give tremendous insight into the successful campaigns of Satan within areas such as Liturgy, Sexuality, Abortion, and Catholic Education.

The book ends with a brilliant appendix. The grand finale is a "State of the Union" address from Satan himself. While he relishes in his many successes, the end reveals his fear of "that old man in Rome with a twinkle in his eye." Written in 1991, we all know "that old man" whom he refers to. This speech was originally published in Envoy Magazine, so you can get a great taste of the book by reading it here:
http://www.envoymagazine.com/backissu...

I'm fairly selective with my 5-star ratings, so this is a must-read for anyone wanting to assess the damage caused by so much dissension after Vatican II.

[Gene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kreeft's book was an admitted take off from C.S. Lewis's "Screwtape Letters," which was a good idea except that it's hard to compete with Lewis. If one goes into this book expecting something equally insightful and inspiring, he will go away disappointed. But it is still a well written book with a number of good points. But like songs about music, novels about writers, and movies about actors or producers, it tends to focus too much on the author's own special experience: in this case the college campus. I did love the final chapter that ended in such hope as opposed to some of the chapters that so thoroughly described the problems in America and especially in the Roman Catholic Church. In reality I would give this 3.5 stars if Goodreads allowed the designation. Many good one-liners in the book, too, that reminded me a bit of G.K. Chesterton.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a scale of cotton candy to Brussel sprouts, The Snakebite Letters by Peter Kreeft is an imitation vanilla. Although a familiar flavor, it's not the original, rich flavor.

I started The Snakebite Letters with interest, intrigued to see how someone would write a book that copied the idea of C.S. Lewis. Overall, I was disappointed because Peter Kreeft sometimes forgot to stay in character through his letter, and honestly, it seemed very preachy to me rather than chilling. I admire Kreeft for even trying to recreate something done so well the first time, but honestly, go to the original if you're looking for a bone-chilling read.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of characterization and the long-winded preachiness, I stopped reading this book before finishing.

[Moses · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite as good as I expected, but it did an excellent job of continuing in the mold set by Lewis' Screwtape Letters. I especially liked what Kreeft said in the forward: The Screwtape Letters shouldn't be a standalone book: it should be the start of a genre. Kreeft didn't quite equal Lewis' sibylline prose, but performed admirable.

I disliked his concentration on Catholicism, but it was understandable, given his affiliation with them. He was also a trifle harsh on Catholic schools. But overall, a good read.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Kreeft bases this book on C.S. Lewis's groundbreaking Screwtape Letters. Essentially Kreeft has given the world a modern and Catholic version of Lewis's wonderful work. I highly recommend this to high school students especially seniors as they begin to formulate their values and discover thyself before college.

[Orlando Tosetto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Li a tradução em português feita pela Ecclesiae (tradução que tem uma birra inexplicável pelo "lhe"). Não se compara com Lewis, principalmente no senso de humor. Mas é bom, porque acerta tudo sobre a crise particular da Igreja Católica e a geral da cristandade, e diz quase tudo certo (a possível exceção é a opinião, única e extravagante, de que o Novus Ordo Missae foi feito por homossexuais).

[Erick Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tribute to Lewis' 'The Screwtape Letters', Snakebite delivers an update for our ever more relativistic culture. Some chapters touch on definitively Catholic topics.

[Lillian]

A Catholic version of C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters. Kind of creepy...

[Camille Maio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern re-telling of the classic CS Lewis book, which depects the step-by-step attempt to destroy a soul. Just as excellent as the original!

[Deanna Rinebolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it almost as much as Lewis' book.

[Jordan Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s no Screwtape, that’s for sure. I had a sneaking suspicion that Kreeft’s voice overlapped at least a little with his devil Snakebite’s, and the volume as a whole is more pointed and polemical than I remember C.S. Lewis’s being.

[Mr. V · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first few chapters the best and then went down hill. I agreed with message but just couldn't get into how it was written.

[Kavanaugh Kohls · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you somehow stumbled upon this while looking for The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, you're in the wrong place. This is a mere imitation of that formula, albeit at least a self aware one.

[George]

I was actually enjoying this one, until I hit '"What Has the Lowerarchy [of Hell] Done to the [Catholic] Liturgy", where i discovered that--contrary to reality--Uncle Snakebite and his author believe that we gay guys are not only inevitably effeminate but effete, so that a conspiracy of gay priests have ruined the liturgy. I can't tell you the mechanism or the ways they've ruined it in Kreeft's estimation because that's where I stopped reading, being unwilling to follow his pernicious alternate history.