Evil: The Shadow Side of Reality

by John A. Sanford

This book explores the nature of evil in religious and psychological terms and looks at the devil in folklore and the Bible.

Genres: Psychology, Religion, Philosophy

172 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1982

Reviews

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This year I started teaching my students to consult the references portion of Wikipedia entries to find viable sources for their papers. While I don't let them quote the content of the page, many of the sources in the references section are great.

This book is sort of like a Wikipedia entry in that it is an awesome book to mine for sources elaborating on evil. For that reason it is a great starting point for people who want to explore the subject from a philosophical perspective. Is it seminal? Not necessarily, but it'll steer you in the direction you need in order to find seminal works on the topic, and it'll provide you with a decent overview.

Evil sells. Most of the time, it is a term used to conjure up age-old anxieties, most of which have little to do with evil if you're a rational human being. When I researched the term for a paper on the connotations of evil, I found so many books about cults and countless right-wing conspiracy texts. Evil is a multi-faceted word, and most of those facets are generated by the batshit crazy. This book will help you cut through all of that without wasting heaps of time sorting through the latest diatribe about the evils of rock music, thinly veiled racist manifestos about the evils of urban culture, the satanic underpinnings in Spongebob, and all the other bullshit the morally anal-retentive try to pass off as evil.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep and heady book that will need to be read twice. Sanford covers much more than the problem of evil. He also views the Shadow side of ourselves and how to make peace with the misunderstood parts and invite them into the personality to gain the hope of wholeness. He draws on some of the great thinkers throughout history, both in and out of the church. I appreciate how open he is, able to view contrasting points of view without judging, as he looks for the truth. It is a book that normalizes our struggles, gives hope, and direction.

[Darceylaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really helpful look at how we can understand Evil psychologically, theologically, and ontologically. With the important caveat that the relationship to indigenous beliefs uses unfortunate and disrespectful language. A useful read with that critique in mind. I'd love to see a more contemporary version that addresses these concerns.

[Gloria Scoyola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Led me to a greater understanding of the evil potential within each of us.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening and fascinating read. I feel like I've stumbled upon the wisdom that's described in Proverbs with this book. An honest and almost uncomfortable look on the influence of the notion of evil. It contains plausible explanations that will put the reader into a positively existential contemplation.