Review '[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 Book Description The Devil of the New Testament is actually one of God's ministers, assigned to rule the world and monitor the conduct of human beings, but at the hands of the Church Fathers he became the personification of evil. Kelly shows how this portrayal developed and persists to the present day. About the Author Henry Ansgar Kelly is Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of English and Director of the Center of Medieval Studies, University of California, Los Angeles.
T**D
A Biography Worth Reading
This is not for the faint of faith. Kelly's book takes a deep look at the darker side of religion by following the progression of Satan from the earliest origins of deities deemed "evil" or "bad" all the way up to modern day understandings. The preface does a good job of noting that this is not a technical book and is intended to be read by those interested, not those who've studied religion before. There is a bit of a learning curve to it and it might even be worth taking notes as you go. Personally, I find this book very interesting and my college class, "History of Satan," used it as a text book. Satan, Lucifer, Devil, Beast, Baalzebul, Mastema, and many other names are thrown about and discussed as to how they all became the single, patchwork quilt of character we known and love to hate today. Kelly's style is dense. I wouldn't say prior knowledge is required, though it may help.
J**D
Five Stars
First rate scholar who uses logic rather skillfully to advance his arguments.
S**Y
Interesting topic if some what dull
A great subject and it has gotten some great reviews but I am no Biblical scholar and found the text to be very bland and dull. Almost something that you would expect to have to read in an advanced college course. I had a passing interest in the subject but the writing did not do much to pull me in.
K**4
Deceptive title
While the scholarship here is excellent, be aware that this is really only Satan in the ancient world. If you're looking for a survey that goes until the 21st century, this isn't the book for you.
D**E
A Dubious Disciple Book Review
A strange book; I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. Kelly's premise, and he is quite serious, is that Satan is a badly misunderstood fellow. That the Satan we know today bears little or no resemblance to the Biblical Satan.As far as I can tell, Kelly is a believer in the Bible and in Satan, and wants to set the record straight. He doesn't appreciate the legends that have sprung up about Satan since the writing of the Bible. Satan, for example, has nothing to do with the serpent in the Garden of Eden; that association began with the early church fathers. He has not yet been thrown out of heaven. He is not evil, and certainly will not be put in charge of punishing the damned in Hell.Rather, Satan is merely an Accuser, and a useful one at that. Kelly begins with the oldest Biblical books, travels through the Septuagint translation and inter-testamental writings such as 1 Enoch and Jubilees, and wraps up the first half of his book with the Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament. In these writings, we see the picture of Satan remaining largely unchanged: Satan is a functionary of the Divine Government, charged with testing and disciplining mankind. He is suspicious of everyone, including Jesus. He is hostile to Jesus' followers, constantly trying to trip them up and then lodge complaints against them before God. He is God's Chief Tester, at worst a homicidal liar.Then in the second half, Kelly methodically traverses the next 2,000 years and how Satan's name has been corrupted.I agree with Kelly that the understanding of Satan/Devil/Lucifer has evolved quite radically. I'm just not sure I agree with his timing. For example, I think Satan had evolved into God's adversary in the minds of most believers before the New Testament was written, and I think the same about Satan's connection with the serpent of Eden. Moreover, different Biblical writers appear to have had different ideas. I just don't think the line is as crisp as Kelly draws. Nevertheless, it's a book to make you think, and though the writing is a bit dry, I did enjoy the discussion, so I'll give it four stars.
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