The Devil: A Biography

by Peter Stanford

Talk of the Devil has become distinctly unfashionable. Our sceptical age has pensioned off Satan, for centuries the face and name put to the abstract reality of evil. However, the creation of Popes, archbishops and priests will not so easily accept his fate, and Satan continues to serve as a metaphor for evil throughout society. His scaly black skin, horns, cloven hoof and red eyes have become embedded in popular psyche. In The Devil: A Biography, Peter Stanford traces the development of the character and role of Satan through the ages and examines how we tackle evil today.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Research, Christian, Psychology

Paperback

First published April 15, 1996

Reviews

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stanford's treatment of the Devil is a good general introduction to the topic. Aimed at general readers, it doesn't go into the level of details that most academic treatments do, and Stanford's not to be faulted for that. One problem is that some of the details are slightly misrepresented along the way. Specialist training in the vast religious time frames he covers would, of course, probably rob an author of the ability to write for non-specialists. This book walks that balance fairly well.

The place the book really shines, as I mention on my blog (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World), is when it addresses more modern literary treatments. Unlike some other books on the topic, Stanford takes the role of films seriously, and discusses a few of the more notable examples of the Devil on celluloid. He seems to be much more comfortable with modern era literature than the somewhat complex and tangled world of antiquity.

All of this makes sense since the Devil is a compound character, brought together from several different sources including religious publications, folklore, and non-Christian beliefs. Nobody, it seems, is in charge of Satan's identity. Even the Christian belief structure doesn't present a uniform view of the prince of darkness.

If what you're looking for is a basic, non-technical introduction to a complex character, this book is a good place to start.

[Erika Harlitz-Kern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though it sometimes feels as if The Devil is everywhere, there is surprisingly little written about him from a scholarly perspective. Journalist Peter Stanford has written The Devil: A Biography in an attempt to synthesize the research that does exist, while at the same time addressing the general public and make available in easily-digested format the research that has been done on this intriguing character.

The Devil is a Christian invention with long ancient roots. Stanford traces these roots all the way back to Mesopotamia, by way of Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Germanic cults of northern Europe. He demonstrates deftly how Jewish apocrypha helped in the development of the idea of The Devil. Where Judaism has abandoned these ideas, they remained among those Jews who formed the earliest Christian congregations in the ancient Mediterranean.

Stanford's purpose with his book is to write a biography of The Devil. He succeeds only in part, the reason being that he sets the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 as the end in the development of The Devil as concept. According to Stanford, after the Fourth Lateran Council doctrine on the Prince of Darkness has not changed. Instead, the development of the lore that surrounds The Devil has taken place among regular people and the lower clergy.

The problems with this statement are, firstly, that Stanford does not discuss what the Fourth Lateran Council actually says about The Devil. He only states that this is the last time that The Devil as a developing concept was discussed. Secondly, he reaches this conclusion already in chapter 5, but the book itself contains a total of fourteen chapters. The remaining nine chapters are, in fact, not a discussion about The Devil, but rather about groups that the Church throughout the Middle Ages and the early-modern period deemed as Satanic, e.g., Jews, Muslims, and witches, as well as a discussion on how The Devil is manifested in today's society.

The Devil: A Biography by Peter Stanford is an interesting and compelling read that brings together scholarly research in an easy-to-digest format. But if you are looking for an entire book dedicated to the Prince of Darkness, you will be disappointed.

[Mathilde Bellemare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives a cursory overview of the development of the Devil.

I would have liked to see a little more time devoted to the difference between satan, Satan, and the Devil.

Good outlining of the development of the Devil through the Dark Ages - Renaissance - Enlightenment.

The compare and contrast of monotheistic and ditheistic religions is clear. The problems inherent to an independent, sometimes omnipresent and omnipotent, evil being within a monist theology is well expressed.

Modern images and ideas of the purpose of the Devil is somewhat laxking. However, the author does leave the question of a "secular devil" open.

I had some problems with the author's intentional provocative language. His personal distain or, at least, ambivalence, for the Catholic Church is painfulky obvious. His use of "immature" to describe muscians or artists who use or abuse Satanic symbols is lacking professionalism. The language calls into question the author's relationship with the Catholic Church, the Devil, and his imagery.

Even so, a nice read of a short, comprehensive biography.

[RJ Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unbiased view of the history of the modern idea of the devil. Excellent book!

[Debumere]

This is harddddddddd *complains*

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this book is being sold as a biography, it is more a history of the Devil than anything else. The reason for this is obvious - no biographic information about the Devil exists. No birth date, no childhood episodes that support adult activity, and of course no Death - at least not in the traditional way. Instead, we have some scattered references in the Bible and numerous Catholic tracts that are biased against the Devil and full of unsupported claims. So what does an author do with a subject like the Devil? Well, he writes a book like this that is rooted more in social history than biographic analysis. Most people know the Devil's story. He was kicked out of heaven, tempted Christ, and convinced Eve to get Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. But it is his place in society that put him on the map and made him the Prince of Darkness. This is the area where Peter Stanford spends most of his time exploring. The above examples are mentioned as are the Crusades and various sects that the Catholic Church took issue with and used the Devil to justify their actions. It is a comprehensive history that gives the victim their due with an unbiased if not sympathetic voice. The trouble is that the Devil takes a backseat during these parts and almost disappears in the final third of the book. Even when time is devoted to Satanists and exorcism the Devil becomes a minor player. The book remains a good read and is written in an informative and fluid style and, as a whole, is a worthy read that doesn't disappoint.

[Mike Beranek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Stanford's books have accompanied me on travels and beaches because they have this balance of intellectual inquiry and friendly travellogue and can be dipped in and out of. He has roamed here and there for his 'biography' of the Devil. I consider him brave to take on subjects like this - and his book on angels which is better I think - but anyway it's a huge crushing weight of history and culture to take on and make into a readable paperback. I enjoyed the insights into the worldwide Roman church, some of the lurid details of the inquisition, and lots of thoughts were provoked on the theology. As usual Stanford excels on contemporary culture and knowledge of films for instance. Perhaps it was wrong but I expected to find some answers to things like what does 'evil' mean in today's world, and then, after Stanford pointing it out, why do Christians rely more on the Devil or give him more credit than the other Abrahamic faith traditions, and is this authentic? As to form, Stanford concludes by staying on the religious fence, leaving his topics with some ambivalence, and me with a taste for a bit more yet still.

[Krystelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong in concept but less strong in execution, this biography of the Devil feels somehow shorter than it should whilst also feeling too long in parts. The initial focus on the Devil and his development is strong, although it is somewhat alarming to see that there’s so little that forms the basis of the ‘big bad’ in the monotheistic religions.

The book starts to lose it a bit where we hear from the author on some more personal opinions about Satanism, heavy metal music, and a generally unfavourable approach to anything outside the Christian norm. I understand fully that certain perspectives are hard to shake, but there is definitely a facet of this book that needed some trimming before it proceeded to print.

[Äsruþr Cyneaþsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good aspects and research, let down by the lack of focus in the final third of the study. Stanford offers a good insight into the role of the Devil within the Catholic church -- the strength of this study, rather than the wider cross-mythic roles of the adversarial rebel.

[Kim Zinkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. A valuable book.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, touches on various interesting perspectives of the devil, ranging from historical, sociological, psychological/psychiatric, etc.

[samodH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that I've read all about the devil, does it make me know more than him?

[Mark Speed · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, comprehensive biography of Satan. It was written in conjunction with the author's BBC TV series, which was broadcast that year.

Who is the Devil? He's the scapegoat that the major religions use to place the blame for human frailties and evils. Some inculcate the idea within themselves and then try to lay the blame at his door.

Anyway, the concept has been around since religion was written down. This is a terrific read for anyone interested in religion. Excellent notes, bibliography and index.

[Christopher Mattick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing divertissement.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and intriguing.

[Patrick]

Up to "A Jewish Childhood: Job's Comforter".