<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Here are some reviews that led me to buy this book
Review: A provocative study of the iconography of Hell's monarch. A scholarly work which covers the period of medieval and Renaissance Christianity from the 4th to the 16th centuries. THE TIMES [London] December 23, 1995 A masterful analysis of the iconography of the Christian Devil.... Richly illustrated... and enlivened by a dry wit, this traces the currents of thought in the early and medieval church and how they were reflected in the developing portrayals of the Devil.... Much more than art history, this [book] is full of fascinating insights. FORTEAN TIMES, August-September, 1995 Painfully relevant to today's world of violence and wars. INTERNATIONAL MINDS Luther Link has made this extremely thorough examination of the depiction of [the Devil] in Christian art. His purpose, though, goes further than yet another book of art history.... The book explores thoroughly a bye-way not often trodden in the history of art and is well illustrated and presented... This book is a brave and scholarly attempt to examine objectively an unfathomable mystery [evil] from several points of view. NEW DIRECTIONS, December, 1995 As comprehensive a guide as any could wish to the appearances of the Evil One in art and literature through the ages.... Luther Link's book brings the question of the Devil nearer to our own time. THE HERALD [Glasgow], January 22, 1996 Professor Link gives us a tour de force of a book, replete with splendid illustrations. Not all his answers may be right, but he asks the important question: Do we see evil as something internal to the human soul, or as something external, in the figure of a devil. CHURCH TIMES, September 22, 1955 Luther Link sets about untangling the figures of Satan, Lucifer and the Devil, both through philology and iconography.... Link's philological exposition is entertaining and succinct, and he then goes on to set about the same task iconographically. This is also highly entertaining and very informative.... This is a book worth arguing with, written with verve, wit and passion. THE SPECTATOR, July 1, 1995 ********** Beautifully written and magnificently illustrated, Luther Link's The Devil is the most complete and analytic history of the image of Satan in Western art ever written. This definitive work on the iconography of Satan is a good read as well as reliable scholarship. JEFFREY BURTON RUSSELL Professor of History and Religious Studies, U of California, Santa Barbara [The leading scholar and authority on demonology and Satanism] SUNDAY MAINICHI[magazine /Japan]] Sept. 12/19 A valuable interpretation of the iconography of the Devil in Europe during the Middle Ages. It also sharply points to how Christian societies blame the Devil for evil which they are reluctant to face in themselves.... There are revealing comparisons of the Devil in Western art and certain features of Buddhist deity depictions.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST for understanding a basic element of our civilization
Review: Here is a plethora of Christianity's presentation, representation, and mispresentation of the Devil. It traces the Fiend's image back to antiquity (Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia,etc.) and shows how Christianity adopted ancient deities as horned, beaked, snouted demons and devils. The illustrations are rich and detailed. But the book is more than art discussion, it is a mature and objective assessment of the role of the Devil in Western people's mindset. The book ends appropriately on the psychological function of the concept of the Devil, namely to help rationalize evil deeds and place the cause of evil outside of human responsibility. An excellent book, not only of scholarly quality but also of entertaining value. Whoever desires to understand Western culture, must read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Devil Iconography
Review: While I have almost completed this book, I am finding Mr. Link's research on the subject to be quite thorough. I enjoy obtaining knowledge which has been covered from all possible perspectives. One problem...What does the word "psychostasy" mean? One example of it's use is on page 117. I have looked in my own dictionary and online in Encarta, and have found no definitions. Anyone?hatrick@texas.net
Rating:
Summary: Devil Iconography
Review: While I have almost completed this book, I am finding Mr. Link's research on the subject to be quite thorough. I enjoy obtaining knowledge which has been covered from all possible perspectives. One problem...What does the word "psychostasy" mean? One example of it's use is on page 117. I have looked in my own dictionary and online in Encarta, and have found no definitions. Anyone? hatrick@texas.net
<< 1 >>
|
