The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots [Hardcover]

T. J. Wray (Author), Gregory Mobley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2005

Of all the demons, monsters, fiends, and ogres to preoccupy the western imagination in literature, art, and film, no figure has been more feared--or misunderstood--than Satan. But how accurate are the popular images of Satan? How--and why--did this rather minor biblical character morph into the very embodiment of evil? T.J. Wray and Gregory Mobley guide readers on a journey to retrace Satan's biblical roots. Engaging and informative, The Birth of Satan is a must read for anyone who has ever wondered about the origins of the Devil.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Where the devil did the devil come from? Wray, a Roman Catholic who teaches religious studies at Salve Regina University, and Mobley, a Protestant professor of Old Testament at Andover Newton Theological School, suggest that the early Hebrews struggled with the puzzle of a God who is the source of both good and evil. As Israel continued to evolve toward a clearer monotheism, it was considered prudent to cast off the negative characteristics of the one true God—which the authors call "repellant aspects of Yhwh")—and embody them in a personality who would become the biblical "Satan." Beginning with Genesis, the authors trace the development of "the devil" until he appears fully formed in the New Testament, where his role is "to serve as the cosmic scapegoat, saving God from blame for evil." Wray and Mobley pay particular attention to the beliefs of many of Israel's neighbors and their influence on her emerging faith in a cosmic evil being. Ultimately, they reject the concept of a personal Satan, but acknowledge its usefulness in dealing with the idea of evil. Written at a popular level, this book offers an interesting and challenging alternative to traditional beliefs. (Oct. 5)
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From Booklist

A recent Gallup poll revealed that a majority of Americans believe in Satan, aka, most commonly, Lucifer and Mephistopheles, but whatever the moniker, the devil, evil incarnate. Wray and Mobley find this ultimate villain's origins in a biblical character and in early Jewish and Christian writings outside of the scriptures. They try to understand why we as a species strive to feel fearful, why being frightened--vicariously, at least--is so appealing. Satan appears fewer than a dozen times in the Hebrew Bible, truly rising to prominence in the New Testament, especially in the Revelation, in which Satan manifests as Jesus' archrival. Wray and Mobley explain how that characterization came about, examine how Satan's image developed over the centuries, partly under the influence of such writings as Dante's Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost and investigate the centuries-long witch-hunt craze before advancing to contemporary times to inspect how religious doctrine and popular culture have affected images of the modern Satan. A thoughtful, informative examination. June Sawyers
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403969337
• ISBN-13: 978-1403969330
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. T.J. Wray is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, where she teaches courses in Biblical Studies and World Religions. She has twice received the Presidential award for academic excellence and was voted Professor of the Year in 2004. The author of several books, including: "Surviving the Death of a Sibling: Living Through Grief When An Adult Brother of Sister Dies" (Random House, Three Rivers Press); "Grief Dreams: How They Help Heal Us After the Death of a Loved One (Wiley); "The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots (Palgrave); and "Good Girls, Bad Girls: The Enduring Lessons of Twelve Women of the Old Testament" (Rowman & Littlefield), Dr. Wray has appeared on National Public Radio, several television documentaries on the History Channel, and various other television and radio programs across the country. An intrepid traveler, she has lead tours to biblical lands, studied at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem and participated in the excavations at Mt. Zion, Jerusalem. She is a member of several professional organizations, including The Society of Biblical Literature, The Archaeological Institute of America, and The Tyndale Society. Her next book, "What the Bible Really Tells Us: The Essential Guide for Biblical Literacy" (Rowman & Littlefield) will be released in 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE book on Satan is out!, November 26, 2005

By 

Marc S. Mullinax (Asheville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots (Hardcover)

This is an absolute triumph of a book, the one I've been wanting to read for a long, long time.

The Devil has made, for over 2000 years, a good story, and this book tells us why. Using the tools of religion, history, theology, and culture, authors Wray and Mobley offer the general and religious reader alike a conceptually fresh, extremely well-written, and relatively short history of the role Satan has played. This playground includes our literature, religious imaginations, everyday conversations, and religious literature.

The strengths of this book include:

1) Mobley is a gifted Hebrew Bible scholar who understands the pre-Christian world, including its manifold non-biblical writings that held traction in this world. With his co-author this book makes the case that there have been many two-bit ideas of Satan through the years, mostly inchoate and undeveloped (and not that powerful), until a largely single image of the High King of Hell emerges in early Christianity.

2) Powerful summaries throughout the chapters, culminating in a final chapter that is a rare tour de force in synthesis, breadth of insight - and brevity. In that chapter, the reader will get a well-developed job description for Satan.

3) The reader will be invited to think deeply about monotheism, and how that very enticing theological position may have itself led to the birth of Satan as an unintended consequence. The thoughtful reader should anticipate the authors' examination of the more peculiar and distasteful aspects the Bible and God.

4) Conceptually fresh imagery. For example, Chapter Two's introduction of God as "Godfather" is a strikingly unique way the authors get the readers to understand God as the early Jews may have. This is just one of scores of helpful images.

The authors have made in this short book a landmark contribution to popular understanding about the many factors that contributed to Satan's metamorphosis from a third-rank adversary or stumbling block in the Hebrew scriptures to the Titan of Evil in the Christian era. This kind of intelligence is critical in our times.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read!, January 11, 2006

By 

R. Ballard (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots (Hardcover)

As someone who read (and was helped by) T J Wray's first two books ("Surviving the Death of a Sibling: Living Through Grief When an Adult Brother or Sister Dies" and "Grief Dreams: How They Help Heal Us After the Death of a Loved One") and as a religious studies teacher, I was eager to read Wray's newest book, "The Birth of Satan." I received a copy for Christmas and was delighted to find the same accessible and creative writing style that is TJ Wray's trademark. But beyond the wonderful writing is a book that has real substance. Wray, along with co-author Gregory Mobley (both are biblical scholars who really know their stuff!) trace the Devil's beginnings from a rather benign character in the Old Testament to the more popular form of Satan that we are familiar with in the New Testament. I found the chapters on God and hell most interesting and the discussion on the role monotheism played insofar as the development of Satan is concerned quite illuminating. Although this is a non-fiction book, it's so well-written, it almost reads like a novel. It's a "must read" for anyone curious about the development of Satan.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Satan For Dummies ..... And Not So Dumb, January 14, 2007

By 

Stephen H. Jay "sjaykahn" (Spring Hill, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots (Hardcover)

Several of the other reviews written on this book have accurately described the detail and scope of this great study into the origin and evolution of the satan myth from a more scholarly perspective. They are absolutely correct, and obviously much smarter than I am. The material is complete, well-documented, expertly layed out, and delivered in a way accessible to everyone.

So instead of talking about the books more scholarly aspects, let me approach it from the direction of an average schmoe who doesn't have a philosophy degree and might believe in the existence of the devil.

This book is still for you. The subject of Satan is treated with a kind of respect, and deservedly so. After all, here we have a persona that is of major influence in every westerners life, whether you believe in him or not. Satan, or the idea of Satan, has influenced both our deep history and our modern culture in astonishing ways. As Joseph Campbell, a noted mythologist, once said, "The Devil is more important than God in some ways. He justifys every nasty thing we've ever done to anyone else" (paraphrased).

Here's the point I'm trying to make: Satan has his place in our world and his authentic role in our culture. He went from a sort of 'messenger' in the first five books of the bible to the 'Great Advesary' in the new testatment. He evolved from an unsophisticated instrument of the 'court of heaven' to a complex figure that opposes and subverts the will of God. He has been a teacher, a rebel, a lover, a creator, a transgressor, and a major transfiguring force in history. His name has been used to move nations, scare children, massacre millions, and make movies. Whether you believe he is a concrete fact or a metaphor of change, Satan is here, he is now, and he's not going away anytime soon. Do you doubt it? Read this book, and you'll never doubt again.