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Giving
the Devil His Due:
A Brief Bibliography on the
Personification and
Perception of Evil in Western History
by
Paul Hare
phare
[at] mottebooks [dot] com
Introduction
The origin and presence of evil in the world are problems that have plagued the thoughts of humanity for eons. For many centuries in Judeo-Christian belief, the Devil, whether called Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, or one of many other names, was usually credited with being the source and personification of evil. Aided by his minions, demons and Antichrist, the Devil wrestles with God and Christ for control of humanity. Satan is also perceived as the terrible ruler of Hell where sinners; angelic, human, and the Devil himself; are tormented and punished for their wickedness. Yet, this same towering figure of malevolence has also figured in some of the West's greatest works of literature; Dante's Inferno, Milton's Paradise Lost, and Goethe's Faust for example; and other times been reduced to the role of buffoon or trademark, such as Red Devil Lye. Indeed, the representation of the Devil, Antichrist, and Hell throughout history indicate a great deal about how people's thoughts and fears have changed over time. Discussions of Satan and Antichrist indicate people's changing views on evil and definitions of orthodoxy, while works on Hell dwell on humanity's perceptions of death and morality.
Besides works on Satan, this bibliography also includes books about Hell, the Devil's abode, and Antichrist, the chief servant of evil during the Apocalypse. This listing of books on the history of the Devil, Antichrist, and Hell is by no means exhaustive. It merely explores some of the more important recent works on the history of the personification and representation of evil in Western thought.
Russell,
Jeffrey Burton. The Devil: Perceptions of
Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianit.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1977.
The first
volume in Jeffrey Burton Russell's excellent
history of the concept of the Devil and the
personification of evil. He examines how evil
was perceived in early Indian, Egyptian, Mesopotamian,
Greek, and Roman thought and religion. However,
it is in his sections on the Hebrew and earliest
Christian personifications of evil in the Old
Testament, the Apocrypha, and Gospels that Russell
indicates how these other influences and ideas
come together to create and portray a being
or force for evil in the world. Furthermore,
Russell also addresses the conflict between
dualistic and monotheistic beliefs and how they
impacted various cultures' perceptions of the
Devil.
Russell,
Jeffrey Burton. Satan: The Early Christian
Traditio. Ithaca: Cornell University Press,
1981.
In this
second volume, Russell examines how the early
Christian fathers addressed the Devil and the
problem of evil from the first century CE to
the fifth century. Besides discussing the dualism
employed by the Gnostics to explain the presence
of evil in the world, Russell examines the thought
of Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement, Origen, and
Augustine on matters such as the nature of Christ's
sacrifice, the issue of fallen angels and demons,
and many other topics.
Russell,
Jeffrey Burton. Lucifer: The Devil in the
Middle Ages. Ithaca: Cornell University
Press, 1984.
The third
volume in Russell's history discusses how Satan
and Diabology had reached their near final forms
with only a few minor changes in the details
rather than major points. Russell analyzes how
the Devil was described in folklore, art, drama,
and literature in the Medieval West. The author
does devote a chapter each to the place of Satan
in Islamic and Byzantine thought during the
Middle Ages. Russell also describes the efforts
of scholastics and heretics alike to reconcile
the problem of the presence of evil and the
Devil in a world made by the benevolent supreme
being.
Russell,
Jeffrey Burton. Mephistopheles: The Devil
in the Modern World. Ithaca: Cornell University
Press, 1986.
This is
the final volume of Russell's series. From the
Protestant Reformation to the late twentieth
century, he explores how society's images and
thoughts on evil changed over time. Among the
topics Russell examines are the Devil's place
in the witch craze in early modern Europe, the
gradual romanticization of Satan in art and
literature (see Goethe's Faust and Milton's
Paradise Lost), and the denial of Lucifer's
existence in the modern world. Russell explores
how evil moved from being caused by Satan to
being rooted in people and how belief in the
Devil gradually diminishes during the present
while the presence of radical evil in the world
continues to grow.
Russell,
Jeffrey Burton. The Prince of Darkness: Radical
Evil and the Power of Good in History. Ithaca:
Cornell University Press, 1988.
This
book by Russell is basically a summary of his
four volume history of the Devil. In it, Russell
discusses the nature of evil, various cultures'
perceptions and personifications of evil. He
also studies the development of the Devil in
Hebrew and early Christian thought until the
Middle Ages when Satan had developed a definite
identity and character. The author then examines
the declining fortunes of the Devil from the
early sixteenth to the late nineteenth centuries.
Russell closes by addressing the place of Satan
in the modern world and how despite the presence
of evil everywhere, the Devil has been declared
an Òoutmoded superstition.Ó
Messadie,
Gerald. A History of the Devil. New
York: Kodansha, 1997, translated by Marc Romano.
Originally
published in French in 1993, Messadie's work
is another good history of how evil has been
personified and represented over time and across
cultures. The bulk of his study examines how
the Devil was presented in Indian, Chinese,
African, Egyptian, Celtic, Native-American,
ancient Mexican, and Western European cultures.
While not as philosophical or detailed as Russell's
four volume history, Messadie's book is still
worth examining for his interesting ideas.
Stanford,
Peter. The Devil: A Biography. New York:
Henry Holt & Company, 1996.
This is
another popular history of Satan and his evolution
over time. Like the other authors on this list,
Stanford links his study of the Devil with humanity's
struggle with the concept of evil. Of special
interest is Stanford's chapter on the Devil
and the modern psychologists which offers some
interesting insights into people's changing
attitudes.
McGinn,
Bernard. Antichrist: Two Thousand Years of
the Human Fascination with Evil. New York:
Harper Collins, 1994.
An interesting
work on Antichrist and the Apocalypse in history.
In particular, McGinn explores how Antichrist
evolved in legend, popular thought, and theology,
over time from his origins in Second Temple
Judaism (200 BCE) to the Middle Ages to the
present. Furthermore, McGinn analyzes how the
concepts of Antichrist and the Apocalypse have
been used to stigmatize and persecute various
individuals (such as Nero) and groups (such
as the Papacy) throughout history.
Emmerson,
Richard Kenneth. Antichrist in the Middle
Ages: A Study of Medieval Apocalypticism, Art,
and Literature. Seattle: University of Washington
Press, 1981.
An important
study of how Antichrist moved from the periphery
of biblical study to the center of medieval
apocalypticism. Besides examining the theology
surrounding him, this work also describes the
medieval version of the Òlife historyÓ of Antichrist
from his birth until his destruction. According
to Emmerson, medieval people were fascinated
by Antichrist because his life was warped parody
of that of Christ. Emmerson's work concludes
with a comparison of the medieval view of Antichrist
with that of the Renaissance.
Hill,
Christopher. Antichrist in Seventeenth-Century
England. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1971.
An excellent
study of the power of the concept of Antichrist
exercised in the minds of seventeenth-century
Englishmen, especially radical Protestant sects.
Hill explores how British Protestants believed
that the coming of Antichrist and the end of
the world were imminent and saw the Beast's
minions and actions in those of Catholics, Anglican
bishops, and later the crown itself. As Britain
slid into Civil War in the 1640s, Hill believes
that various radical Protestant groups came
to increasingly identify their enemies, political
and religious, with the forces of Antichrist.
With the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660
and the cooling of religious passion as church
and government began to draw apart, the search
for Antichrist's coming became less pressing.
Fuller,
Robert C. Naming the Antichrist: The History
of an American Obsession. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1995.
A scholarly
and readable study of America's fixation with
Antichrist throughout its history. In part Fuller
maintains that Òby projecting Americans' doubts
and uncertainties onto a demonic Ôother,' the
act of naming the Antichrist protects their
personal and collective sensibilities from the
frailties of human existence.Ó (p. 13) From
the days of the Puritans to the Modern Era,
Fuller discusses and analyzes America's desire
to demonize its perceived enemies and fight
the just, moral fight against Òevil,Ó whether
it be Native-Americans, Russians, or feminists.
Bernstein,
Alan E. The Formation of Hell: Death and
Retribution in the Ancient and Early Christian
Worlds. Ithaca: Cornell University Press,
1993.
Instead
of focusing directly on the Devil and his minions,
Bernstein concentrates on where evildoers were
sent and their fates. After an examination of
source material on the afterlife and underworld
in Classical society, with a brief bit on Babylonian
and Egyptian thought on the subjects, Bernstein
uses the bulk of his work to explore the concept
of Hell in ancient Judaism and early Christianity
until the time of Augustine in the early fifth
century. Bernstein believes that the ancient
underworld evolved to painful fiery Hell as
the ideas of death and the afterlife being neutral
in Classical civilization gave way to Christianity's
emphasis on leading a moral life and the punishment
of sinners after their deaths.
Paine,
Lauran. The Hierarchy of Hell. New York:
Robert Hale & Company, 1972.
A brief
account of the origins and evolution of Christianity's
version of the underworld. Besides discussing
Hell, Paine also has some splendid chapters
analyzing the Devil, demons, and other beings
associated with Hades. While not extremely scholarly,
the book is still quite informative.
Turner,
Alice K. The History of Hell. San Diego:
Harcourt Brace & Company, 1995.
Turner
has written an excellent brief history of Hell
and the underworld. Covering much of the same
territory that Bernstein discusses, although
in a much more concise manner, Turner examines
the sweep of Hell's history as represented in
art, literature, and theology from Antiquity
to the Modern Era. Packed with illustrations,
Turner's work provides the reader with images
to support her points.
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