The book I chose to read is called The Origin of Satan, by Elaine Pagels. The reason why I chose this book out of the entire list is because it was the only one on the list not dealing with masculinity or femininity. I was not raised as a Catholic (although I was baptized) or as a Jewish person, so the idea of Satan to me was only what I had experience through television or what other people in my life have described him as. So I was eager to learn the exact origin of his character and how he became personified as the red man who appears on one of your shoulders every time you think about doing something bad. .
In the following paragraphs I do summarize a lot of the text however keep in mind that I did not know any of this information before reading this book. Therefore while I mention a decent amount I will be commenting on the information I present opposed to writing a summary and then commenting afterwards.
At first I did not understand why you chose this book to put on the list, but as I was reading the introduction Elaine Pagels states, " I want you to consider Satan as a reflection of how we perceive ourselves and those we call "others" Satan defines negatively what we think of as human." (xviii), I realized that this book is not concisely about where Satan originated but instead is more about how a human being psychologically reflects Satan. In the book Satan is described in numerous ways including the opposition to god, a messenger of god, a quality within ourselves that we project onto other people(which I agree with most), and ultimately all Jewish and pagan people who reject the idea that Jesus was their messiah.
This book begins by describing the situation in which the first gospel was written apparently by Mark who was an associate of the apostle Peter. Pagels writes that the gospel was written at the end of a three year war between the Jews and the Romans approximately around 69 A.
The character of Satan is difficult to understand. According to Neil Forsyth, John Milton's Paradise Lost is "an epic poem about the origin of evil" (Forsyth). ... Did Milton intend to portray Satan as a hero or a villain? ... Satan is portrayed this way in Paradise Lost. ... Although the Christian faith condemns Satan, Milton appears to be drawn to the character of Satan. ...
Paradise Lost is a poem essentially about the origin of sin and evil, as a result, Milton presents evil in a more coercive manner than good. ... Milton definitely portrays Satan's evil in Book four by asserting that Satan is hell and that evil is his good because good has been lost to him. ... Satan's moral stat further decays in Book nine as detailed in a soliloquy at the beginning of the book by Satan. ... Both the angels and devils and heaven and hell can be contrasted along with Satan and the Son. ... The departure of Satan is much more powerfully described than the departur...
The origin of evil is the first domino in the sinful domino effect. ... It is within these three people that the origin of sin could have possibly have come. ... Although man is the first one to sin, he was not the origin of evil. ... After the sin was when evil was introduced into the human race, but evil was already present in Satan after he deceived Adam and Eve. ... "Satan has continued with men the same policy which he pursued with the angels. ...
Bibliotherapy of the Creature I saw a creature, naked, bestial, which, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, and ate of it. I said, "Is it good friend?" "It is bitter-bitter," he answered; "But I like it because it is bitter and because it is my heart." - Stephen ...
Margaret Murray, who studies witchcraft's history and origins. ... Witches do not worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil." ... They also think that Witches give sacrifices of animals, humans and children in the name of Satan.' ... Not once does The New American Standard Bible mention Satan as having anything to do with Witchcraft. ... The belief that Witches sacrifice animals, humans and children in the name of Satan is a gross misconception. ...
In this respect Coleridge asserts: "We dwell on the excellence of Paradise lost in as much as it Represents the origin of evil, and the combat of evil and good; it contains matters of deep interest to all mankind, as forming the basis of all religion, and the true occasion of all philosophy what so ever.... The central action is the "Fall of man" and all the other things; the battle of angels, the creation of the world and Satan's speeches are subordinate. ... Moreover, in 'Paradise Lost' we have human and super human characters, where as God, Christ, Satan th...
To respond to any of these situations with pathetic rituals which imply that Satan has got the better of God is so futile. ... For this reason, we need to be as lucid as we can concerning what the Bible says about the present power of Satan and our methods for dealing with it. We are certainly presented with the inescapable fact that Satan goes to and fro on the earth (Job.1:7; 2:2). ... In spite of all this, the Christian should never be held in fearful bondage to Satan. ... It is over unregenerate men and women's hearts that Satan now reigns, not over the plots of land where they live. ...
Then I took a moment to pray and realized that anything that is not from God, is from Satan. Satan had me right where he wanted me. ... While it is imperative to know why you believe what you believe, it is also imperative to not fall victim to Satan's schemes. ... While standing in the check-out line, a woman saw the book, Sacred Origins of Profound Things, by Charles Panati in my hands and told me that she had read that book and really didn't like it. ...
Grendel, the first of the trial that Beowulf encounters, most closely parallels Satan. While Grendel suggests folklore origins, the poem most definitely alludes to the Christian concept of evil, Satan. ... As in Christ's first encounter with Satan, Beowulf uses no weapons in his fight with Grendel but is armed by the power of right, the natural power of God, who will "give war-glory to whichever side He thinks the right" (684-87). ...
