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Very Short Introductions #315
The Devil A Very Short Introduction
The Devil has fascinated Christians since the time of the New Testament, and inspired many haunting works of art. This Very Short Introduction looks at the Devil in the history of ideas and in the lives of real people. Darren Oldridge shows us that the Devil is an important figure in western history--a richly complex and contradictory one. Oldridge focuses on three main the idea of the Devil being integral to western thought from the early Middle Ages to the beginnings of modernity; the belief that the Devil represents the mirror image of goodness; and the multiplicity and instability of ideas about the Devil. Oldridge concludes by exploring "demonological" ways of thinking in our own time, including allegations of "satanic ritual abuse."
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First published May 31, 2012
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September 30, 2020
THE DEVIL IN POPULAR MUSIC
I thought I'd chuck this in just for fun. None of the following is in this dull book.
Peggy Lee told her lover : I say the devil is in you and to resist you I try But if you didn’t continue I would die; Big Joe Turner in Shake Rattle & Roll told his woman I believe in my soul you’re the devil in nylon hose (he also sang the devilish line : I’m a one eyed cat peeping in a seafood store , which neither Elvis nor Bill Haley decided to sing) ; The Beatles sang she’s got the Devil in her heart - well, where else ? Morrisey said that Satan rejected his soul; Charlie Daniels said the devil went down to Georgia for a fiddlin’ contest, of all things; Max Romeo bragged up hisself : Lucifer son of the morning, I'm gonna chase you out of earth! I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase Satan out of earth; Biffy Clyro , whoever he she or it is, said I talk to God as much as I talk to Satan 'Cause I want to hear both sides; On the Harry Smith anthology Bill Reed’s old wife got snatched up : Old Devil got to the gates of hell, said punch the fire up we'll scorch her well but it didn’t work out because the old wife was tougher than the devil was and she got sent back to Bill; Robert Johnson sang Me and the Devil Blues: Early this morning when you knocked upon my door And I said hello Satan I believe it's time to go; the B52s found him in their car: He's pointing his pitchfork at me. He's in the front seat of my car! He's taking over! Oo, he ripped my upholstery. He's at the wheel, HELP! The devil's in my car. Martha Reeves wondered about demonic possession: Whenever I`m with him something inside Starts to burning and I`m filled with desire Could it be a devil in me or is this the way love`s supposed to be? We know what you mean, Martha.
And whilst the Devil might have faded out of most of ordinary life, he’s alive and shakin’ in some communities. Every other heavy metal, gospel and religious country music song is about the devil.
And : when the Devil goes to the movies, he can’t be less than flattered by the attention : Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Max von Sydow, Viggo Mortensen, Jack Nicholson, Tom Waits and Gabriel Byrne have all been him. That’s not bad for a metaphor.
THE DEVIL SENDS OUT SPAM EMAILS
It’s a right cushy number, being the Devil. He gets to tempt people into evil (“come on, you can say she looked 16 later”) and then he gets to punish them for it. He appears to reside in Hell but spend most of his time out of it, and when he’s there he seems to enjoy himself immensely.
Of course, the Devil is a metaphor. But for 99% of the human race, he was real. If you want stats, we have them.
As in other matters of religious faith, there appears to be a difference between the experience of the USA and other Western countries. An opinion survey in 2005 found that 60% of Americans believe in the evil one [compared with] 21% of the British population and 17% of the French
ORIGIN MYTH
This is all a little strange – there was a war in Heaven, and the rebellious angels were overthrown, and cast out of heaven into the fiery pit. Lucifer, once the chief and brightest of angels, was the rebel leader. So he became His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.
Of course if you believe that God is omnipotent then a rebellion in heaven could not happen unless God wanted it to. Nothing at all happens unless God wants it to. But the Lucifer origin myth is from before that concept, from a cruder, ruder time when gods fought each other in the sky, like in those Marvel comics about Thor.
DEPARTMENT OF ONTOLOGICAL CONFUSION
The Devil is a thing of great pervasive power in Christianity all the way up to the 20th century, when he begins to fade away. This world is regarded as a battleground between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Again, this is medieval thinking which almost says that God does not have supreme power, that the struggle is a genuine one, that on any given day it looks like the Devil has won the battle. In evangelical Christianity the ongoing guerrilla war will flare up into a gigantic conflagration at the second coming of Christ, who will lead the faithful in the final battle against the Adversary. What a crude idea. Clearly if God is omnipotent none of that razzmatazz is required. God just blinks and that’s all she wrote. Actually, God does not even have to blink. Doesn’t even have to think about blink. That’s real omnipotence.
THE WORLD AS GIANT LAB EXPERIMENT
The only way to make sense of the Devil is to see him as – either literally or metaphorically – the laboratory equipment in God’s giant Earth experiment. We humans are the guinea pigs or mice. We get to run around in search of food (= salvation). God erects all kinds of tests and barriers and pitfalls in our way (the perpetual availability of attractive sin – this is what the Devil does) and watches to see which mice get to the food/salvation and which fall into the cooking pot. Some mice go to heaven, most mice go to hell.
The reason they call me an atheist is that I do not see the reason for this experiment. It seems cruel and arbitrary.
You got to keep the Devil down in the hole!
I thought I'd chuck this in just for fun. None of the following is in this dull book.
Peggy Lee told her lover : I say the devil is in you and to resist you I try But if you didn’t continue I would die; Big Joe Turner in Shake Rattle & Roll told his woman I believe in my soul you’re the devil in nylon hose (he also sang the devilish line : I’m a one eyed cat peeping in a seafood store , which neither Elvis nor Bill Haley decided to sing) ; The Beatles sang she’s got the Devil in her heart - well, where else ? Morrisey said that Satan rejected his soul; Charlie Daniels said the devil went down to Georgia for a fiddlin’ contest, of all things; Max Romeo bragged up hisself : Lucifer son of the morning, I'm gonna chase you out of earth! I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase Satan out of earth; Biffy Clyro , whoever he she or it is, said I talk to God as much as I talk to Satan 'Cause I want to hear both sides; On the Harry Smith anthology Bill Reed’s old wife got snatched up : Old Devil got to the gates of hell, said punch the fire up we'll scorch her well but it didn’t work out because the old wife was tougher than the devil was and she got sent back to Bill; Robert Johnson sang Me and the Devil Blues: Early this morning when you knocked upon my door And I said hello Satan I believe it's time to go; the B52s found him in their car: He's pointing his pitchfork at me. He's in the front seat of my car! He's taking over! Oo, he ripped my upholstery. He's at the wheel, HELP! The devil's in my car. Martha Reeves wondered about demonic possession: Whenever I`m with him something inside Starts to burning and I`m filled with desire Could it be a devil in me or is this the way love`s supposed to be? We know what you mean, Martha.
And whilst the Devil might have faded out of most of ordinary life, he’s alive and shakin’ in some communities. Every other heavy metal, gospel and religious country music song is about the devil.
And : when the Devil goes to the movies, he can’t be less than flattered by the attention : Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Max von Sydow, Viggo Mortensen, Jack Nicholson, Tom Waits and Gabriel Byrne have all been him. That’s not bad for a metaphor.
THE DEVIL SENDS OUT SPAM EMAILS
It’s a right cushy number, being the Devil. He gets to tempt people into evil (“come on, you can say she looked 16 later”) and then he gets to punish them for it. He appears to reside in Hell but spend most of his time out of it, and when he’s there he seems to enjoy himself immensely.
Of course, the Devil is a metaphor. But for 99% of the human race, he was real. If you want stats, we have them.
As in other matters of religious faith, there appears to be a difference between the experience of the USA and other Western countries. An opinion survey in 2005 found that 60% of Americans believe in the evil one [compared with] 21% of the British population and 17% of the French
ORIGIN MYTH
This is all a little strange – there was a war in Heaven, and the rebellious angels were overthrown, and cast out of heaven into the fiery pit. Lucifer, once the chief and brightest of angels, was the rebel leader. So he became His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.
Of course if you believe that God is omnipotent then a rebellion in heaven could not happen unless God wanted it to. Nothing at all happens unless God wants it to. But the Lucifer origin myth is from before that concept, from a cruder, ruder time when gods fought each other in the sky, like in those Marvel comics about Thor.
DEPARTMENT OF ONTOLOGICAL CONFUSION
The Devil is a thing of great pervasive power in Christianity all the way up to the 20th century, when he begins to fade away. This world is regarded as a battleground between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Again, this is medieval thinking which almost says that God does not have supreme power, that the struggle is a genuine one, that on any given day it looks like the Devil has won the battle. In evangelical Christianity the ongoing guerrilla war will flare up into a gigantic conflagration at the second coming of Christ, who will lead the faithful in the final battle against the Adversary. What a crude idea. Clearly if God is omnipotent none of that razzmatazz is required. God just blinks and that’s all she wrote. Actually, God does not even have to blink. Doesn’t even have to think about blink. That’s real omnipotence.
THE WORLD AS GIANT LAB EXPERIMENT
The only way to make sense of the Devil is to see him as – either literally or metaphorically – the laboratory equipment in God’s giant Earth experiment. We humans are the guinea pigs or mice. We get to run around in search of food (= salvation). God erects all kinds of tests and barriers and pitfalls in our way (the perpetual availability of attractive sin – this is what the Devil does) and watches to see which mice get to the food/salvation and which fall into the cooking pot. Some mice go to heaven, most mice go to hell.
The reason they call me an atheist is that I do not see the reason for this experiment. It seems cruel and arbitrary.
You got to keep the Devil down in the hole!
February 10, 2019
The Very Short Introduction series makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something. The books are quickly read, and, if well done, contain a wealth of information. Darren Oldridge’s volume on The Devil is very well done. The topic remains a divisive one: “intellectual” vs. “uneducated,” religious vs. secular, American vs. European. Nobody seems to agree about Satan. In my current book, Nightmares with the Bible, I try to make some sense of this character and how he relates to demons. It’s a bit harder than I thought it was going to be.
Oldridge has a very good chapter on the history of the Devil. This is followed by chapters on the Devil and humankind—which largely focuses on literary treatments, especially the Faust legend, depicting the Devil—mostly on graphic representations, and the Devil today—how evil is explained in a contemporary setting. As I mention on my blog post about the book (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) political evil is a particular concern. Looking back at some of the atrocities of the twentieth century, the Devil would seem to be alive and well.
Part of the problem is that the message of materialism is loud, clear, and constant. When spirit is absent it’s difficult to explain what the devil is going on. Other writers have made the point that the Devil is really a personification of evil. Traditionally the way to fight such a being was by relying on the personification of good, or God. When these concepts are called into question the average person is left with little more than good and evil, and trying to figure out how to tell them apart. Oldridge summarizes all of this quite well, and the book doesn’t take long to read.
Oldridge has a very good chapter on the history of the Devil. This is followed by chapters on the Devil and humankind—which largely focuses on literary treatments, especially the Faust legend, depicting the Devil—mostly on graphic representations, and the Devil today—how evil is explained in a contemporary setting. As I mention on my blog post about the book (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) political evil is a particular concern. Looking back at some of the atrocities of the twentieth century, the Devil would seem to be alive and well.
Part of the problem is that the message of materialism is loud, clear, and constant. When spirit is absent it’s difficult to explain what the devil is going on. Other writers have made the point that the Devil is really a personification of evil. Traditionally the way to fight such a being was by relying on the personification of good, or God. When these concepts are called into question the average person is left with little more than good and evil, and trying to figure out how to tell them apart. Oldridge summarizes all of this quite well, and the book doesn’t take long to read.
December 14, 2012
This book presents a short introduction to the Devil as a figure in Western Judeo-Christian thought and culture. The Devil is primarily a religiously inspired figure, although in recent times he’s had some “crossover” appeal in various cultural and artistic manifestations. Simultaneously, his importance within the religious context has had something of a decline.
The Devil is a very fascinating character, and his theological significance springs almost naturally from the Christian concepts of evil and the original sin. These concepts were latently present in the Bible from the beginning, but were systematically developed over the centuries. The belief in the Devil has ebbed and flowed over the millennia, and it has probably been at its apex in the later part of the middle ages. This book is sympathetic to the idea that the Devil is an important and integral part of Christian belief system, and not a marginal and dispensable figure.
This book is very well written and very enjoyable, especially for a scholarly treatment. Part of it is probably due to the fascination that the Devil elicits in his own right, but it is also in large part due to the author’s ability to engage the modern readers into the topic that many may find archaic and outdated. His enthusiasm for the topic is evident form every page of this book.
I would have liked to see more of a discussion on the different names that the Devil has been appearing under over the centuries. The book provides the etymology of the words Satan and its Greek/Latinized version that came to us as “Devil.” However, there is very little discussion of other names and identities that have been associated with the person of Devil: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, etc. Most of these other names have originally referred to either gods or sundry demons, bit over the time have become synonymous with the Devil himself. It would be interesting to find out the cultural and theological forces that are at work in this confluence of various names.
This book explores both the religious significance of the Devil, as well as its influence on arts and culture. It tries to give an objective and scholarly account of the history of the idea of the Devil, while at the same time remaining open to the actual veracity of various beliefs. Whether you are a committed Christian who wishes to know more about this seldom discussed theological topic, or just someone who wants to learn about what Christians have actually believed about this figure thought the centuries, this book will definitely help you gain more understanding.
The Devil is a very fascinating character, and his theological significance springs almost naturally from the Christian concepts of evil and the original sin. These concepts were latently present in the Bible from the beginning, but were systematically developed over the centuries. The belief in the Devil has ebbed and flowed over the millennia, and it has probably been at its apex in the later part of the middle ages. This book is sympathetic to the idea that the Devil is an important and integral part of Christian belief system, and not a marginal and dispensable figure.
This book is very well written and very enjoyable, especially for a scholarly treatment. Part of it is probably due to the fascination that the Devil elicits in his own right, but it is also in large part due to the author’s ability to engage the modern readers into the topic that many may find archaic and outdated. His enthusiasm for the topic is evident form every page of this book.
I would have liked to see more of a discussion on the different names that the Devil has been appearing under over the centuries. The book provides the etymology of the words Satan and its Greek/Latinized version that came to us as “Devil.” However, there is very little discussion of other names and identities that have been associated with the person of Devil: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, etc. Most of these other names have originally referred to either gods or sundry demons, bit over the time have become synonymous with the Devil himself. It would be interesting to find out the cultural and theological forces that are at work in this confluence of various names.
This book explores both the religious significance of the Devil, as well as its influence on arts and culture. It tries to give an objective and scholarly account of the history of the idea of the Devil, while at the same time remaining open to the actual veracity of various beliefs. Whether you are a committed Christian who wishes to know more about this seldom discussed theological topic, or just someone who wants to learn about what Christians have actually believed about this figure thought the centuries, this book will definitely help you gain more understanding.
October 30, 2017
”This is a book about the Christian Devil. In pursuing this elusive figure, it inevitably touches on themes that belong to other traditions as well: the origins and nature of evil, the concept of temptation, the role of religion and religious ways of thinking in human life, and the possible existence of supernatural powers.”
This book is also only 121 pages. I wanted to quote the first paragraph of this monograph so that I would remember how much material Oldridge covered in those 121 pages.
In case you don’t know 2017 is the 500th anniversary of the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation. Randolph-Macon College, where my husband works, has had programming commemorating this anniversary. At one of these talks, someone mentioned this book. I expressed interest and so a professor was kind enough to loan it to me.
Oldridge has just five chapters to cover thousands of years of the devil’s existence. I am impressed and a bit overwhelmed by all he managed to cover. People’s views of the devil and his(?) role in our world has changed a great deal over those centuries. Since I don’t have a great background in history, I needed to reread some of the info that Oldridge is covering.
I was especially caught by chapter five, “The Devil today”. I don’t think about the devil often, but it became clear that I and many other people in our contemporary society have fears and concerns about the devil. Oldridge has given me a lot to think about and I will probably being worrying (as a dog worries a bone) some of the concepts that Oldridge has put before me. The one that I find most problematic is the thought that the devil is a necessary part of Christianity.
This is my first experience with Oxford University’s series “A Very Short Introduction”.
This book is also only 121 pages. I wanted to quote the first paragraph of this monograph so that I would remember how much material Oldridge covered in those 121 pages.
In case you don’t know 2017 is the 500th anniversary of the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation. Randolph-Macon College, where my husband works, has had programming commemorating this anniversary. At one of these talks, someone mentioned this book. I expressed interest and so a professor was kind enough to loan it to me.
Oldridge has just five chapters to cover thousands of years of the devil’s existence. I am impressed and a bit overwhelmed by all he managed to cover. People’s views of the devil and his(?) role in our world has changed a great deal over those centuries. Since I don’t have a great background in history, I needed to reread some of the info that Oldridge is covering.
I was especially caught by chapter five, “The Devil today”. I don’t think about the devil often, but it became clear that I and many other people in our contemporary society have fears and concerns about the devil. Oldridge has given me a lot to think about and I will probably being worrying (as a dog worries a bone) some of the concepts that Oldridge has put before me. The one that I find most problematic is the thought that the devil is a necessary part of Christianity.
This is my first experience with Oxford University’s series “A Very Short Introduction”.
September 29, 2018
Sadly this is kinda all over the place.
November 17, 2018
I really wished Darren Oldridge would jump a little deeper into the depictions of the devil in other religions. For example, Islam. That would have been great research shared. He touched on a few concepts here and there, but seeing how large Islam is next to Christianity I would have like an 'other religions researched' chapter.
I still heartily enjoy the way this was written. A Very Short Introduction to The Devil was highly readable. Sporadic even.
I like that Oldridge went over some popular myths and talked about other topics linked to The Devil that are steeped in things deemed "evil". I enjoyed his segment on the softening of the devil for commercial gain in the 21st century. I enjoyed the discussion about the reclamation of things once deemed "evil" in pop culture like being a "witch".
This volume was "all over the place" but I think that's a great quality of the A Very Short Introduction To... series — especially when it comes to concepts. If I'm learning about an event or a series of events I'll want cohesion and a linear look into the event. However, for a concept or a general topic I don't mind trailing a book into various dark and light corners and up the stairs and down the stairs. It's great. It's fun.
Next up for me in the series: Pandemics.
I still heartily enjoy the way this was written. A Very Short Introduction to The Devil was highly readable. Sporadic even.
I like that Oldridge went over some popular myths and talked about other topics linked to The Devil that are steeped in things deemed "evil". I enjoyed his segment on the softening of the devil for commercial gain in the 21st century. I enjoyed the discussion about the reclamation of things once deemed "evil" in pop culture like being a "witch".
This volume was "all over the place" but I think that's a great quality of the A Very Short Introduction To... series — especially when it comes to concepts. If I'm learning about an event or a series of events I'll want cohesion and a linear look into the event. However, for a concept or a general topic I don't mind trailing a book into various dark and light corners and up the stairs and down the stairs. It's great. It's fun.
Next up for me in the series: Pandemics.
October 9, 2024
Excellent read. Informative, scholarly, and fun! I’ve read a lot of these Oxford “Very Short Introduction” books, and this is one of the top two, in my opinion (along with Mary Beard and John Henderson’s “Classics”).
September 13, 2024
Incredibly brief overview of changing depictions of and attitudes toward Satan through history, mostly helpful to me in its discussions of imagined anti-worlds and demonic inversion. Gave me some things to think about in relation to some writing projects I'm doing (which involve life in a Satanic abbey and the various adventures of its intrepid librarian) and a lot of motivation to dig deeper elsewhere.
May 6, 2018
A good (short!) introduction to a lot of controversies concerning this well-known figure. With a good biography to follow up any of the many different aspects touched on in the text.
November 28, 2020
I really enjoyed this! Super short and extremely informative. I don't know too much about medieval history, so this served as a very mini introduction to that period of history. I'll definitely be picking up more from the Very Short Introductions series.
April 5, 2020
My first read form the very short introduction series. I was greatly impressed with it. As someone who doesn't consider herself to be religious and has never actually read the bible, left alone is earlier origins, I found a lot of new information in this book. It's a quick read and wonderfully performed in terms of its shortness and cause-and-effect relations. Approximately 100 pages show how Christian reformations and religious movements influenced the way people perceived both the god and the devil, and therefore affected the interpretation of the devil in the modern and pre-modern art.
Consuming such content is very rewarding. Especially if it takes only several hours to read it.
Consuming such content is very rewarding. Especially if it takes only several hours to read it.
August 10, 2013
Perhaps the devil is too big for such a small book? Attempting to cover theology, iconography, artistic, religious and philosophical perspectives, Oldridge gives us a smattering of everything but one can't help but wish for more. OTOH, there is a little bit of information on every one of these aspects and a good reading list for further research.
June 19, 2024
Notes
Satan supposed to suffer eternal torment, but then images of hell to scare humans has the devil as king of hell enjoying himself as chief tormentor.
Gnostics/Manicheans reframed an evil imperfect creator god of material things vs the good Christian god or Jesus.
Gnostics made serpent Jesus, a good being that was there to liberate humans. Satan wanted them in bondage.
Christian response to Gnostics - Jesus died for the liberation of humans - needed to create an entity to whom this payment was made, Satan.
Augustine - Jesus as the Devil’s Mousetrap: offers himself, hiding his godliness as a hook inside the bait, for the Devil to take and be snared.
Satan as standing between humans and salvation, defined by all he lacked, but who unwillingly serves the purpose of god. Gregory - demonic temptation: first implants suggestions that produce pleasurable responses, the sinner then acts to realize them. Suggestions tailored to individuals by the cunning deceiver, so the pious are led to take pride in their spiritual accomplishments.
Anselmn - Mousetrap cannot be real, truth deceives noone, and Devil is not owed anything except punishment. From ransom to sacrifice - Son gives his life to the Father for atonement.
Cathars revive evil-creator - Lucifer creates heaven and earth, adam and then eve to cause sin. All flesh thus inherently evil, from this evil creation. Free spirit through renunciation of physical world. Fear of Satan loose in the world. Inquisition roots out Cathars, executions of Monstsegur 1244.
Integration of Church into Western society means Devil becomes enemy of all human culture, of monarchy and government. King of hell who rules anti-world, even wearing a crown.
Satan becomes complex, thoughtful character with Marlowe, Goethe, Milton
Human will as tarnished, in a fallen state, a spiritual blindness that favored earthly imparmenent things over divine and eternal, a condition on which Satan preys by pandering to our weakness, rubbing our temples with the opium of poisonous suggestion.
Thus, mortification of flesh through pain neutralizes the potential danger of bodily temptation. The cultivated mind should discipline bodily impulses. Milton - mastery of passions, desires and fires as a bulwark against temptation and teh anarchy within that Satan exploits.
Jesus as exorcist - performed at least 7.
Newton, Locke reduce role of evil while keeping the creator architect working through harmonic laws
Darwin/Freud reduces role of internal evil through the evolutionary remnants of beasts. Naturalism edges out personal Devil and demonic possession. Medicine takes over with hysterics and other mental illness.
Though Faust does not manage, the devil can be duped. Two men from Norfolk tried for conjuring spirit, promising it a Christian body, then baptizing a chicken and sacrificing it. Friar Bacon finds loophole with Devil loaning money to clear all debts, since now in debt until repayment to devil, which he will take care never to do.
Satan supposed to suffer eternal torment, but then images of hell to scare humans has the devil as king of hell enjoying himself as chief tormentor.
Gnostics/Manicheans reframed an evil imperfect creator god of material things vs the good Christian god or Jesus.
Gnostics made serpent Jesus, a good being that was there to liberate humans. Satan wanted them in bondage.
Christian response to Gnostics - Jesus died for the liberation of humans - needed to create an entity to whom this payment was made, Satan.
Augustine - Jesus as the Devil’s Mousetrap: offers himself, hiding his godliness as a hook inside the bait, for the Devil to take and be snared.
Satan as standing between humans and salvation, defined by all he lacked, but who unwillingly serves the purpose of god. Gregory - demonic temptation: first implants suggestions that produce pleasurable responses, the sinner then acts to realize them. Suggestions tailored to individuals by the cunning deceiver, so the pious are led to take pride in their spiritual accomplishments.
Anselmn - Mousetrap cannot be real, truth deceives noone, and Devil is not owed anything except punishment. From ransom to sacrifice - Son gives his life to the Father for atonement.
Cathars revive evil-creator - Lucifer creates heaven and earth, adam and then eve to cause sin. All flesh thus inherently evil, from this evil creation. Free spirit through renunciation of physical world. Fear of Satan loose in the world. Inquisition roots out Cathars, executions of Monstsegur 1244.
Integration of Church into Western society means Devil becomes enemy of all human culture, of monarchy and government. King of hell who rules anti-world, even wearing a crown.
Satan becomes complex, thoughtful character with Marlowe, Goethe, Milton
Human will as tarnished, in a fallen state, a spiritual blindness that favored earthly imparmenent things over divine and eternal, a condition on which Satan preys by pandering to our weakness, rubbing our temples with the opium of poisonous suggestion.
Thus, mortification of flesh through pain neutralizes the potential danger of bodily temptation. The cultivated mind should discipline bodily impulses. Milton - mastery of passions, desires and fires as a bulwark against temptation and teh anarchy within that Satan exploits.
Jesus as exorcist - performed at least 7.
Newton, Locke reduce role of evil while keeping the creator architect working through harmonic laws
Darwin/Freud reduces role of internal evil through the evolutionary remnants of beasts. Naturalism edges out personal Devil and demonic possession. Medicine takes over with hysterics and other mental illness.
Though Faust does not manage, the devil can be duped. Two men from Norfolk tried for conjuring spirit, promising it a Christian body, then baptizing a chicken and sacrificing it. Friar Bacon finds loophole with Devil loaning money to clear all debts, since now in debt until repayment to devil, which he will take care never to do.
March 2, 2024
This book is part of the Oxford University Press "Very Short Introduction" series, so my rating is based on how well Oldridge has met the intentions for the series. These are not books for scholars, but neither are they books for "fans," nor for a novice to the subject with no knowledge whatsoever. Rather, the books are for educated readers who want a review of the high points of the subject, including the major controversies and perspectives. To that end, Oldridge has done very well. From the start, he is working with The Devil as an idea, and tracing that idea through Western history. Thus, his approach is both thematic and broadly historical. This approach does not prevent him from having a thesis, which he most clearly states in the Conclusion: The Devil / Satan is the most effective way to symbolize "motiveless evil," and thus helps people and societies make sense of what otherwise lacks satisfactory explanation. The symbolism works so well because of the symbol's malleability, which makes it adaptable to just about any cultural circumstance (at least in the cultural West) of the last three or so millennia. A reader may have quibbles with Oldridge's thesis, or some bits of his cultural analysis, or some of his choices for examples. However, a reader should keep in mind that the series format requires a great amount of summary and selection, and most especially requires leaving out deep analysis of any one writing, artwork, philosophical or theological theory, or cultural artifact. The book does, however, work well in pointing someone toward interesting directions for further study and inquiry.
January 27, 2019
Darren Aldridge's The Devil: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP, 2012) is, like the other books in the VSI series, succinct, educational, and often insightful; alas, it is also occasionally schematic, superficial, and reserved in terms of argument/perspective. One should manage one's expectations with this VSI series; however, if the right mindset is adopted, these tiny books do not disappoint. At just over one hundred pages, it is a good for a few cups of coffee at a café.
Oldridge organizes the book into five chapters and a conclusion (the first chapter is an introduction). After the introduction, which is a penseé on the relevance of the Devil in contemporary times, there is a survey of the intellectual history of the Devil (chapter 2), an extended speculation about the Devil's intentions as a tempter (chapter 3), a treatment of the depictions of the Devil in poetry, art, and popular culture (chapter 4), and, finally, an outline of our changing relationship to the idea of the Devil today (chapter 5). There are several literary and theological allusions throughout to figures such as Aquinas, Goethe, Dante, Marlowe Hawthorne, Dostoyevsky, and so on.
Aldridge does not betray any particularly strong thesis and considers both a secular and religious understanding of the Devil. This book would be interesting for someone interested in theology, history, and Christianity, and particularly one of our tenacious and enduring reactions to the philosophical problem of evil: the strange compulsion to personify evil as an enemy spirit who corrupts creation.
Oldridge organizes the book into five chapters and a conclusion (the first chapter is an introduction). After the introduction, which is a penseé on the relevance of the Devil in contemporary times, there is a survey of the intellectual history of the Devil (chapter 2), an extended speculation about the Devil's intentions as a tempter (chapter 3), a treatment of the depictions of the Devil in poetry, art, and popular culture (chapter 4), and, finally, an outline of our changing relationship to the idea of the Devil today (chapter 5). There are several literary and theological allusions throughout to figures such as Aquinas, Goethe, Dante, Marlowe Hawthorne, Dostoyevsky, and so on.
Aldridge does not betray any particularly strong thesis and considers both a secular and religious understanding of the Devil. This book would be interesting for someone interested in theology, history, and Christianity, and particularly one of our tenacious and enduring reactions to the philosophical problem of evil: the strange compulsion to personify evil as an enemy spirit who corrupts creation.
January 21, 2022
This brief guide examines the shifting landscape of thought about Christianity’s Devil. Over the centuries, the Devil has been considered a person, a fallen angel, a metaphor or abstraction, a voice, and a literary device. Satan’s stock has risen and fallen, up with the Dark Ages, down with the Enlightenment, and, on the verge of outright demise, reconsidered when the mid-20th century brought such horrors that the human mind couldn’t cope with them sans supernatural explanations. At the same time, the power of the Devil waxed and waned in the face of philosophical challenges. There’s the Devil so strong he can give God a run for the money, a Devil reduced to whispering in ears, and a Devil who’s practically irrelevant - having no power whatsoever beyond making for an entertaining plot device.
I thought this book did a laudable job of showing the Devil through the light of history, philosophy, art, and literature. It offers a great deal of food for thought about how the Devil has been viewed over time, and what factors influenced these changes in perception. If you’re interested in the role the Devil has played in theological thinking over time, this book does a fine job of shining a light on the subject.
I thought this book did a laudable job of showing the Devil through the light of history, philosophy, art, and literature. It offers a great deal of food for thought about how the Devil has been viewed over time, and what factors influenced these changes in perception. If you’re interested in the role the Devil has played in theological thinking over time, this book does a fine job of shining a light on the subject.
July 16, 2024
More interested to read about what the Devil represents than its historical and religious origins. Although I expected this book to contain a lot of theology and history, it was very mundane and monotonous. There was probably 10 or 15 pages of interest in total, which spoke of how we view the Devil and evil as a whole. It's probably a good thing to have as it gives the world a moral equilibrium and something tangible at the end of the spectrum that we want to stay well away from. Kind of like the Batman and the Joker, they hate each other but they need each other.
July 11, 2025
This was a nice introduction/analysis of the history and evolution of the Devil, perceptions of him as well as depictions of him through Christian history. Only thing I didn’t care for was the incessant mentions of America; I don’t know why it bothered me so much, I guess because I figured there had to be other examples a British author would have come up with. Other than that it was very insightful and educational.
March 18, 2025
This book was in fact, mercifully short. I was impressed by how the author explained "the devil" through his Catholic worldview, yet demonstrated that all Christians should have an accurate understanding of Satan. I feel that this book accurately depicts historical evil, while including references to inspire the Christian to read further in the Word. Masterfully written!!
November 8, 2017
I love the format of these books (found courtesy a New Yorker review). Extremely well written. Scholarly without being ponderous. Just thought I needed a deeper knowledge of philosophy/theology to really get the finer points. Still felt like I learned a lot about both.
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October 31, 2022Would have preferred more on the history of the Devil's development of a concept, rather than his subsequent use in art and culture. But I guess that's what you get. Also, I basically read it in a sitting. So good overall.
January 21, 2020
Pretty informative, but given how strongly it started and ended, the book really lags in the middle.
July 18, 2021
Good overview
May 9, 2022
A look at the Devil from a religious, mental and arts/literature standpoint.
May 10, 2024
It is immensely difficult to summarize gigantic subjects into a tight cohesive history. Oldridge falls a little short in this task despite a strong opening chapter.
January 30, 2025
read this super short book for my satans class on the history of the devil through religion, media, and society. soooo interesting and quick. lost a bit of speed towards the end, but was a cool read.
March 24, 2025
wish this wouldve been heavier on theology, also wouldve been nice to discuss the devil in islam aswell as bring up the church of satan and maybe temple of set in the chapter on the devil today
March 10, 2017
Pretty cool take on how the evolution of devil portrayal and such in European history.
May 3, 2013
This was a difficult VSI for me to evaluate. It had a large amount of good information, but Oldridge seemingly went out of his way to make it inaccessible (he has an inability to segue from one example to another and often chooses to place unrelated subtopics into the same paragraph for no earthly reason). He also covers a very slim range of the (Christian) Devil, focusing on poetry over theological writings and Church doctrine. Worse, the focus on more artistic representations of the Devil (it should be noted that Oldridge makes only the rarest efforts to differentiate between evil and the Devil) are often couched in how difficult it is to depict a 'being' which is essentially the negative qualities of goodness.
I will freely admit that it has been 19 years since my last Bible Study class on the Devil (and I don't give much thought to the Devil or supernatural evil in my 'walking around life') so my dissatisfaction with Oldridge's presentation may be due to my familiarity with the subject being less than that which would allow for better enjoyment/appreciation of the work. Still, this VSI could have benefited from Oldridge either being more focused and academic in his writing or adopting a much more conversational tone given the approach he chose.
I will freely admit that it has been 19 years since my last Bible Study class on the Devil (and I don't give much thought to the Devil or supernatural evil in my 'walking around life') so my dissatisfaction with Oldridge's presentation may be due to my familiarity with the subject being less than that which would allow for better enjoyment/appreciation of the work. Still, this VSI could have benefited from Oldridge either being more focused and academic in his writing or adopting a much more conversational tone given the approach he chose.
January 13, 2016
Lots of good historical and historically oriented theological information here, even if you are familiar with longer and more coherent works like Jeffery Burton Russell's several volume history of Satan. The main issue is that this covers too much with too little time, often making examples seem slightly disjointed, and the theological/philosophical commentary being inconsistently interwoven in with historical information. This makes the book a little hard to read even though it is not particularly "difficult" in other senses of the term. Oldridge's discussion of Auden was extremely interesting and may be worth the price of the book. Overall, it is a serviceable introduction to the Christian idea of "the Devil" in a theological-historical context, and maybe should be paired with OUP's introductions to other Christian topic as well as Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction.
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