 Death,
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The
Denial of Death by Ernest Becker Winner of the Pulitzer prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life's work, The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker's brilliant and impassioned answer to the "why" of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie -- man's refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. In doing so, he sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates more than twenty years after its writing. Over decades of reading, I have sought authors who will admit the truth. Becker does. To find a book that insightfully examines -- with a clear, steady gaze -- the profoundest fundamentals of human existence is quite rare. I have read thousands of books in my life, and Becker's is one of the few that genuinely qualifies. He dares go where many fear to tread. But, death and our denial of it, he establishes, is at the core of human existence and a root force shaping both human personality and human society. I imagine it is impossible to understand life without grasping this. Becker brilliantly analyzes why and how we avoid acknowledging this fact at all costs. If you have the courage to look at the core of things; to examine your own denial of death and how it has -- and currently is -- shaping your life; then this book is for you. It is for readers who find the truth fundamentally more liberating, than intimidating. Becker helped me become more honestly human. He also helped me feel less weird, ( i.e. neurotic) by acknowledging that much neurosis stems from being constantly and painfully aware of the actual facts of existence. Despite the "heavy" topic, Becker's overall writing style is lucid, accessible, even engaging, and without posturing. Only occasional sections lapse into rather turgid debate of psychological theory. If you want a book that calmly stares you straight in the face, while dissecting what really matters; if you are looking for a book that can help ground you in the center of reality, here it is. |
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Escape
from Evil by Ernest Becker Decades ago I read a book by Joseph Chilton Pierce entitled The Crack in the Cosmic Egg. That book used an egg inside an eggshell as a metaphor for the state of the average human being living inside his or her eggshell world of ideas, traditions, beliefs, and thoughts. It went on to discuss how that 'eggshell' of ideas, traditions, beliefs, and thoughts can be false or misleading, and talked about the manner in which one can escape that shell in the interest of building an 'eggshell' unique to the individual and not necessarily inherited or imposed. Of course, to not remain open to change and to cease to challenge one's 'shell' is to run the risk of simply reconstructing another that is equally misleading. No two books have affected my beliefs and thoughts any more than have Becker's Escape from Evil and The Denial of Death. I read the latter in college and have since read it again on several occasions. I read Escape from Evil nearly as a sequel to Denial of Death and recommend it as a companion work. I would in retrospect probably read Escape from Evil before Denial of Death. But to say that is of course quantum mechanics. I've already performed the experiment the results of which I've measured but whose effects have now altered my 'quantum state' of thinking. My opinion might have been the reverse had I read Escape first. C'est la vie. So read them as you will, but please, do read them. The language is somewhat dated, his statements are at times prone to the same errors of logic that most of us are prone to and he focuses on only those authors and works that support his thesis, but it is very likely Escape from Evil will crack the shell of your beliefs about your world as well as our shared world and will change the way you think, perhaps, even hopefully, for the remainder of your life. |
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Birth
and Death of Meaning by Ernest Becker
In his earlier works, Ernest Becker noticed and highlighted the intimate connection between mental health and maintaining a sense of self as a worthy actor in an ultimately significant drama (i.i.e.., 'self-esteem maintenance.') In the second edition of The Birth and Death of Meaning, Becker begins to highlight his growing awareness that knowledge of death tends to undermine this sense of ultimate significance of the human drama and thus creates an existential problem of individual and collective meaning in human life. Truly a philosophical and psychological classic with powerful ideas exploding from every page. Highly recommended for hundreds of passages like the following:
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Death
and Denial : Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Legacy of Ernest
Becker by Daniel Liechty Having thrilled to the writings of Ernest Becker for years (especially The Birth and Death of Meaning, Second Edition; The Denial of Death, and Escape from Evil), it was heartening to eventually discover the Ernest Becker Foundation (EBF). To connect with the EBF is to connect with a diverse network of scholars, practitioners, and others who value and utilize Becker's profound synthesis of what it means to be human - that is, a self-conscious animal that knows it will die. To connect with the EBF is to also connect with Daniel Liechty, foremost expert on Ernest Becker and author of numerous books and articles incorporating Becker's ideas. In Death and Denial: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Legacy of Ernest Becker, Liechty brings twenty-five of those diverse scholars and practitioners under the conceptual umbrella of Generative Death Anxiety (GDA), a theory which "suggests that at the deepest level, human behavior is motivated by the unavoidable need to shield oneself from consciousness of human mortality." Liechty's superb introduction provides an overview of GDA as an "organizing principle for the social sciences and humanities," including where Becker's work fits within the context of other psychological theorists, and where GDA fits as a competing depth-psychological theory - duly noting how Terror Management theorists are putting that part of GDA amenable to empirical laboratory investigation to the test (see Chapter 1). Liechty then introduces the chapters and contributors to follow, appropriately divided into five categories: psychological reflections, psychotherapeutic reflections, social scientific reflections, philosophical reflections, and religious reflections. This volume is a "must read" for any serious student of Ernest Becker or those inclined to dig deep into the fundamental nature of our species and the challenges we face. As a non-academic type, I did find some chapters to be a tad too scholarly and esoteric - for my tastes, anyway. But there were plenty of others I could really sink my teeth into, like the beautiful summary of terror management theory and current research (Greenberg, Pyszczynski, and Solomon, Chapter 1), forgiveness and connecting with others in real ways beyond "heroic illusions" (Halling, Chapter 3), a call for medicine and psychiatry to understand the dynamics of neurosis and existential anxiety and appreciate the upsides of living with less denial and illusion (Elgee, Chapter 13), our existential vulnerability to toxic leaders and finding the courage to move beyond their simple answers to grapple with anxiety and the search for meaning (Lipman-Blumen, Chapter 15), and the processes by which we transform our enemies into enemies of God, thus making warfare "applied theology" and a battle against good and evil (Keen, Chapter 21). There are others, and these are just examples of the rich, thought provoking contributions collected in this work. For Becker aficionados and kindred souls, there's something here for everyone, and thus, I would recommend it without qualification. |
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Life
Against Death: The Psychoanalytical Meaning of History by Norman
O. Brown This book had an incredible influence on me. It's Freudian interpretation impacted my views of both society and history. The influence one man can have over a million. The ability to awaken and influence a crowd of individuals into a single mob. This book helped me understand both my own and the mass psyche. It's thesis that mankind must be viewed as largely unaware of its own desires, hostile to life, and unconsciously bent on self-destruction at the time I read it had great appeal for me. Brown wrote repression had not only caused individual neurosis but social pathology as well. From this I conclude that crowds could have sexual neurosis much like those of individuals, and that these derangements could be quickly and effectively diagnosed and then 'treated'. This book is a must for anyone interested in figuring out the human psyche. If the question "What is the human animal?" is on your mind, read this book! In my opinion, Life Against Death ranks among the most important modern contributions toward an understanding of the human condition. It is on the same short list as Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents and Camus' Myth of Sisyphus. Like these works and indeed the subject, it is not an easy read. I am ordering a fresh copy and looking forward to the introduction by Christopher Lasch which I have not read. I also recommend Norman O. Brown's other works - in particular, Love's Body and the collection of essays, Apocalypse And/or Metamorphosis. |
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The
ImmorTalist Manifesto by Elixxir This is a no holds barred, up front, cut to the chase, no BS offering to all conscious human beings - A wake up call on the state of our lives, the way we live them, the distorted beliefs prevalent throughout society and what we can do to extend the human lifespan - possibly forever. This was an awesome read in all respects! I found Elixxir's views on religion particularly interesting. Although I never bought into the religion thing, I lived my life with a nagging doubt as to what was really true until 1996 when I started reading Neo-Tech, which put me on the road to purging my irrational thought processes in exchange for a mental "operating system" based on an objective reality. At that point I realized I could not continue living my life wallowing in a sea of ignorance, and have been on a never-ending quest for knowledge since then. It took 44 years, but I had finally pulled my head out of the sand so I could think for myself... I recently read a book titled "The Biology of Belief" that has many quotable quotes, but one that really jumped out at me was "We're taught what to believe before we're taught how to think." I remember back to when I was a kid in church and now realize why the parents had their kids there before they even knew how to walk. But the most important part of The Immortalist Manifesto is regarding the screwed up priorities prevalent in the world today - extending conscious life MUST BE our absolute priority, but we're all hung up in treating symptoms of health problems without regard for the problem's source! An interesting concept in the Neo-Tech philosophy is that the vast majority of humans don't want to extend their lives and have no interest in immortality because they're not happy! After spending considerable time thinking about this, I truly believe there's something to it. I've asked many people about the times they've been most happy and whether the desire for death had ever crossed their mind. Not a chance! This wouldn't be true for any sane person. Think about the purpose of living...What is more important in life than being happy? Happiness should be everyone's drive and ultimate goal in life, and Elixxir has conceptually driven this point home in The Immortalist Manifesto, while raising many important issues throughout the book. This is a very important and thought provoking read that I would recommend to anyone who's interested in having a longer and more fulfilling life. |
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How
Different Religions View Death and Afterlife by Christopher Jay
Johnson The first edition of How Different Religions View Death and Afterlife earned widespread acclaim for its objective and practicalexplanation of this often-troublesome subject - one that has garnered great attention in recent years. This new second edition is fully revised, updated and expanded and includes chapters on 19 different religions, will be of enormous value to everyone who would like to obtain a better understanding of the various ways that different faiths understand death and what happens afterward. How Different Religions View Death and Afterlife, Second Edition presents the thoughts, doctrines and customs of some of the largest and fastest growing Christian and non-Christian religious groups in North America and synthesizes their beliefs about death into one highly readable volume. Each chapter is written by a different expert or scholar, each of whom is an internationally recognized authority on a particular faith. Unlike other books on the subject, the discourse is refreshingly objective and non-proselytizing. A practical "Questions & Answers" chapter offers readers a quick way to find out what each faith believes about specific issues, including: If there is a heaven, what is it like? Who will go to hell? Does your faith believe in reincarnation? What happens to people who commit suicide? Also included is an extensive and excellent index. |
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The
History of Hell by Alice K. Turner The book begins with the earliest recorded tradtions of the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Egyptians and their ideas of the afterlife and the Underworld and how these notions greatly influenced later cultures and religions like Ancient Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christiantiy, and Islam. She relates the traditions of the Greco-Roman Underworld and all the attendant gods and goddesses and how it is with Greek and Roman literature that the Infernal regions begin to grow in prominence. It is however in Chritianity that the notion of an Infernal Underworld of pain, torture, and enternal suffering for sinners and evil-doers comes to the real forefront. Christianity is the only religion that seems to place such heavy emphasis on the existence of a place of eternal damnation, where demons torture the souls of the deceased and the Devil presides over all. Turner examines the literature of St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Dante, Milton, and others, as the myths of Hell grow and change over time to become the popular notion we still hold today of Hell as a place of fire, brimstone, and torment, as well as the effect of art in the common perceptions of Hell. |
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The
Formation of Hell: Death and Retribution in Ancient & Early Christian
Worlds by Alan E. Bernstein What becomes of the wicked? Hell - exile from God, subjection to fire, worms, and darkness - for centuries the idea has shaped the dread of malefactors, the solace of victims, and the deterrence of believers. Although we may associate the notion of hell with Christian beliefs, its gradual emergence depended on conflicting notions that pervaded the Mediterranean world more than a millennium before the birth of Christ: Asking just why and how belief in hell arose, Alan E. Bernstein takes us back to those times and offers us a comparative view of the philosophy, poetry, folklore, myth, and theology of that formative age. Bernstein draws on sources from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and Israel, as well as early Christian writings through Augustine, in order to reconstruct the story of the prophets, priests, poets, and charismatic leaders who fashioned concepts of hell from an array of perspectives on death and justice. The author traces hell's formation through close readings of works including the epics of Homer and Virgil, the satires of Lucian, the dialogues of Plato and Plutarch, the legends of Enoch, the confessions of the Psalms, the prophecies of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, and the parables of Jesus. Re-enacting lively debates about the nature of hell which were argued among the common people and the elites of diverse religious traditions, he provides new insight into the social implications and the psychological consequences of different visions of the afterlife. |
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Shades
of Sheol: Death and Afterlife in the Old Testament by Philip S.
Johnston
Philip S. Johnston explores these and other issues. He examines Israelite views on death and afterlife as reflected in the Hebrew Bible and in material remains, and sets them in their cultural, literary and theological contexts. Johnston argues in detail that the Israelites were not as preoccupied with the underworld or the dead as some scholars have recently alleged. Instead, their faith that Yahweh was the God of the living, and that Sheol was cut off from him, led eventually to the hope of a positive afterlife. This important study sheds fresh light on Israelite beliefs, in an area central to the later development of the Christian faith. |
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The
Death of Death: Resurrection and Immortality in Jewish Thought by
Neil Gillman Gillman, a professor of Jewish philosophy at the Jewish Theological Seminary, takes on death, at least as an intellectual exercise, and offers an interesting survey of the topic in the context of Jewish religious thought. Starting in the Garden of Eden, Gillman examines the various ways Judaism, a religion often thought to be concerned exclusively with living, has dealt with the matter of dying. Throughout, Gillman compares and contrasts the doctrines of bodily resurrection and spiritual immortality, whose competition for preeminence has caused tension in the ring of Jewish eschatology. Gillman's writing style is workmanlike, but his organization and knowledge of history are excellent, making this a good starting point for anyone interested in the topic. |
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Four
Views on Hell by William V. Crockett Four Views of Hell is one of the best books available on the subject, although it completely fails to recognize the fifth view that Hell is nothing more than a mythic symbol that evolved out of more primative belief systems. Unlike other books on the same topic, the book dares to allow differing voices to be heard. But, this book may tell us even more about the prejudices and preconceptions of those who contributed to it than about the afterlife. John Walvoord is dogmatic in his "Literal" view that hell is a place of actual flames combining physical pain with mental and emotional depression and misery. I believe that literal is a particularly bad naming and this should have been called the "Traditional" view instead. William Crockett allows more credence to other views but still suggests that his "Metaphorical" view, hell is a state of mental and emotional depression and misery without physical features, are the only reasonable views. In the "Purgatorial" view, Zachary Hayes, gives an excellent synopsis of the development of this controversial idea, but the reader is left to wonder whether purgatorial is 'hellish' in the traditional sense or merely cleansing and refreshing. His treatment of the Roman Catholic doctrine is historical, fair, and unapologetic. Clark Pinnock writes one of the best articles, to date, on the "Conditional" view. This view holds that in the end, most of the unsaved will become saved, and those who persist in rebellion and hold fast to doing evil will enter a state of oblivion and annihilation. Pinnock's article and counterpoints are excellent and by far the least prideful of the lot. The flaw, not with the book but with the contributors, is that they don't seem to read what the others have written. In their rebuttals they pick and choose their attack points often missing the very solutions to the problems they point out. I would be delighted if this book were revised in the future to include views on "Soul Sleep" and deeper coverage of the included views. Despite the pugnatious attitudes of some of the contributors, I would want to read a broader and deeper coverage of the different views rather than avoiding them or this book. While Hell-ologists (to coin an understandable term) may be dogmatic and sometimes arrogant in their views, the book allows the reader to see what their views are about and to fairly weigh the views. I've yet to find another book on the subject which accepts counterpoints as well as this book in Zondervan's Counterpoints Series. |
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Encyclopedia
of Hell by Miriam Van Scott The Encyclopedia of Hell is a comprehensive survey of the underworld, drawing information from cultures around the globe and eras throughout history. Organized in a simple-to-use alphabetic format, entries cover representations of the dark realm of the dead in mythologies, religions, works of art, operas, stage plays, songs, films, and television productions. Sources include African legends, Native American stories, Asian folktales, and other less-well-known references, in addition to familiar internal chronicles from Western lore. The result is a catalog of underworld data, with entries running the gamut from descriptions of grisly pits of torture to humorous cartoons lampooning the everlasting abyss. Its extensive cross-referencing also supplies links between various concepts and characters from the place of the damned and provides further information on particular theories. |
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Heaven:
A History (Second Edition) by Colleen McDannell and Bernhard Lang In their illuminating study of Heaven, Colleen McDannell and Bernard Lang provide us not with a picture of the eternal synod chamber in the sky--for who can know what that would look like?--but with the different visions of the after-life which Christians have promoted down the ages. It is a fascinating and predictable account of relativities. Each generation and each culture, and even each social class, has tended to project eternity as an extension of its own priorities. There is wide learning here, some of it hard to come by anywhere else: for example, the importance of Swedenborg in 'the emergence of a modern heaven' cannot be widely appreciated. McDannell and Lang remind us how alien to our ways of thought are many conceptions of heaven that are thought were just like ours. Thus early Christian hopes make sense against an entire system of eschatology which has passed away; the fact that the New Testament can be translated into modern English does not make it a modern book. There is also much good material on Victorian ideas of heaven, and a good analysis of possible reasons why the mainstream Christian Churches nowadays speak so little of heaven, and even less of hell. |
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A
History of Heaven by Jeffrey Burton Russell Historian Russell offers ever deepening insights into the human notion of heaven from its inception around 200 B.C. until Dante's Divine Comedy in 1321 C.E. He takes on such topics as metaphorical ontology and physical cosmology, visions of paradise and images of angels, apocalypticism and gnosticism, resurrection and the immortality of the soul, predestination and free will, and love and justice. Although his book culminates in the medieval conceptions of heaven, its interest in these matters remains in many ways present-day. His work holds plenty of historical information on heaven drawn from early and medieval Christianity, yet its style is clear and readable. Russell not only explores concepts found among the ancient Jews, Greeks, and Romans as well as early and medieval Christians, but also addresses the intellectual problems heaven poses: how does time "pass" in eternity? Is heaven a place or a state? Who is in and who is not? What happens to the body and soul between death and Judgment Day? Russell stresses that the best way to approach the logic-defying concept of a place occupying neither space nor time is through poetry and paradox, and through the visions of such mystics as Bernard, Julian of Norwich, and Eckhart. |
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A
Brief History of Heaven by Alister E. McGrath Christians throughout history have imagined heaven in many diverse ways: a celestial city (sometimes called the "New Jerusalem"); a kingdom where God resides on a throne; a perpetual feast with an abundance of food and drink; a garden of paradise. Heaven has also served different theological purposes as a consolation for earthly suffering, a reward for good works or a promise of reunion with loved ones. After many years of studying Christianity's enormous body of historical literature on heaven, author and theologian McGrath notes at least one common theme that unites all these different visions and purposes: "The Christian concept of heaven is iconic, rather than intellectual-something that makes its appeal to the imagination, rather than the intellect, which calls out to be visualized rather than merely understood." Herein lay the rich possibilities and contemplative pleasures of this historically detailed discussion. McGrath, a professor of historical theology at Oxford University, organizes most of his narrative around the prevailing "visuals" of heaven, and how these have influenced Christian spirituality. After all, he notes, "It is much easier to reflect upon an image than an idea." From the way Christians built churches to the music they wrote for hymnals, the ever-morphing images of heaven have shaped this religion enormously. Though clearly a scholar, McGrath transcends the drone of the academic dissertation, offering an accessible and thorough narrative. Using the rich visual imagery of heaven, McGrath has created a fascinating kaleidoscope for viewing the evolution of Christian worship. |
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The
Early History of Heaven by J. Edward Wright When we think of "heaven," we generally conjure up positive, blissful images. Heaven is, after all, where God is and where good people go after death to receive their reward. But how and why did Western cultures come to imagine the heavenly realm in such terms? Why is heaven usually thought to be "up there," far beyond the visible sky? And what is the source of the idea that the post mortem abode of the righteous is in this heavenly realm with God? Seeking to discover the roots of these familiar notions, this volume traces the backgrounds, origin, and development of early Jewish and Christian speculation about the heavenly realm -- where it is, what it looks like, and who its inhabitants are. Wright begins his study with an examination of the beliefs of ancient Israel's neighbors Egypt and Mesopotamia, reconstructing the intellectual context in which the earliest biblical images of heaven arose. A detailed analysis of the Hebrew biblical texts themselves then reveals that the Israelites were deeply influenced by images drawn from the surrounding cultures. Wright goes on to examine Persian and Greco-Roman beliefs, thus setting the stage for his consideration of early Jewish and Christian images, which he shows to have been formed in the struggle to integrate traditional biblical imagery with the newer Hellenistic ideas about the cosmos. In a final chapter Wright offers a brief survey of how later Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions envisioned the heavenly realms. |
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History
of Paradise: The Garden of Eden in Myth and Tradition by Jean Delumeau With erudition and wit, Jean Delumeau explores the medieval conviction that paradise existed in a precise although unreachable earthly location. Delving into the writings of dozens of medieval and Renaissance thinkers, from Augustine to Dante, Delumeau presents a luminous study of the meaning of Original Sin and the human yearning for paradise. The finest minds of the Middle Ages wrote about where paradise was to be found, what it was like, and who dwelt in it. Explorers sailed into the unknown in search of paradisal gardens of wealth and delight that were thought to be near the original Garden. Cartographers drew Eden into their maps, often indicating the wilderness into which Adam and Eve were cast, along with the magical kingdom of Prester John, Jerusalem, Babel, the Happy Isles, Ophir, and other places described in biblical narrative or borrowed from other cultures. Later, Renaissance thinkers and writers meticulously reconstructed the details of the original Eden, providing schedules of the Creation and physical descriptions of Adam and Eve. Even when the Enlightenment, with its discovery of fossils and pre-Darwinian theories of evolution, gradually banished the dream of paradise on earth, a nostalgia for Eden shaped elements of culture from literature to gardening. In our own time, questions such as whether a return to innocence is possible, whether land should be conserved or exploited, and whether animals are made for human use or for companionship in Eden still inform public debates and prick individual consciences. |
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The
Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity
by Jeffrey Burton Russell This is a wonderful book that shows how the Christian conception of the Devil can be traced to previous cultures through myths, symbols, and philosophy. The book starts will the definition and how the word has been interrupted through various cultures, including current Jung psychology which Russell favors. The book then progresses through how east and western cultures view the idea of evil. Summerian, Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Cannanite, Hiittie, Zoroastrianism, Mazdaism, Greek, and Roman mythology and cultures are used for comparison. The book ends with Hebrew personification and the Devil in the New Testament. Many references are mentioned regarding the Inquisition, which Russell picks up in the next book of this series. Christian readers will probably be offended by Russell's conclusions, because he indirectly shows that ideas presented in the Bible have been presented in other cultures pre-dating Christianity. This historical approach is taken by other authors, but may jar Christians who have not been subjective to this line of thinking. This is my guess why this book has received some subjective bad reviews at Amazon, but receives praise-worthy reviews on history book lists. Granted that some of Russell's conclusions are subjective, but the history is solid and that is why it's a standard work. |
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Satan:
The Early Christian Tradition by Jeffrey Burton Russell This book is a look at the problem of evil, tracing the development of the concept of the Devil and demons from the second century to the middle of the fifth century. In an earlier volume, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, 1977, Russell examined the roots of this concept in the earliest period of Christian antiquity. Working on the premise that "Christianity is a moderately dualist religion" (p. 32), Russell shows how the Church Fathers, beginning with Clement of Rome and Ignatius of Antioch, had to deal with the question of evil in a universe created by a good God. The apologists Justin, Tatian, Athenagoras, Irenaeus, and Tertullian looked at the confrontation between good and evil as a cosmic contest which Christ in his Passion has already won. (The author asserts, p. 88, that Tertullian became a bishop of Carthage. It is doubtful whether Tertullian was ordained a priest, much less a bishop.) For Origen the demons are the fallen angels among a fixed number of intelligent beings within the cosmos. Thanks to Origen, we have the "apocatastasis" theory-the return of all things to God and the possibility that perhaps even Satan could be saved. The desert monks, beginning with the Life of Anthony, by Athanasius, recorded their combat with the demons not simply as assaults from without but as psychological forces attacking within, whose tricks we come to know through the discernment of spirits. Augustine "constructed a relatively coherent approach to the problem of evil" (p. 195) as he grappled with the questions of grace and free will. His solutions, despite their weaknesses, dominated Western Christian thought. Russell closes the study with a look at the attitude toward Satan in current thought and an essay on his sources. This fascinating book gives an historical background to an important current query: why is there evil and suffering? |
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Lucifer:
The Devil in the Middle Ages by Jeffrey Burton Russell This book was a pleasure to read. Like the two previous volumes, Lucifer was an enlightenment. The evoultion of the "lightbearer" becomes more exciting as Russell progresses to the modern age. This volume, focusing on the Middle Ages, solitifies some philisophical beliefs of evil, matter and its representation in literature(specifically Dantes Inferno). I strongly recommend picking up this book(and reading it). This third installment in Dr. Russell's series (The Devil, Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles) comes to the Middle Ages, which means that we are well beyond source material in Canaanite and Jewish legend and now into the development of the devil in Patristic literature, and onwards. On the plus side this is the historical period where Russell is an expert so you would expect it to be the strongest of the three volumes. On the minus side, in this volume, as with the others, one is constantly uneasy that the historical perspective is being underpinned by the author's own belief in a literal fallen heavenly being, and too often it is not clear whether the focus is medieval society or metaphysics.Incidentally, anyone buying this book because of the word 'Lucifer' in the title will be disappointed that Russell does not address how the specific concept of 'Lucifer' developed from Origen and Augustine onwards. Neither here, nor in the previous volume 'Satan', does Dr Russell deal in any depth with the process by which a name which for the first 4 centuries of Christianity was used as a title of Christ (because the Latin word Lucifer appears in the Latin Vulgate as Peter's "day star"), to the point that early Christians used to name their children Lucifer (eg Bishop Lucifer of Cagliari), suddenly by the Fifth and Sixth centuries was being used as a title for a fallen angel (based on Isaiah 14:12 being reapplied). |
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Mephistopheles:
The Devil in the Modern World by Jeffrey Burton Russell A very thorough, well-written examination of how Satan and evil have been viewed since the Reformation. Russell takes a historian's stance to examine a subject both controversial and mystifying at best. No stone is left unturned as he looks at how the devil is viewed by church officials, commonfolk, and intelligentsia,and how these views are reflected in the artwork and pop-culture of those times. This work manages at once to be intellectual and an easy read, thorough and engrossing. A must for anyone fascinated by the forces that have shaped Christian thought. This volume completes Russell's history of the concept of the Devil from antiquity to the present. (The series includes The Devil, Cornell, 1977; Satan, LJ 10/15/81; and Lucifer, LJ 11/15/84.) The concept, fragmented somewhat by the Reformation and even more by the rise of rationalism, became in the 19th century a powerful symbol of rebellion against aristocracy and "an ironic metaphor of the corruption and foolishness of humanity." In the 20th century genocide has made the Devil theologically and philosophically an issue. Russell largely succeeds in being the objective historian who carefully pursues the persistence of this concept in popular culture, art, literature, philosophy, and theology. An excellent and important intellectual history. |
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The
Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels The demonic figure known to most as Satan has come to represent many things for many people. For some he is the mythological personification of everything wrong with the world. Satan is the representation of pure evil and its manifestation on earth. To others, he is the actual treacherous fallen member of the divine court whom, because of his refusal to bow before God's creation, the human being, he was ostracised from heaven and has been hell-bent on proving to God that we are all a big mistake. This is sibling rivalry on a grand-cosmic scale. In this well argued text, Pagel proposes a different view of Satan, a social history of the representation of evil. In her own words: "[The] social implications of the figure of Satan: how he is invoked to express human conflict and to characterize human enemies within our own religious traditions." Her argument sets out to reveal major faults in the early writings of the Christian tradition. That Satan was a necessary adversary that characterized all that opposed the then new religion - Jews, pagans and heretics - confirming for Christians a solid identification with God -"...and to demonize their opponents." By identifying one's opponents and enemies with the forces of evil on a cosmic scale, one's faith and belief is strengthened. She goes on to argue that the personification of Satan is "...a reflection of how we perceive others - (he) has made a profession out of being the 'other''. Our worldview of most peoples has always been characterized in terms of binary oppositions, human/non human, and we/they; in other words, our tendency is to dehumanize our enemies, at times escalating 'them' as opponents to a level of cosmic proportions. Through projecting 'evil' on to the 'other' and further escalating it to a cosmic scale, it becomes a war between 'us' and 'them', good against evil, as God is on our side and Satan, the great adversary, is on 'their' side. |
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A
History of the Devil by Gerald Messadie "The biggest ruse of the devil is making us believe that he doesn't exist", claimed Baudelaire. On the contrary, argues bestselling French historian and critic Gerald Messadie, it is devilish that we believe in him at all. A History of the Devil is a vivacious and provocative exploration of the personification of evil through the ages and across cultures. Messadie reveals that our Satan -- the antithesis of God and good -- was a concept unknown to the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Hindus, and Chinese. In fact, the devil was probably invented six centuries before the Common Era by Persian clergy eager to aid their political allies. Ever since, the image of evil has been a useful tool of the powerful, from the proponents of the Spanish Inquisition to the Cold Warriors of our own time. Meticulously researched and eloquently argued, this unorthodox history of religion from its seamy underside explores a fascinating and diverse strand of cultures everywhere. |
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The
Biography of Satan by Kersey Graves If the Devil exists, where is he? Is he really in a place called hell? If so, where is that? This well researched book may shock you by exposing all the basic facts about the devil. Things like the origins of hell, where the Christian Devil was borrowed from, why the church needed a "bad guy" to represent evil, what the words Devil and hell really meant in the Old Testament, "Endless Punishment" and its devastating effects, The Devil's twin brother - God, and why God was the author of evil according to the Bible. This important work from 1924 detailing the history of the Devil and exactly how the entity originated. Graves explains many things like where hell is, why we believe evil thoughts to come from the Devil, the concept of after-death punishment, the Devil as twin brother of God, why the author of evil, according to the Bible, is not the Devil but God Himself! Controversial, but extremely well-researched. A thought-provoking work, which every thinking person should consider exploring. Don't accept the reality of the Devil blindly - read this book and decide for yourself if he really exists or nothing more than an evolved mythic symbol. |
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The
Other Bible by Willis Barnstone Willis Barnstone has gathered a number of non-canonical writngs together into what he calls the Other Bible. It is not that these other writings ever formed a canon or were ever a part of a canon with the possible exception of the Book of Jubilees. Rather Barnstone has collected writings which have parallel themes to those found in the Bible. He begins with writings in creation myths and follows it with histories, wisdom literature, gospels, acts, and apocalypses. Sounds like the way the Bible is organized, doesn't it? Barnstone has gathered these writings from diverse sources, from Jewish pseudepigrapha, Gnostic writings, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Christian apocrprypha, and Manichaean sources. Barnstone has selected the best of the best for the Other Bible. On page 255 he calls the psalms collected from the DSS the literary jewel of the DSS. In my opinion all of the writings collected by Barnstone are literary jewels. For example, if one wanted to read all of the ancient gospels, one could read Schneemelcher's first volume of New Testament Apocrypha. Barnstone has chosen such jewels as "The Secret Gospel of Mark." This book is especially for readers who have wondered what else there was besides what was in the Bible. |
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New
Testament Apocrypha: Gospels and Related Writings by Wilhelm Schneemelcher This book "New Testament Apocrypha: Gospels and Related Writings" is THE definitive scholarly English-language edition of the sub-canonical, post New Testament era gospels and lives of various Gospel personalities. Each text is expertly translated (with textual variants properly explained) and is preceded by a scholarly introduction discussing issues of critical importance. Appropriate references are also provided, so that the student or researcher has a "jumping-off" point for further study. Anyone looking to study the New Testament SERIOUSLY should pick up this book, in fact, both volumes 1 and 2, as well as a good aid, preferably a text by James Charlesworth. These contain the important Gnostic writings found at Nag Hammadi as well as many other important writings, including the Gospel of the Egyptians, the Gospel of the 12, the Gospel of Judas, several Jesus Gospels, several Thomas Gospels (including the infancy Gospel) and all the other important writings from both the 2nd and 3rd century. A must for any Biblical Scholar's library. Oh, and I must say that I was impressed with the translations, especially the translation from the book's original language over to English. While the Apocrypha, despite what some "scholars" say shouldn't be taken seriously, they are important to study and this is the best collection of the NT Apocryphal texts out there. |
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Adam,
Eve, and the Serpent by Elaine Pagels Anyone even remotely familiar with Western civilization knows the story of the Garden of Eden. What we often don't know is how profoundly that story has influenced society for the past few thousand years. Elaine Pagels does a wonderul job of describing the evolution of some of our most basic social values, such as the inherent value of each soul, freedom of choice, and the sinful nature of sexual desire, all stemming from the early Christian "Church Fathers'" interpretation of the Garden story. What did God mean that "man (and woman) was created in the image of God?" What was the meaning of the forbidden fruit? And how has that influenced the politics of today? All of these and more are addressed between the covers of this book. One of the signature's of Pagels writing is the in-depth exploration of the writings and debates of the early Christian thinkers who, by the fifth century, largely shaped Christianity into the paradigm we know today. Augustine in particular gets a great deal of ink in this book, as well as Julian (the heretic from Italy), John Chrysostom, Clement and others. In particular, the last two chapters on the Politics of Paradise and the Nature of Nature strongly portray the power of Augustine's philosophy, and Pagels analysis of the psychic attraction to Augustine's paradoxical philosophy regarding "will" is exceptional. I also very much enjoyed her description of the evolution of Christian thinking from one of ultimate free will (so powerful that it resulted in thousands of Christian martyrs in the second and third century), to one of the inherent wickedness of humans by virtue of the original sin, resulting in the need for punitive and controling church and civic governments to rule over all people. The result was the power of the Catholic Church for 1600 years, not to mention the horror of the Dark Ages of christianity. |
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The
Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels Gnosticism's Christian form grew to prominence in the 2nd century A.D. Ultimately denounced as heretical by the early church, Gnosticism proposed a revealed knowledge of God ("gnosis" meaning "knowledge" in Greek), held as a secret tradition of the apostles. In The Gnostic Gospels, author Elaine Pagels suggests that Christianity could have developed quite differently if Gnostic texts had become part of the Christian canon. Without a doubt: Gnosticism celebrates God as both Mother and Father, shows a very human Jesus's relationship to Mary Magdalene, suggests the Resurrection is better understood symbolically, and speaks to self-knowledge as the route to union with God. Pagels argues that Christian orthodoxy grew out of the political considerations of the day, serving to legitimize and consolidate early church leadership. Her contrast of that developing orthodoxy with Gnostic teachings presents an intriguing trajectory on a world faith as it "might have become." The Gnostic Gospels provides engaging reading for those seeking a broader perspective on the early development of Christianity. |
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Beyond
Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels In this majestic new book, Pagels (The Gnostic Gospels) ranges panoramically over the history of early Christianity, demonstrating the religion's initial tremendous diversity and its narrowing to include only certain texts supporting certain beliefs. At the center of her book is the conflict between the gospels of John and Thomas. Reading these gospels closely, she shows that Thomas offered readers a message of spiritual enlightenment. Rather than promoting Jesus as the only light of the world, Thomas taught individuals that "there is a light within each person, and it lights up the whole universe. If it does not shine, there is darkness." As she eloquently and provocatively argues, the author of John wrote his gospel as a refutation of Thomas, portraying the disciple Thomas as a fool when he doubts Jesus, and Jesus as the only true light of the world. Pagels goes on to demonstrate that the early Christian writer Irenaeus promoted John as the true gospel while he excluded Thomas, and a host of other early gospels, from the list of those texts that he considered authoritative. His list became the basis for the New Testament canon when it was fixed in 357. Pagels suggests that we recover Thomas as a way of embracing the glorious diversity of religious tradition. As she elegantly contends, religion is not merely an assent to a set of beliefs, but a rich, multifaceted fabric of teachings and experiences that connect us with the divine. Exhilarating reading, Pagels's book offers a model of careful and thoughtful scholarship in the lively and exciting prose of a good mystery writer. |
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Cosmos,
Chaos, and the World to Come: The Ancient Roots of Apocalyptic Faith
by Norman Cohn Cosmic order and human destiny provide the subjects for Cohn's (emeritus, Univ. of Sussex, England) most recent study. Students of his previous work, Pursuit of the Millennium (1970), will find in Cosmos the same rich tapestry encompassing history, archaeology, popular culture, mythology, and religion. With an eye to eschatology and apocalypticism, Cohn effectively leads us from the ancient Near East to the "new" thinking he locates in Zoroastrianism and its prophet, Zarathustra. He credits Zoroastrianism with providing the eschatological framework for Western thought. Cohn's depth and breadth of knowledge is marvelous, his enthusiasm for the subject infectious. Cohn takes us to the earliest religious beliefs of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Vedic Indians, and the Zoroastrians describing their beliefs, interconnectedness, innovations, and future implications. He safely credits Zoroaster for the innovation of the first apocalyptic faith, the belief in a consummation of the never ending fight against chaos wherein the supreme god, Ahura Mazda would one day finally and forever defeat the gods of chaos; an age of prosperity, order, and goodness would then be ushered in. Cohn then proceeds to Judaism and the specific experiences of the Israelites, particularly related to the Babylonian exile, when elite Jews discovered the compelling apocalyptic of Zoroastrianism and adapted it to their own faith in Yahweh. Christians co-opted and greatly expanded these beliefs with a firm conviction of a coming apocalypse and an elaborate cosmic battle myth at the end of the age. Cohn doesn't waste words; there is a lot of information in these 240 pages, each sentence is filled with fascinating facts. I found his writing style slightly unconventional and it was difficult for me to absorb at times, I am re-reading several sections. I also wish Cohn would have addressed Islam and completed the apocalyptic story of the Middle Eastern religious faiths. |
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The
Dying God : The Hidden History of Western Civilization by David
Livingstone See Also: http://www.thedyinggod.com/ |
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The
Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Vol. 1): Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments
by James Charlesworth This is the most spectacular volume of literature from the period c. 200 BCE to 200 CE. There is the Hebrew Bible and there is the New Testament writings. In between is the myth of the 'four hundred years of silence'. This volume and the second volume reveal that writings during this time were prolific. In this volume are such vital works as 1 Enoch. The apocalyptic literature which began, if scholars are correct, with Daniel (and traces in some of the Prophets) blossomed into an entire genre of literature which would greatly influence what would become Christianity. The book of Jude quotes from 1 Enoch expressly and Revelation and other New Testament books bear many commonalities wih 1 Enoch. This is just a taste of what is in store for the reader. This volume and the second volume reveal just what was going on in the Judaism(s) of this period of time. There was lots going on and it is not so cut and dry as it is often traditionally taught. The variety of beliefs derived, no matter how loosely, on the Jewish Scriptures is endlessly diverse. This book does an excellent job of placing the actual writings in one book. Charlesworth and those who have introduced/translated the works contained herein have done a great job tracing the history of the works and what is known about the communities in which they were written. Also included are margin notes that show the connection, directly or indirectly, to the Tanakh and the New Testament (including the Apocrypha). This is a necessary resource for anyone interested in and open to understanding exactly how it was that Christianity and Rabbinical Judaism emerged from the tumult of the period between c. 200 BCE and 200 CE. |
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The
Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition by
C.D. Yonge While it would not be correct to say that Philo's works have been "lost" — scholars have always known and used Philo — they have essentially been "misplaced" as far as the average student of the Bible is concerned. Now for the first time in nearly 140 years the translation of the eminent classicist C. D. Yonge is available in an affordable, easy-to-read edition, with a new foreword and newly translated passages, and containing supposed fragments of Philo's writings from ancient authors such as John of Damascus. The title and arrangement of the writings have been standardized according to scholarly conventions. A contemporary of Paul and Jesus, Philo Judaeus, of Alexandria, Egypt, is unquestionably among the most important writers for historians and students of Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity. Although Philo does not explicitly mention Jesus, or Paul, or any of the followers of Jesus, Philo lived in their world. It is from Philo, for example, that we learn about how, like the Gospel of John, Jews (and Greeks) in ancient Mediterranean spoke of the creative force of God as God's Logos. Philo, too, employs interpretive strategies that parallel those of the author of Hebrews. Most scholars would agree that Philo and the author of Hebrews are drawing from the same, or at least similar, traditions of Hellenistic Judaism. With these kind of connections to the world of Judaism and early Christianity, Philo cannot be ignored. |
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The
Nag Hammadi Library in English : Revised Edition by James M. Robinson The Nag Hammadi Library was discovered in 1945 buried in a large stone jar in the desert outside the modern Egyptian city of Nag Hammadi. It is a collection of religious and philosophic texts gathered and translated into Coptic by fourth-century Gnostic Christians and translated into English by dozens of highly reputable experts. First published in 1978, this is the revised 1988 edition supported by illuminating introductions to each document. The library itself is a diverse collection of texts that the Gnostics considered to be related to their heretical philosophy in some way. There are 45 separate titles, including a Coptic translation from the Greek of two well-known works: the Gospel of Thomas, attributed to Jesus' brother Judas, and Plato's Republic. The word gnosis is defined as "the immediate knowledge of spiritual truth." This doomed radical sect believed in being here now--withdrawing from the contamination of society and materiality--and that heaven is an internal state, not some place above the clouds. That this collection has resurfaced at this historical juncture is more than likely no coincidence. First published in 1978, The Nag Hammadi Library launched modern Gnostic studies and exposed a movement whose teachings are in many ways as relevant today as they were sixteen centuries ago. James M. Robinson's updated introduction reflects ten years of additional research and editorial and critical work. An afterword by Richard Smith discusses the modern relevance of Gnosticism and its influence on such writers as Voltaire, Blake, Melville, Yeats, Kerouac, and Philip K. Dick. Acclaimed by scholars and general readers alike, The Nag Hammadi Library is a work of major importance to everyone interested in the evolution of Christianity, the Bible, archaeology, and the story of Western civilization. |
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The
Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English by Geza Vermes Geza Vermes provides a concise introduction to the topic of the Dead Sea Scrolls and provides English translations of many of the scrolls and fragments found in the 11 caves of Qumran. This book was originally published in 1965 and was last updated in 1997. Much has happened in those 32 years and this book contains updates on the key items. In the first 96 pages of the book, Vermes provides an insight into what the Scrolls are, who the authors were, a history of the community that wrote the scrolls, and the religious ideas of the community. 500 pages of translations and brief discussions of each scroll and fragment follow. The discussions are particularly helpful as introductions to the themes and background related to each scroll. About 40 pages at the end of the book present a catalogue of the scrolls, an index of the texts, and a bibliography. The indexes in the book provide references by topic and by the classification number of the text or fragment (e.g. 4Q525 is text number 525 from Qumran Cave 4). Among the many key manuscripts translated in this book are the Community Rule, the Damascus Document, the Messianic Rule, the War Scroll, the Thanksgiving Hymns, the Apocryphal Psalms, the calendrical documents, the Blessings and Benedictions, the Peshers (commentaries) on numerous books of the Old Testament, Biblical Apocryphal Works, and the Copper Scroll (the Copper Scroll is a description of the locations of hidden treasures). The book is quite complete, but new discoveries and revisions to existing hypotheses will always make future revisions a necessity. The topic is fascinating and this book is a must for anyone serious about learning what is in the Dead Sea Scrolls and what life was like from 150 B.C to 70 A.D. |
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The
Zoroastrian Faith: Tradition and Modern Research by Solomon A. Nigosian This is an excellent description of the Zoroastrian faith. It begins with Zoroaster himself, dating his lifetime most probably and providing a compelling history of the man who ultimately had a tremendous influence on Western culture far greater than he could ever imagine. I believe it safe to say that he had more influence than Jesus himself, given the fact that the Zoroastrian world-view was subsequently adopted by a large contingent of ancient Jews, including Jesus, and ultimately spread around the world by Christianity and Islam. The history of the faith itself is then presented, along with key scriptures, teachings, and rituals. This book is excellent and truly fascinating reading. The Zoroastrian faith was far ahead of its time and represented an incredible philosophical advance in the ancient world that would have been completely foreign to most of the world's inhabitants but very familiar to you and I. The attractiveness of its beliefs could not be opposed even by the strictness of the Judaic world-view. In a remarkable way, Christianity and Islam represent the triumph of Zoroastrian ideas, and I found myself strangely saddened that this religion is near extinction. There is an inspiring grandeur to this faith as presented here. |
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Zoroastrians:
Their Religious Beliefs and Practices by Mary Boyce Zoroastrianism is significant in the history of religions. It can be traced back to a remote, possibly even Indo-European, past. This element links Zoroastrianism with the beliefs of ancient (Vedic) India, and survives as a subordinate part of what is one of the earliest revealed religions. Zoroaster's own teachings have moreover a highly spiritual and ethical content, which makes them a rewarding study in themselves. This book attempts to trace the continuous history of the faith from the time it was preached by Zoroaster down to the present day - a span of about 3500 years. First taught among nomads on the Asian steppes, Zoroastrianism became the state religion of the three great Iranian empires and had a remarkable influence on other world faiths: to the east on northern Buddhism, to the west on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. With the conquest of Iran by the Muslim Arabs, Zoroastrianism lost its secular power but continued to survive as a minority faith. Despite its antiquity, it remains, therefore, a living religion. |
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In
Search of Zarathustra : The First Prophet and the Ideas That Changed
the World by Paul Kriwaczek Hidden by the looming shadows of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, Zoroastrianism seems a largely forgotten religion today. Yet this ancient tradition so powerfully influenced these other three faith groups that they would not exist in their present state if not for the teachings of Zarathustra, the prophet of Zoroastrianism. Kriwaczek's lively and fast-paced study offers a unique view of Zarathustra's impact on Western religious history. Beginning in present-day Iran (the Persia where Zarathustra first began his teaching around 1200 B.C.), he participates in New Year festivities that demonstrate that pre-Islamic Iranian mythology and religious customs exist in uneasy alliance with contemporary Islamic practices. Kriwaczek then sets off on a backward travelogue, examining the significance of Zarathustra for Nietzsche in the 19th century, the Cathars of the Middle Ages and Hellenistic and Jewish thought from the third through the first centuries B.C. The prophet's teachings, recorded in the Avesta, offer a dualistic view of the world, a dualism that can be seen in the apocalyptic visions of the Book of Daniel and in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Zoroastrianism also featured divisions of heavenly beings, each lined up on one side or the other, supporting either darkness or light. In both Christianity and Islam, the influence of Zoroastrianism can be clearly seen in the pantheon of heavenly beings arranged in hierarchical fashion according to degrees of goodness or evil. This is the best and most thorough survey of Zoroastrianism, and its prophet Zarathustra, to date. |
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The
Other God: Dualist Religions from Antiquity to the Cathar Heresy
by Yuri Stoyanov Among the most intricate historical and religious mysteries of medieval Europe are those posed by the "Great Heresy"-the sudden rise and spread of medieval dualism that represented the doctrine that cosmos and man are constant battlegrounds between the forces of good and evil and their supernatural protagonists. This fascinating book offers the first comprehensive history of religious dualism, from its early expressions in late Egyptian religion and the revelations of Zoroaster through the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Mithraic Mysteries, and the Great Gnostic teachers to its revival in medieval Europe and the suppression of the Bogomils and Cathars who were seen as heirs to that ancient rival of Christianity, Manichaeism. Exploring crucial stages in the history of Christian dualist heresy, Yuri Stoyanov illuminates a variety of religious and political undercurrents that lie beneath the surface of recorded history. This book is the best thing I have read on the history and beliefs of the medieval Cathar heretics, the other secret sects behind them (i.e. the eastern Bogomils) and their predecessors in antiquity. I found it a well-written and absorbing read and recommend it to all fans of historical mysteries and riddles. |
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The
Ancient Mysteries: Sacred Texts of Mystery Religions of Ancient Mediterranean
World by Marvin Meyer A powerful book for serious students. You'll discover the evidence firsthand, right from the pens of ancient authors. The Mysteries (the term comes from the Greek word for "initiation") were a group of Pagan religions, dating from roughly 600 BC, that were distinct from the more familiar Pagan temple worship. The Gods of the Mystery religions had differing names and myths, but the faiths themselves had features in common: their Gods died and came back to life; they were personal religions entered into voluntarily via initiation ceremonies that reenacted the God's death and rebirth and were often described as giving salvation and even eternal life; they had ritual celebrations including food and drink that reenacted a holy meal established by the God; their teachings brought the faithful closer to an understanding of God. Although you don't hear about them in Sunday School, mystery religions are an established part of modern religious scholarship. This book, complied by a mainstream scholar, is made up of a concise introduction to the Mysteries, followed by extended excerpts from ancient sources. You'll read about: the pagan god "incognito, disguised as a man"; pagan Gods dying and being reborn with the meaning that "the God is saved, and we shall have salvation."; initiation ceremonies described as "a voluntary death"; sacred meals; ceremonial washing; pagan miracles; the pagan god who changed water into wine; the pagan version of the great flood. And much more. Not always easy reading, but a powerful book for serious students. Highly recommended. |
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A
Devil's Chaplain : Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love
by Richard Dawkins A very well thought out presentation by Mr. Dawkins. This is the science of evolution (among numerous other things) neatly wrapped in a continuum of rational thought and striking clarity. If you seek truth over "revelation" this book is a must. Charles Darwin said that there was grandeur in his view of life produced by natural selection, but it was not all a pretty picture. He wrote his friend Joseph Hooker in 1856: "What a book a Devil's Chaplain might write on the clumsy, wasteful, blundering low and horridly cruel works of nature." Richard Dawkins has taken the quotation for the title of a collection of his writings, A Devil's Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love (Houghton Mifflin). Darwin also wrote of a particular wasp: "I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living body of caterpillars." But as Darwin (and Dawkins) would remind us, the evolutionary process has produced wonderfully designed creatures, and a wasp who cares for its young by letting them hatch within a hapless caterpillar is simply doing a competent job of getting the young off to a good start. It might be distasteful to us (and should have been to a supreme being), but nature just doesn't care. It isn't kindness of the mother wasp, or cruelty to the caterpillar, but simply amoral nature. But as chaplain, Dawkins notes that while wasps and caterpillars can do nothing about such amorality, we can. "At the same time as I support Darwinism as a scientist, I am a passionate anti-Darwinian when it comes to politics and how we should conduct our human affairs." There is no inconsistency here any more than in the physician who studies cancer, but is bent on eliminating it. And as devil's chaplain, Dawkins urges us to use our evolution-given brains, reject the pacifiers of faith in immortality, and rejoice in our short lives because they are all we have. Dawkins, you see, besides being an eminent Darwinian whose books like The Blind Watchmaker have wonderfully well laid out what evolution means, is also possibly the world's most famous atheist. You will find here his views on religious beliefs and creationists (or their newest incarnation as advocates of Intelligent Design), of course, but on "alternative medicine," crystal healing, homeopathy, and so on. Besides the rants, there is good humor and some warm tributes to friendship, especially in his memorials to his friends Douglas Adams and Stephen Jay Gould. The final chapter, "A Prayer for My Daughter," is a letter he wrote to her when she turned ten, to let her know how he thought she should select what to believe. The great question to ask in all disputes: "What kind of evidence is there for that?" Readers will be reminded of the belligerence of Thomas Henry Huxley, "Darwin's Bulldog," but evolution is only one theme here. Included is his hilarious review of the book by the hoaxer Alan Sokal who submitted a nonsense paper to a postmodern journal and had it accepted. He rages against postmodernism, with its "all views are equal" stance making his scientific view equivalent to a voodoo view. He expresses his doubts about the jury system, and in a wonderful chapter ("Genes Aren't Us") discounts just how important genes are for personality. Another chapter makes us wonder at just how close we are to our ape cousins. Throughout, he is witty, and above all informative on a wide-range of subjects, not just on his refusal to accept what he sees as the diverse delusions of most of the world. Anyone who has admired his previous writings of science popularization will find these personal essays to be very appealing sermons from an accomplished chaplain. |
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Last Updated: Saturday February 11, 2006 18:18