Shaming the Devil: Essays in Truthtelling

by Alan Jacobs

"Shaming the Devil" is a series of essays that explore how hard it is to tell the truth about the world of culture -- and how central that task is to the Christian life.

Genres: Essays, Spirituality, Nonfiction

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2004

About the author

Alan Jacobs is a scholar of English literature, literary critic, and distinguished professor of the humanities at Baylor University. Previously, he held the Clyde S. Kilby Chair of English at Wheaton College until 2012. His academic career has been marked by a deep engagement with literature, theology, and intellectual history.
Jacobs has written extensively on reading, thinking, and culture, contributing to publications such as The Atlantic, First Things, and The New Atlantis. His books explore diverse topics, from the intellectual legacy of Christian humanism (The Year of Our Lord 1943) to the challenges of modern discourse (How to Think). He has also examined literary figures like C. S. Lewis (The Narnian) and W. H. Auden. His work often bridges literature and philosophy, with books such as A Theology of Reading: The Hermeneutics of Love reflecting on the ethical dimensions of interpretation.
An evangelical Anglican, Jacobs continues to influence discussions on faith, literature, and the role of reading in contemporary life.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm working my way through Alan Jacobs books, catching up on those I haven't read, and I further impressed with his skill as an essayist and thinker. He is able to hold the reader's interest even as he explores weighty issue of literature, culture and faith. His skills highlighted for me the vast gulf between casual blogging and a talented essayist. It also makes me wish I could sit in on one of this classes. I have a feeling it would be both challenging and deeply rewarding. I find reading the essays in large doses over the course of a weekend really allows to see how the ideas and issues relate and interact. Despite being dated they shine with wisdom, wit and clarity.

[Chris Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic collection of moral essays from Professor Alan Jacobs! In this volume he covers topics such as the benefits of Christians reading W.H. Auden, a critique of Phillip Pullman and his twisted interpretation of Milton's Paradise Lost, (His Dark Materials) and finally a collection of essays on using computers and being challenged to understand just exactly what we "do" when we use those rascally machines. Jacobs pays attention life in the details and I appreciate his honesty.

[Ben Smitthimedhin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing analysis of contemporary literary giants. Jacobs always goes beyond the text to the authors themselves, seeking to connect with them as persons rather than just critiquing their works as "texts" (something that's more difficult to come by in our time, which seems to be the height of critical culture in both senses of the word).

[Seth Mcdevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last set of essays is worth the price of the book alone. The two previous sets are worth it as well, so when you put that together you get two great reads for the price of one. The last set is particularly helpful to those who have never been fully comfortable in a digital world, but who participate out of necessity.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened on this book by happy accident. I couldn't find one of Jacob's books which would have been helpful for a class, so I picked this one up. It wasn't the least bit helpful. But it was enjoyable. The title comes from Hotspur's council to Glendower in Shakspeare's Henry IV part I:

And I can teach thee, coz, to shame the devil
By telling the truth: tell truth and shame the devil.
If thou have power to raise him, bring him hither,
I'll be sworn I have the power to shame him hence.
O, while you live, tell truth and shame the devil.

Jacobs proceeds through this book to explore truth telling, largely through his capacity as a literary critic. He divides the essays in his book into three parts. Part I, he deals with exemplars. Here he talks about authors who were committed to telling the whole truth, as they saw it. In Part II, Explorations, Jacobs explores a different set of authors whom he feels short shrifted the truth in their literary output. In Part III, an Experiment, Jacobs explores the ways in which technologies circumscribe our quests for truth. Perhaps because his technological references are dated (this book was written in 2004!), this is the weakest part of the book. But it is an enjoyable read nonetheless.

I have never read a book by Jacobs before, but I have always found his articles in Books & Culture reflective and thoughtful, this book is no exception. I hope to find his book which would be useful for me.

[Stephen Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacobs, as usual, does a fantastic job at guiding the reader through a seemingly endless maze of thought while not allowing the reader to become lost or frustrated due to a seeming lack of cohesion. The book itself is broken into three parts: Exemplars, Explorations, and Experiment. Exemplars traced several characters that don't necessarily share the beliefs of Jacobs yet are steadfast and ferocious in their pursuit of the truth. Jacobs does an outstanding job in giving credit where it is due and pointing out misdirection where it is to be found. I revelled in his essay on Auden and was much enlightened on his writing on Camus. In Explorations, none of his writings captured my imagination, but I blame that more on my lack of knowledge of the writers he highlights (Voltaire, Wole Soyinka, Iris Murdoch, and Philip Pullman). Experiment consists of one single extended essay and was by far my favority of the book. It dealt with his expedition into the world of Linux operating systems and computer programming while also providing invigoratin discourse into the effect complex technology has had on our society, both as a whole and as an individual. As in most compilations, there were diamonds and duds in this work. If you enjoy Jacobs' writing, it is worth the read. Recommended.

[J. J.]

Excellent. His insights into early and latter Auden are especially good, in light of the co-opting of early Auden's poetry in the aftermath of 9/11. Great insights into Iris Murdoch and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn as well…

For those who may not know, Jacobs is one of our greatest modern essayists. Sitting in his lectures on modern literary criticism and frantically trying to capture all his insights remains one of my best memories of college.

[Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful book by Jacobs, again displaying great clarity of thought similar to C.S. Lewis. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary essayists.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bet there is a lot of good meat in this book. I read 3 or 4 of the essays and skimmed the rest. It couldn't quite hold my attention.