The Devil: A New Biography

305 Pages·2014·2.27 MB·English

by  Philip C. Almond

T h e D e v i l
‘The Devil has hardly lacked for biographers in the past forty years,
but Philip Almond’s new book represents a valuable addition to the
list of such studies. It is comprehensive, spanning the whole range
of time, amounting to two and a half millennia, in which Satan has
been a figure in the Western imagination. It is lucid, explaining often
quite complex theology in a manner which can be understood by, and
makes the material genuinely interesting and exciting to, any readers.
It will have an especial appeal to those in the English-speaking world,
as, following a first half which concentrates on the development of
the standard concept of the Devil in Christian theology, it examines
how the implications of it worked out in England in particular; but
it still keeps a hold on Continental European texts and events. All
told, this is probably the best scholarly book on the subject currently
available to a general audience.’
Ronald Hutton, Professor of History, University of Bristol
‘Philip Almond’s new book is a triumph of the simple exposition of
complex concepts. With humour and charm, it proceeds accessibly
from the earliest Jewish writings on demons to eighteenth-century
attempts to challenge the belief that Satan was active in human
affairs. Angels, giants, demoniacs, witches and divines fill its pages,
and the breadth of research informing the book is impressively broad.
Yet the text is informal and readable. Almond has made theology and
demonology approachable and his account rips along. Readers will
find a wealth of great stories recounted here. The book also provokes
serious thought about the process of demonising groupings belonging
to despised sects or social groups, and the terrible consequences of
regarding other people as agents of the Devil. This is an entertaining
and informative read.’
Marion Gibson, Associate Professor of Renaissance and
Magical Literatures, University of Exeter
‘This fascinating – and tragic – account of his influence through
history will be a real eye-opener to anyone who supposes that the
inconvenience of his not existing would limit the damage the Devil
could do. Fundamentally, the Devil owes his powers to the problem of
reconciling God’s goodness with God’s omnipotence. Following with
deep learning a trail of confusion, dogmatism and persecution, Philip
Almond in his vivid biography convincingly demonstrates that the
Devil was, and is, a very bad idea.’
Jill Paton Walsh, author of Knowledge of Angels,
shortlisted for the Booker Prize
the de i l
v
a new biography
Philip C. Almond
CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS
ITHACA, NEW YORK
Copyright © 2014 by Philip C. Almond
First published in the United Kingdom in 2014 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd
First published in the United States of America in 2014 by Cornell
University Press
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this
book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without
permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address
Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca,
New York 14850.
Typeset in 11.25/13.75pt Palatino by JCS Publishing Services Ltd,
www.jcs-publishing.co.uk
Printed and bound in Great Britain by T.J. International, Padstow,
Cornwall
Librarians: A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 978-0-8014-5337-3
Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible
suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing
of its books. Such materials include vegetable-based, low-VOC inks
and acid-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine-free, or partly
composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our
website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.
Cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Cover illustration: The Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the
Sun, 1803–5 (w/c on paper, by William Blake [1757-1827])/
Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York/Gift of William
Augustus White/The Bridgeman Art Library.
Bad as he is, the Devil may be abus’d,
Be falsly charg’d, and causelessly accus’d,
When Men, unwilling to be blam’d alone,
Shift off these Crimes on Him which are their Own.
Daniel Defoe, The History of the Devil (1727)
To Lotus
C o n t e n t s
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgements xii
Prologue xiii
Chapter One: The Devil is Born 1
Angels and Demons, Sons and Lovers 1
‘The Book of the Watchers’ 3
Angels, Arising and Falling 6
The Birth of ‘Satan’ 15
The Archdemon Belial 19
Satan and Jesus 22
The Fall of the Dragon 28
Chapter Two: The Fall of the Devil 31
The Fall of Man 31
The Satanic Serpent 34
Pride Cometh before a Fall 39
Lucifer Descending 42
The Battleground of History 47
Chapter Three: Hell’s Angel 49
Paying off the Devil 49
The Demonic Paradox 53
The Harrowing of Hades 56
In Hell, and in the Air 61
Chapter Four: The Devil Rides Out 68
A Pope Bewitched 68
Cathars, Moderate and Extreme 70
Angels and Demons 75
The Demonisation of Magic 77
Magic Defined, Damned and Defended 82
Conjuring Demons and Conversing with Angels 87
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The Devil
Chapter Five: Devilish Bodies 94
The Demonisation of Popular Magic 94
Errors Not Cathartic but Satanic 97
The Devil, Sex and Sexuality 100
Embodied Demons 111
Chapter Six: The Devil and the Witch 118
Infanticide and Cannibalism 118
Travels Sabbatical 121
The Satanic Pact 128
The Devil’s Mark 135
Chapter Seven: A Very Possessing Devil 141
The Possessed Body 141
Possession, Medicine and Sceptics 144
Forensic Demonology 150
Beyond the Borders of the Human 156
Exorcising the Devil 160
Chapter Eight: The Devil Defeated 168
The Binding and Loosing of Satan 168
The Antichrist 172
Adso and the Antichrist 176
The Future Binding of Satan 179
Apocalypse Now 183
Satan and the Fires of Hell 191
Chapter Nine: The ‘Death’ of the Devil 196
Satan and Superstition 196
The Cessation of Miracles 199
The Devil De-skilled 202
The Devil Disembodied 206
Bodies, Platonic and Demonic 213
Disenchanting the World 216
Epilogue 220
Notes 223
Bibliography 250
Index 265
Plates
viii
I l l u s t r a t i o n s
1 The three archangels drive Lucifer from heaven into
hell. The Three Archangels by Marco d’Oggiono (sixteenth
century). By permission of The Picture-Desk.
2 Adam and Eve are tempted by Satan in the form of a
four-legged, virgin-headed serpent. The Fall of Man and
the Lamentation by Hugo van der Goes (1470–5). Public
domain.
3 The angel of the Lord, described as a ‘satan’
(‘adversary’), is called out by God to stop Balaam from
cursing the people of Israel. ‘Balaam and the Angel’ from
The Mirror of Human Salvation (fifteenth century). By
permission of l’Agence photographique de la Réunion
des musées nationaux.
4 Job, covered in boils, is assailed by God’s emissary the
Satan. ‘Job and the Devil’ from The Mirror of Human
Salvation (fifteenth century). By permission of l’Agence
photographique de la Réunion des musées nationaux.
5 Christ is tempted by the Devil. ‘The Temptation of
Christ’ from The Mirror of Human Salvation (fifteenth
century). By permission of l’Agence photographique de
la Réunion des musées nationaux.
6 Demons delighting in tempting Saint Anthony in
the desert. The Temptation of St Anthony of Egypt by
Hieronymus Bosch (1450–1516). By permission of The
Picture-Desk.
7 The Devil presents Saint Augustine with the Book of Vices.
St Augustine and the Devil by Michael Pacher (c.1480). By
permission of l’Agence photographique de la Réunion
des musées nationaux.
8 The Angel, holding the keys of hell, enchains the Devil
in the shape of a dragon who is then bound in the pit.
‘The Angel Enchains the Devil’ from a commentary on
the book of Revelation by Beatus of Liebana (c.776). By
permission of Bridgeman Art.
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