The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and HereticsFrom the National Book Award-winning and National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of The Gnostic Gospels comes a dramatic interpretation of Satan and his role on the Christian tradition. "Arresting...brilliant...this book illuminates the angels with which we must wrestle to come to the truth of our bedeviling spritual problems." —The Boston Globe With magisterial learning and the elan of a born storyteller, Pagels turns Satan’s story into an audacious exploration of Christianity’s shadow side, in which the gospel of love gives way to irrational hatreds that continue to haunt Christians and non-Christians alike. |
From inside the book
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Page x
... Greek texts with me in our seminar: Gideon Bohack, Robert Cro, Nicola Denzey, Obery Hendricks, Anne Merideth, Sharon Hefetz, and Joel Walker. There are certain people without whose participation I cannot imagine having written this book ...
... Greek texts with me in our seminar: Gideon Bohack, Robert Cro, Nicola Denzey, Obery Hendricks, Anne Merideth, Sharon Hefetz, and Joel Walker. There are certain people without whose participation I cannot imagine having written this book ...
Page xv
... Greek writers from Homer to Sophocles attribute such events to gods and goddesses, destiny and fate—elements as ... Greeks, and Romans envisioned gods, goddesses, and spirit beings of many kinds, while certain Jews and Christians ...
... Greek writers from Homer to Sophocles attribute such events to gods and goddesses, destiny and fate—elements as ... Greeks, and Romans envisioned gods, goddesses, and spirit beings of many kinds, while certain Jews and Christians ...
Page xix
... Greek word for non-Greeks, “barbarian,” mimics the guttural gibberish of those who do not speak Greek—since they speak unintelligibly, the Greeks call them barbaroi. Yet this virtually universal practice of calling one's own people ...
... Greek word for non-Greeks, “barbarian,” mimics the guttural gibberish of those who do not speak Greek—since they speak unintelligibly, the Greeks call them barbaroi. Yet this virtually universal practice of calling one's own people ...
Page 7
... Greek term lèstés, literally translated “robber” or “bandit,” was in the early first century a catchall term for an undesirable, a troublemaker or criminal. Josephus, however, writing after the Jewish war against Rome, most often uses ...
... Greek term lèstés, literally translated “robber” or “bandit,” was in the early first century a catchall term for an undesirable, a troublemaker or criminal. Josephus, however, writing after the Jewish war against Rome, most often uses ...
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Contents
HEBREW BIBLE TO THE GOSPELS | 35 |
CHRISTIANS | 112 |
DEMONIZING THE HERETICS | 149 |
CONCLUSION | 179 |
NOTES | 185 |
INDEX | 205 |
Other editions - View all
The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics Elaine Pagels No preview available - 1996 |
Common terms and phrases
According accused angels apostles arrest baptism believe biblical bishops called Celsus century chap charges chief priests Christ Christian movement Christians church claims conflict cosmic crowd crucifixion daimones death demons depicts devil disciples divine emperor enemies Enoch Essenes execution father followers forces of evil Gentiles gnosis Gnostic God's God’s gods gospel of Mark Gospel of Philip Gospel of Thomas Greek heaven Hebrew Hebrew Bible heretics Herod holy human Ibid identify insists Irenaeus Israel Israelites Jerusalem Jewish Jewish communities Jewish leaders Jews John Josephus Judaism Judas Justin Martyr kill king kingdom Lord Marcus Mark says Mark's Mastema Matthew and Luke Messiah moral Nickelsburg one’s Origen pagan Paul Peter Pharisees Philip Pilate prophets religious Roman Rome rulers Sanhedrin Satan scholars scribes spirit story synagogue Tatian teacher teaching tells Temple Tertullian Testament tion traditional Trial of Jesus Valentinian Valentinus warns Watchers worship writing