The Devil Wears Nada: Satan Exposed

by Tripp York

In this devilishly entertaining book, Tripp York takes it upon himself to find the Prince of Darkness. Provoked by a wager made in one of his religion classes, York explores whether in proving the existence of Satan, we might in turn prove the existence of God. Admitting the idea is not half-bad (and thus, conversely, only half-good), York enlists the aid of numerous ministers, theologians, spiritual warriors, pagans, shamanists, fortune tellers, and Satanists in his fiendish quest to determine the whereabouts of God's first fallen creature. Part memoir and part theological treatise, The Devil Wears Nada is a compelling and humorous account of the strange, bizarre, and (oftentimes) offensive things we think about God, the Devil, and everything in between.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction

164 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2011

About the author

Fred "Tripp" York (born 1973) is a professor of religion and Mennonite author.

Reviews

[Lee Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

TRIPP! Tripp, I’m beggin’ ya man, please keep me on your list of reviewers for future books! I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. Needless to say, I got absolutely nothing done yesterday.

Tripp’s quest to find God by first finding the devil may be as serious as it is bizarre, but it’s just so doggone funny. Tripp confesses that you can’t find God through philosophical argument, but then proceeds to search for Satan in precisely that logical manner, scheduling interviews with a number of religious (and anti-religious) figures. Along the way, Tripp finds Satan in a malfunctioning microphone, a cranky kitty, and a buncha God-robbin’ poor people who think it’s more important to eat than tithe. In fact, Satan hides just about everywhere—except around those darn Satanists—but each interview just adds to Tripp’s frustration in not being able to get a tangible hold on the slippery critter’s pointy tail.

Tripp can’t handle incongruity, by the way. He starts getting about as cranky as Cindy Jacobs’ possessed cat, and then has a hard time harnessing his cynicism, which leaves a lot of bewildered interviewees in his wake. His research steers inexorably and frustratingly to an anticlimax, a Devil wearing nada, until, finally, trooper that Tripp is, he decides to go all in. He agrees to sell his soul to the Devil. No big deal, he figures: His belief in the soul has been dashed. He prepares a devilish concoction of soundtracks to hold him for several long lonely hours, locates a suitable “dirt crossroads,” sketches out a devils trap in the dirt, and waits to see if his offer will entice the old dragon. Hey, this is suddenly turning scary, because beneath Tripp’s now-nervous humor lies an undercurrent of serious flirting with the occult. It’s now or never. And what happens next is …

… aw, I can’t tell you. But my smile disappeared in the final pages, as a philosophical answer to Tripp’s search for Satan and God bubbled up from the underworld.

[Justin Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was attracted to the overall subject of the book and definitely recommend it as a nice weekend read but I found the content to be lacking. I don't mind snark and satire but at times the amount in this book overwhelms. The author claims to be approaching many different methods of finding the devil with an open mind and genuine interest but most of the time it seems as though he entered conversations and experiences with his mind already made up, sometimes being quite disrespectful all the while boasting of his education (and student loans) and his Mennonite religion. Overall I couldn't quite tell if he was ever actually genuine in his pursuit or if the entire book was written as satire. I would love to read a book like this take took the many different "methods" and "routes to satan" a little more seriously.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much snark and intellectual gyrations to be helpful in disentangling the theological issues and moral implications of devil-talk among Christians. While the author's Socratic methods may work well with undergrads, they were probably off-putting enough to have doomed his quest to interrogate believers in the Devil from the start. I was disappointed because I hoped that this book would shed some light on the problem of Satan--the epilogue hints at a solution, but unfortunately the bulk of the book was interviews that proved nothing beyond those who blame Satan for interfering with the sound system or see demonic possession in feminism haven't thought is through In a discerning Christian manner.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, not least of all b/c I know the author and he might see this review at some point, I have to say I loved this book! I laughed SO much reading this! Not only because of a similiar background as the author, as well as a similiar sarcastic nature, but because so many things that we see every day and just chose to overlook are laid in front of us to laugh at. And possibly to cry about as well. Read this book. I bet you will laugh, I bet even more that you will think. What coup to be able to do both in one sitting.

[Peter Gathje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtfully Entertaining

What happens when a Duke PhD in theology seeks to meet the Devil? Or does seeking God also entail seeking an encounter with the demonic? Either way the question is asked, the result is a both thought provoking and hilarious journey through Protestant liberalism, fundamentalism, and various other sources for information and reflection on the Devil. There are many questions raised and no tidy answers given. But the often vacuous and inane qualities of much that passes at Christianity and alternative forms of “spirituality” are skewered on the pitchfork of this search for the Devil.

[Christina Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a required reading.....and....wait for it.....the author of this book was my 'Religion in American Culture' professor.

I can't say I'm giving this book a 4 star rating just for the sake of appeasing him; this is a well written book that is as witty as it is serious. The author is careful to present serious information with serious affect, but his ability to present such a sensitive topic in a humorous light can not be denied.

(For those of you that are suggesting this book is too snarky....you should meet the author! Tripp York is...well....a trip!)

[Rick Lee Lee James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a unique, funny, yet important book. Tripp York makes it his mission to find the devil in order to find God. Sounds pretty crazy until you read it and found out how crazy and satanic we believers can be. I will never look at a glitch in the church sound system in the same way. If you want to be challenged in your thinking about God, the devil, and Unitarians then you need to read this book.

[Kevin Norman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book - but it turned out to be one of the worst books I've ever read. The sad thing is that I agree with the author on most of his points - but his pompous attitude, cynicism and condescending tone was unbearable. I can't believe that Brian McClaren could find anything good to say about this book.

[John Hanscom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully clever book, and laugh-out-loud funny at times (that can not be said of a lot of books on theology). The only negative is I could have read the epilogue and gotten the gist of the book. It was, however, worth reading the other chapters.

[Dave McNeely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and insightful, but the topic could have received a more lengthy treatment.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty and insightful....plus the writer is a pretty cool cat.

[Evan Kostelka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy and humorous read.