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by Elaine Pagels

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Elaine Pagels

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Elaine Pagel is a brilliant scholar and writer, but the reader must understand that the subject matter of this book is better . Those books may be more along the line of what you're looking for in terms of "the origin of Satan. 56 people found this helpful.

Elaine Pagel is a brilliant scholar and writer, but the reader must understand that the subject matter of this book is better characterized by its subtitle: "How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics. Ms. Pagel invests much of the reader's energy by parsing through the gospels (canonical and Gnostic)and other historic documents to illustrate how frictions of faith in the early church became elevated to a point of putting the mantel of "evil" and "children of darkness" and "demonic" upon those who opposed (and still oppose) Christianity.

The Origin of Satan book. Pagels Elaine Pagels does a wonderful job of tracing her theme through the period before Christ into the period of the rise and fall of gnosticism

The Origin of Satan book. Pagels Elaine Pagels does a wonderful job of tracing her theme through the period before Christ into the period of the rise and fall of gnosticism. Her arguments are precise and clearly explained, not falling into academic jargon.

The origin of Satan, Elaine Pagels.

In this groundbreaking book, Elaine Pagels, Princeton's distinguished historian of religion, traces the evolution of Satan . In The Origin of Satan, Pagels shows that the four Christian gospels tell two very different stories.

In this groundbreaking book, Elaine Pagels, Princeton's distinguished historian of religion, traces the evolution of Satan from its origins in the Hebrew Bible, where Satan is at first merely obstructive, to the New Testament, where Satan becomes the Prince of Darkness, the bitter enemy of God and man, evil incarnate. The first is the story of Jesus' moral genius: his lessons of love, forgiveness, and redemption.

Martin Buber, cited in discussion with Malcolm Diamond, professor of religion at Princeton University, May 1994. 3. Walter Wink, Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986); C. G. Jung, Answer to Job, trans. R. F. C. Hull (London: Routledge and Regan Paul, 1954). 4. Jeffrey B. Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primi- tive Christianity (Ithaca, . Cornell University Press, 1970).

In the end only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. ― Anonymous. Three Mistakes of My Life by Chetan Bhagat. 72 MB·185,954 Downloads. There are advantages in having a wife smarter than you. I could 'Oh that Chetan Bhagat,' he said, like he knew a milli.

The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics. The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters. Download (PDF). Читать. Adam, Eve And The Serpent.

Elaine Pagels, née Hiesey (born February 13, 1943), is an American .

Elaine Pagels, née Hiesey (born February 13, 1943), is an American religious historian. She is the Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University. Modern Library named it as one of the 100 best books of the twentieth century

The book explores this early history or invention of the devil, and traces Satan's subsequent transformations as. .This work is a social history of the devil. The figure of Satan has been a standing puzzle in the history of religion.

The book explores this early history or invention of the devil, and traces Satan's subsequent transformations as one of society's most necessary fictions. This study examines his origins and his shifting functions. Satan is not present in classical Jewish sources (and scarcely present in traditional Judaism to this day). Images of Satan began to develop and proliferate in later Jewish sources not included in the Hebrew Bible.

HappyLove

This is a nice, reasonably sized book that suffers from a lot of information squeezed into a tiny package. I bought this book primarily in the hopes it would shed some light on the convoluted history of Christianity's Cousin It, Satan. Having grown up in the church, you tend to hear about the devil more than you do god with no real clear explanation of why these two dudes can't get along and the other, supposed 'creator' of his enfant terrible can't do anything about his formerly angelic progeny.

I'm not sure how to describe the contents herein. It's a lot of information that is slightly narrative in structure but also of the dry, scholarly kind which presents many different figures, points, quotes, footnotes, etc. as both distinct and yet apart of the narrative. As another reviewer mentioned, this book is primarily concerned with Christianity's historical, real world application of Satan and satanic figures and how it has metamorphosed into the sort of cancerous 'us vs. them' mentality which creates such a rift I'm thought between followers and non-followers.

The title should best be read as 'The Origin of the Historical Satan' in contrast to the mythical Demi-god we are typically presented with. Read this book for the historical implications and how 'satanism' (for lack of better words) takes shape in reality. If you're looking to debunk the myth of Satan as a divine being at war with god, you might want to look at other books which deal primarily in the spiritual aspects of demonic theory. This book still deserves a spot on anyone's reading list who is frustrated with the lack of transparency in the history of this religion.

Stick

Pagel's writing is always clear and to the point. However, her brush with the Old Testament Satan hardly stands the test of good scholarship. Moreover, her idea that Satan is socially constructed based on her analysis of the New Testament writings left me with an unsatisfied hunger, a need for more. I will confess a bias here, a bias against the fuzzy-headed thinking of postmodern scholars. If you can't explain it, particularly if it is traditional thinking, it 'ain't there.' It's in your head with the rest of the world. It was an interesting book, but Pagel's ideas fall short of the promise in the title. She has no clue about the origin of Satan.

Sarin

If you're looking for the beginnings of "Satan" (capital "S"), and/or you are not patient with scholarly work, then you really need to pass on this book.

Elaine Pagel is a brilliant scholar and writer, but the reader must understand that the subject matter of this book is better characterized by its subtitle: "How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics.

Ms. Pagel invests much of the reader's energy by parsing through the gospels (canonical and Gnostic)and other historic documents to illustrate how frictions of faith in the early church became elevated to a point of putting the mantel of "evil" and "children of darkness" and "demonic" upon those who opposed (and still oppose) Christianity. For those who are truly interested in the early Christian church and its struggles, this is a good work. I was particularly intrigued by the changes that occurred as the early church moved from being primarily a Jewish sect to becoming a Gentile religion.

If you're uncertain whether or not this book is for you, read the final chapter, "Conclusion." Ms. Pagel does an excellent job bringing together her main arguments and observations. If what you read interests you, buy or check-out the book. Otherwise, move on to something like "History of Hell," by Alice K. Turner or "A History of Witchcraft," by Russell and Alexander. Those books may be more along the line of what you're looking for in terms of "the origin of Satan."

Bluecliff

This is a very interesting book that recapitulates the emergence of Christianity in context, detailed and vivid, from its origins in Palestine to its expansion westward. But the focus is on the use of Satan, first as a kind of gadfly or tester of belief in the Jewish and Pauline traditions to the "cosmic war" of later Christianity, whereby opposition from without and within are portrayed as intrinsically evil and irredeemable. It is beautifully written and fascinating throughout, but it was not what I was looking for.

The evolution of the notion of Satan progresses from an angel who tests people for God, posing questions and proposing alternatives to the righteous in contravention of God's will, into the embodiment of evil, whether as a being or a force within one's heart and mind. Pagels explains this strictly from both Biblical and "heretical" texts, with a keen eye on political developments of the time. First, in the Hebrew Bible, Satan (or Bielzebub or by any array of names) is an angel. Slowly, he becomes the force behind sectarian disagreements, from intra-Jewish ones to opponents of Jesus' supposed vision for the Jews. He also serves as the source of evil to be found in GOYIM, or those who are not of the nation of Israel. Second, as Christianity progressively becomes dominated by gentiles, the notion of the devil's evil work moves from a) vilification of non-believing Jews, Romans, and Pagans, to b) the condemnation of those Christians who promote rival interpretations to one's own, ending in c) a question of what is in one's own heart and what causes one to sin.

All of these notions, Pagels argues persuasively, came to dominate the consciences of the various branches of monotheism over the next 2,000 years. With the accusation (or "demonization") of the "other" as irredeemably evil and not on the side of God and his righteous, it creates a kind of solidarity and certainty in the face of sometimes overwhelming odds - and an excuse to treat others as less than human in a cosmic war. This makes her argument, in my view, essential reading.

Nonetheless, I was looking for an examination of Satan himself, not only as a socio-political phenomenon, but as imagery, characterization, etc. As he appears in this book, Satan is a kind of morphing gravity well, a murky socio-political force. While very interesting, I was disappointed and will have to seek the other perspective elsewhere.

REcommended with enthusiasm. It is a great review of early Christianity and crucial to understanding the monotheistic mind.