Demons and Spirits in Biblical Theology: Reading the Biblical Text in Its Cultural and Literary Context

by John H. Walton

Some people believe that a battle of cosmic proportions is raging as Satan and his demons seek to destroy Christians and undermine God's plans. Others believe that all talk of demons in the Bible and theology only reflects pre-modern superstitions that should be re-interpreted in philosophical and psychological terms. Despite their contrasts, both believe that the Bible directly or indirectly intends to teach readers about reality. Another path is possible. What if references to demons in the Bible are similar to references about the shape and structure of the cosmos representing the beliefs familiar to the ancient audience but used only as a framework for teaching about the plans and purposes of God? This approach is here worked out through detailed examination of hermeneutical method, the ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman contexts, each of the biblical terms and passages, and the essentials of biblical and systematic theology. Unlike many scholarly treatments of demons, readers will not find an assessment of the metaphysical realities. Instead they will be introduced to a hermeneutical, exegetical, and theological feast regarding what the Bible, understood in its ancient context, teaches. ""The authors argue against two diametrically opposed interpretations of demons in the Bible: demythologizing and reifying. They present a third approach, understanding references to the demonic within the cultural framework and mindset of each of the biblical authors. Their book is an original and cogent contribution to biblical scholarship, and absolutely essential for the scholarly study of the Devil."" --Jeffrey Burton Russell, Professor of History, emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara ""This is a timely and critically needed resource that I really hope church leaders--and as many people as possible--will read. We need to have a correct understanding of the nature and schemes of evil today more than ever."" --Dan Kimball, on staff at Vintage Faith Church and the ReGeneration Project ""Demons and Spirits in Biblical Theology is a sophisticated yet very readable assessment of the problem of good and evil and how appeals to demons and evil spirits have played a role in the debate. This well researched and well-thought-out book makes major contributions to discussions about Conflict Theology, Prosperity Theology, and Open Theism. The authors wisely conclude that the Bible contains no theology of demons as such, only references to beliefs found in some contexts and settings. I strongly recommend this book."" --Craig A. Evans, Professor of Christian Origins, Houston Baptist University ""In Demons and Spirits in Biblical Theology, the authors develop in a new direction the long-term Waltonian program that is designed to make us better Bible-readers by helping us to read Scripture in its ancient contexts. Readers may not agree with every conclusion that arises from their important distinction between reference and affirmation in the Bible. They should, however, recognize the utility of the method in helping us to ensure that, on the matter of demons and spirits, we are people of biblical faith rather than (in reality) polytheists or practical atheists. I warmly commend this book to all who need help in thinking this matter through."" --Iain Provan, Professor of Biblical Studies, Regent College John H. Walton is Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He has authored or edited over twenty-five books, including The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament (2009), Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament (2006), The Lost World of Adam and Eve (2015), Old Testament Theology for Christians (2017), and commentaries on Genesis (2001) and Job (2012). J. Harvey Walton is pursuing graduate studies at St. Andrews University and has been involved in various editing and writing projects.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Biblical Studies, Spirituality, Demons

348 pages, Paperback

Published May 10, 2019

About the author

John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College Graduate School. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament; Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context; Covenant: God’s Purpose, God’s Plan; The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament; and A Survey of the Old Testament.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See:

John H. Walton, Agriculture
John H. Walton, ceramics.

Reviews

[Barry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can see why major publishers took a pass on this book. It’s not that it’s a bad book, it’s just bloated and lacks focus.

There are three main problems with this book:

1) It is bloated and convoluted, getting bogged down in details that may be interesting but do not advance the main premise. Time and again the Waltons delve into the minutiae of Hebrew vocab to prove a point, which all too often isn’t an overly important point that helps advance their argument. When a simple explanation would have sufficed, a long protracted explanation instead draws attention away from the main point they were trying to make. The more I noticed this habit, the more I felt they were intentionally taking readers down rabbit trails in order to obscure the fact that

2) while the Waltons claim to offer a position in between demythologizers and conflict theologians, they actually fall close to demythologizers. I struggled to find instances where they do not, in fact, demythologize, and the rabbit trails into Hebrew minutiae seemed designed to make their demythologizing less obvious. If you want to demythologize, just go ahead and do so, but to say you aren’t demythologizing and then discount and explain away Scriptures that talk about spiritual beings is disingenuous. Further,

3) the Waltons appear to have a low view of Scripture. They state that the Bible does talk about spiritual beings but it doesn’t actually teach anything about those beings. “In the end, we cannot offer any ‘biblical’ conception of demons and spirits because our study has indicated that the Bible does not contain one—it contains only references to beliefs widespread in the cognitive environments in which it was written.” The Hebrews and early Christians apparently learned all they needed to know about spirit beings from the culture around them, so we should not look to Scripture to learn anything about the spirit world. According to the Waltons, references to demons and spirit beings in the Bible do not actually affirm their existence, they just serve to show that the Hebrews and early Christians believed in their existence. One is left to wonder which sources contain more truth about demons and spirits than the Bible.

In summary, the bulk of Demons and Spirits in Biblical Theology tells us that:

1) the Bible doesn’t affirm the existence of demons and spirit beings — only that people back then believed they existed — and

2) even if the Bible does affirm the existence of demons and spirits, it doesn’t actually teach us anything about them, so if we want to learn any truth about demons and spirits we need to look outside of Scripture for this information. Incidentally, no sources of reliable information about demons and spirits are proffered.

To further my belief that the Waltons are demythologizers, they include two chapters at the close of their book — on top of the many instances within the body of the book — attacking conflict theology. If they truly were interested in striking a balance between demythologizing and conflict theology, I would think it important to also include an attack on demythologizing.

Another source of confusion lies in their admission, clear at the end of the book, that they do believe that demons exist, though they spend literally the entire book telling us how the Bible doesn’t teach us anything about their existence, only that the original audience believed in their existence. I realize this book is about biblical theology not their own personal views, but upon what do they base their assertion that demons exist?

Further, they state unequivocally in their conclusion that “demons are not evil.” Dangerous, like sharks and bears, but not evil. Yes, they do spell out their reasons for this belief earlier on in the book, but one struggles to reconcile this view with the Scriptures that talk about judgment of demons (see especially Mat. 25:41).

While this book is interesting, offers some legitimate critiques of demonology, and is thorough in its analysis of Scriptural references, the same content could have been delivered in shorter form with more emphasis placed on staking claims rather than just skirting around them.

[Ethan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is always significant interest in what the Bible teaches about demons and evil spirits. People either find it immensely attractive or incredibly repugnant; as a result, people justify their interest or repugnance with elaborate frameworks and conversations.

The Waltons would claim to transcend such a binary in their Demons and Spirits in Biblical Theology: Reading the Biblical Text in Its Cultural and Literary Context. They imagine they stand between the extremes of mythologization and the spiritual warfare perspectives. In truth, they fall on the repugnance side, and this book is a testimony to the lengths they will go to rationalize their position.

The book begins with an explanation of various guidelines for Biblical interpretation (always a red flag in a book like this). The authors then go through Biblical texts systematically in comparison and contrast with mythologization or spiritual warfare perspectives, but mostly spiritual warfare perspectives. The authors are really hot under their collar about the popularity of Greg Boyd, Michael Heiser, and Walter Wink, and their explorations into the powers and principalities.

Even in those places in which one might agree with the Waltons in their exegesis of a given text, it’s not very comfortable. They are more than happy to rely on linguistic and grammatical arguments to attempt to argue against certain ways of interpreting the text. And these are their strongest arguments.

I’m not quite sure who would be in the same camp as the Waltons. Their textual forms of argumentation would be seen as too pedantic by many in the academic cohort, and their flippancy with Biblical inerrancy and ability to draw conclusions about truth from the Bible based on inference would be repellent to most conservatively minded Christians.

The Waltons do provide some good warnings about how far and thoroughly one should press the ideas regarding spiritual warfare in light of the great power of God. That they consider demons like viruses may have something to it. But they also might prove a bit too over-confident about what they can conclude about spiritual domains beyond our understanding which might be glimpsed in the witness of the Biblical text.

If you’re looking for the rationalist case maintaining repugnance at any and all considerations of spiritual warfare and the demonic, this is your book. But I remain unsure about who would really find it that satisfying beyond the authors themselves.

[Tammy Fairweather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Touts New View, But Just Old Liberal View

The authors note that there are two erroneous views of demonology: conflict (a cosmic war) and that demons don't actually exist. They tease that they have another view. They don't.

The book is based on liberal methods grounded in the two beliefs that there is no supernatural and the Bible isn't the divinely inspired, infallible Word of God. Most of the book is spent arguing against a conflict view of demonology while promoting a liberal view that demons do not exist. This is strange since the set up at the beginning of the book is that neither view is correct and that a new view would be presented.

The book only cost $3, but I wouldn't add it to my library for free.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a very interesting book in that it presented an approach to conflict theology, otherwise known as “spiritual warfare“ which was new to me. The author’s interpretation of Scripture is one in which only that which is explicitly taught by Scripture is to be accepted as true. That which is not explicitly taught may be assumed to simply be reflective of the cognitive understanding of the cultural environment of that time. Thus, nearly all that scripture has to say about demons and evil spirits is simply reflective of the cognitive mindset of the time and not the subject of the Scripture’s teaching. Food for thought.

[Andy Gore · Rating 4 out of 5]

As ever a thorough treatment of every text but let the reader beware because you need to be aware of Walton’s conversation partners; those who endorse a conflict approach to thinking of the devil, demons and evil spirits. There is much to commend as I do like the way Walton describes demons as liminal creatures who we are to be wary of as much as would a ferocious big cat. Yet when Walton actually wrestles with he is so frustrating as his goal is, is to disprove the arguments of conflict theology. Where this leaves us is the sense that we know what Walton disagrees with and not what he is seeking to tell us. The last chapter is the best and I would the first three chapters and the last one.

[Grady Huggins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was informative in many ways, but ultimately unconvincing in most of its arguments. The author places too much significance on the influence of the cognitive environment of the biblical text and undermines the role of divine inspiration. He explains just about anything we might learn regarding demons and spirits from the Bible as references to the beliefs of the audience and not propositions of spiritual truth. While some of his critiques of conflict theology are valid, the belief system he presents to replace it is even less convincing.

[Charles Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Michael Heiser is a supernatural maximalist then surely John Walton is his alter ego! This work sees most references to demons and spirits as accomodating the "cognitive furniture" (author's term) of the ancient near eastern mind. It's minimalistic almost to the point of being dry and unoriginal at times. I fell like the author could have done a little more.

[Juan A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old but new perspective on demons

This book does not say that demons don’t exist but it affirms through scripture, and the cultural context of the New Testament that demons are under God’s sovereign rule. That was refreshing for me to read.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth study on biblical passages in the historical context of Warfare Theology & Material View of Spiritual Beings. A slog at times to finish but worthwhile to read.