Science of religion and Eastern philosophy
The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day
Paul Carus1900
IntermediatePrimary Sourcecomplete
A comprehensive historical and philosophical investigation into the evolution of the concept of the Devil and the nature of evil across global cultures. Paul Carus explores the demonology of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and Persia, before detailing the development of the Christian Satan and the subsequent horrors of the witch-hunts. He argues from a monistic perspective, viewing the 'Devil' as a necessary personification of the destructive forces of nature and the shadow of the divine.
Also known asCarus's History of the Devil
This edition1900
EditionOpen Court Publishing Company, Chicago
Comparative ReligionDemonologyIconographical studyEvolutionary PhilosophyDevil MythologyMonismEvil & DualismPhilosophyWitch-trials (analysis)Comparative study of religious phenomenaReligious historyDemonic Possession
Contents19 chapters
- 01Introduction
- 02Evil as an Independent Power
- 03Devil Worship
- 04Ancient Egypt
- 05Accad and the Early Semites
- 06Persian Dualism
- 07Israel
- 08Brahmanism and Hinduism
- 09Buddhism
- 10The Dawn of a New Era
- 11Early Christianity
- 12The Idea of Salvation in Greece and Italy
- 13The Demonology of Northern Europe
- 14The Devil's Prime
- 15The Inquisition
- 16The Age of the Reformation
- 17The Abolition of Witch-Prosecution
- 18In Verse and Fable
- 19The Philosophical Problem of Evil
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