Customer Reviews

Powers of Evil: A Biblical Study of Satan and Demons

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was a very interesting and informative read. The author had clearly done his homework. Instead of propping up his personal and/or denominational agenda, he gave equal play to various interpretations. At the same time, he would explain why a particular interpretation was strained or altogether wrong.

I have yet to find a better Biblical exploration of the subject of demonology. Far to often such books are full of paranoia, speculation, and extra-biblical quotations. This was a well-grounded and scholarly approach to one of the tougher subjects in Christian theology. Favorable consideration should be given "Powers of Evil."

I realized while I was recommending this book to another person that I had not even written a review of this book despite reading and using this book many times. I believe that this work by Page is simply this most comprehensive study I have ever read on the subject of demons and Satan himself. Page has one point and that is to look to the Bible for answers about the demonic realm. He is not writing a ghost story or chasing demons but he is opening up the Scriptures at every passage that speaks of demons or the devil.

I found this book to be highly useful when studying to teach on Satan. Many books seem to embrace mythology about Satan rather than truly seeing what the Scriptures teach. Too often my charismatic brethren have been guilty of over glorifying the enemy of our souls (Rev. 12:9). We need to have a biblical understanding of our enemy and his purpose (John 10:10).

I recommend this book if you are interested in a biblical study of demons and Satan. If you are looking for information on dramatic encounters with demons then you will be sadly mistaken to read this book. Page's exegesis of the demonic passages are excellent and trustworthy. A solid book for serious study of Satan.

Prior to this work, conservative Christians with a high regard for the Bible as God's inspired Word used books on the biblical teaching about Satan and demons such as Unger's Biblical Demonology (1952) and Green's I Believe in Satan's Downfall (1981). These works are still useful and find a place in Page's Select Bibliography, although his work surpasses them in certain ways such as the use of current scholarship and original literary and historical contexts in interpreting the relevant biblical texts. Although over fourteen years have passed since this work was published in 1995, some of the newer works on the topic of biblical demonology highly recommend it. For example, Kenneth Boa and Robert Bowman, Jr. in their book, Sense & Nonsense About Angels & Demons (2007), include it in their "Recommended Reading" section and called it an "excellent, scholarly study of what the Bible teaches about Satan and other evil spirits." Pierre Gilbert in his book, Demons, Lies & Shadows: A Plea for a Return to Text and Reason (2008), which was written in response to recent books on spiritual warfare that give too much power to Satan and demons, references Page's book on several occasions and offered it as a notable exception to much of what is written about the topic which only loosely reflects the biblical material. He stated that Page's study "provides a very careful exegetical analysis of the Old and New Testament passages that pertain to the devil and demons."

Although Boa, Bowman, and Gilbert recognize the value of Page's book, other books such as Dennis McCallum's recent work, Satan and His Kingdom: What the Bible Says and How It Matters to You (2009) - which is focused on Satan's role in spiritual warfare - seem oblivious to its existence. McCallum complains about the lack of good books on the topic to recommend, referring only to C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters and Warren Wiersbe's The Strategy of Satan as useful but limited works on the topic, which inspired him to write his own text. Even granted McCallum's restricted interest in the practicalities of spiritual warfare, his work is inferior to Page's study in terms of comprehensiveness, scholarship and careful exegesis on what the Bible says about "Satan and his kingdom". Although out of print, Page's text is worth more than many in-print titles and should be sought out and purchased. It covers every explicit reference to Satan and other evil spirits in the Bible (organized according to textual-based categories [Satan, The Serpent, Fallen Angels, Demons, Evil Spirits, Principalities & Powers, etc.]). Page also respects the silence of Scripture which leaves many questions unanswered. One will come away from the study with a solid understanding of the biblical teaching on the powers of evil and how various interpreters approached certain texts.

The Table of Contents is as follows: 1. Satan in the Old Testament [The Serpent of Genesis 3, The Satan of Job, The Satan of Zechariah, Satan in 1 Chronicles, Excursus: The Fall of Satan?]; 2. Fallen Angels, Demons, and Evil Spirits in the Old Testament [Fallen Angels, Demons, Evil Spirits, Excursus: Alleged Allusions to the Demonic]; 3. Satan and Jesus in Conflict [The Temptation in the Desert, The Prince of Demons, Other Teachings of Jesus Concerning Satan, Satan and the Passion, Satan in Acts], 4. Jesus' Mastery of the Demons [The Demoniac in the Capernaum Synagogue, The Gerasene Demoniac, The Daughter of the Woman from Syrian Phoenicia, The Epileptic Boy, Brief References to Exorcism Performed by Jesus, Additional Gospel References to the Demonic, Demons in Acts, Excursus: Exorcism in the Modern World], 5. The Apostolic Teaching Concerning Satan [The Pauline Literature, Hebrews and the General Epistles, Revelation], 6. The Apostolic Teaching Concerning the Powers of Evil [Demons and Fallen Angels in the Epistles, The Principalities and Powers in the Epistles, Demons and Fallen Angels in Revelation, Excursus: Disputed References to Cosmic Powers], Postscript: The Demonic Today, Select Bibliography, Index of Scripture, Index of Extrabiblical Literature, Index of Subjects

well lets see it is a good book and it talks about the powers of satan. it is a well described book on the powers. it talks about satan and what he is able to do. and it talks about the demons. i like this book very much it is like my bible. i think that other people should read this book if they like demons adn if they are into that kinda thing. this book is really really cool. what i liked about the book was that it told some of the research that they did on it and what they thought about the different powers. it has a lot of usefull information if you are doing a report or something like that on demons and satan or if you are into that kind of stuff.

Sydney H. T. Page, professor of New Testament and academic dean at Edmonton Baptist Seminary, suggests that demons actually exist and are the cause of evil in the world. On page 269, he states, "The reality of the devil and his underlings is supported by the authority of Scripture and of Christ himself. Those who regard the Bible as divine revelation and who believe that Jesus was infallible cannot simply disregard what they both teach with regards to evil spirits....The belief that the devil ultimately stands behind evil provides a powerful incentive for combating it....The Christian who takes the demonological teaching of the Bible seriously can confront temptation with confidence." Professor Page would have better served his readers if he had recognized the wisdom of the ironic statement he offers on page 270: "There is the danger of accepting beliefs and practices that are superstitious."
I purchased this book in the hopes of getting a scholarly commentary on demonology in the NT. My hopes were in vain. I got a book filled with a superstitious man's views on demons and the devil.

no no no. for one thing this book doesnt even deserve ONE star. for another, although i have nothing against Christians, i'm a Demonic Hunter(and witch), i track and consort demons often in other words. the author of this book doesnt seem to know a lot about Demons. i found it a rather pathetic attempt to make you feel safer and happier with God. ...and i never will be but this book was just ridiculous.