Skip to content
Register Sign in Wishlist
Look Inside Satan

Satan
A Biography

  • Date Published: August 2006
  • availability: Available
  • format: Paperback
  • isbn: 9780521604024

Paperback

Add to wishlist

Other available formats:
Hardback


Looking for an inspection copy?

This title is not currently available on inspection

Description
Product filter button
Description
Contents
Resources
Courses
About the Authors
  • Christians traditionally think of Satan as Lucifer, God's enemy, who rebelled against Him out of pride and then caused Adam and Eve to sin. But, as Kelly shows, this portrayal is not biblical but a scenario invented by the early Fathers of the Church which became the 'New Biography of Satan'. The 'Original Biography' must be reconstructed from the New Testament where Satan is the same sort of celestial functionary we see in the Book of Job - appointed to govern the world, specifically to monitor and test human beings. But he is brutal and deceitful in his methods, and Jesus predicts that his rule will soon come to an end. Kelly traces the further developments of the 'New Biography': humankind's inherited guilt, captivity by Satan, and punishment in Hell at his hands. This profile of Satan remains dominant, but Kelly urges a return to the 'Original Biography of Satan'.

    • Challenges the traditional Christian view of Satan using evidence from the Bible
    • Kelly shows how the character-assassination of Satan developed and persists to the present day
    • Contains separate scripture and full topic indexes
    Read more

    Reviews & endorsements

    '[Kelly's] interpretation is accepted by many biblical scholars. The theory provides an explanation for the presence of evil and suffering, without denying the existence or omniscience of God. … The professor makes the case for Satan as more a 'functionary of the divine court' than 'an enemy of God as well as of Man, a convicted cosmic outlaw'.' The Times

    'Kelly's stunningly bold attempt at rehabilitation makes the late Lord Longford's efforts to convince the British public that Moors murderer Myra Hindley was a reformed character look positively timid.' Daily Mail

    'Kelly shows himself to be a masterful teacher. … [He] illustrates nicely a sound approach in historical theology.' Professor Daniel J. Harrington, S. J., Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts

    '… enough here to stimulate and entertain. … astute and deftly written …' Literary Review

    'In this succinct study, he adopts the role of Satan's unofficial spin doctor. The result is entertaining as well as rigourous. … What could have been a crawling survey is in fact a lively and sane account that does much to rehabilitate Satan's reputation. Kelly's conclusions will surprise many…Kelly displays impressive control of his material attuned to nuances in Hebrew, Greek and Latin.' The Times Literary Supplement

    See more reviews

    Customer reviews

    Not yet reviewed

    Be the first to review

    Review was not posted due to profanity

    ×

    , create a review

    (If you're not , sign out)

    Please enter the right captcha value
    Please enter a star rating.
    Your review must be a minimum of 12 words.

    How do you rate this item?

    ×

    Product details

    • Date Published: August 2006
    • format: Paperback
    • isbn: 9780521604024
    • length: 376 pages
    • dimensions: 227 x 153 x 22 mm
    • weight: 0.611kg
    • contains: 15 b/w illus.
    • availability: Available
  • Table of Contents

    List of illustrations
    List of abbreviations
    Introduction
    Part I. Hebrew Backgrounds:
    1. The Old Testament
    2. Apocryphal works and the Dead Sea Scrolls
    Part II. The New Testament: Satan Comes Into His Own:
    3. St Paul, the first Christian writer
    4. The four Gospels
    5. Later Epistles
    6. The apocalypse of John the Divine
    7. Putting the New Testament together: a composite portrait of Satan in canonical order
    Part III. Satan and Adam:
    8. Satan's original sin: felling Adam
    Part IV. The Rise of the Fallen Lucifer:
    9. Lucifer and the new biography of Satan
    10. Satan and the human race
    11. Theorizing Satan
    12. Satan in literature and art
    Part V. Satan in the Modern World:
    13. Temptation and possession
    14. Doubts and affirmations
    Summary and conclusion
    Index of passages
    General index.

  • Instructors have used or reviewed this title for the following courses

    • Western Religions
  • Author

    Henry Ansgar Kelly, University of California, Los Angeles
    Henry Ansgar Kelly is Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of English and Director of the Center of Medieval Studies, University of California, Los Angeles.

Related Books

also by this author

Sorry, this resource is locked

Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email lecturers@cambridge.org

Register Sign in
Please note that this file is password protected. You will be asked to input your password on the next screen.

» Proceed

You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.

Continue ×

Continue ×

Continue ×
warning icon

Turn stock notifications on?

You must be signed in to your Cambridge account to turn product stock notifications on or off.

Sign in Create a Cambridge account arrow icon
×

Find content that relates to you

Join us online

This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Read more Close

Are you sure you want to delete your account?

This cannot be undone.

Cancel

Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.

If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.

×
Please fill in the required fields in your feedback submission.
×