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Summary: Religion is tricky
Review: a "spirited" and authoritative look at the inner workings of the gospels and their attempt at giving meaning to the concepts of evil and Satan.Reading just one of her books obviously doesn't provide all the answers to a subject both complex and controversial. However, to read several of Pagels' books is to give your mind a tapestry of penetrating, insightful dialogue on arguably the most influential book of all centuries. Christianity and Judaism deserve a scholar who is willing to probe the depths and return with vivid, entertaining language that nullifies the typical babble occurring at any given moment in a Sunday sermon. Pagels does just that in a style that is always fresh and fulfilling to the mind and heart. Readers are able to develop appreciation of the gospels while gaining further understanding of what they were really about.
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Summary: Another Excellent Work of Dr. E. Pagels
Review: If you think that you understand the message of the four canonical gospels and you have not read this book yet, you are liying to yourself.
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Summary: Senior Moments can be serious
Review: I must have been having a "Senior Moment" when I bought this book. It has been said by many I am sure who have said, "You should never judge a book by its cover." Let me add one; "Never judge or buy a book for its title." That is what I did and I was/am sorry. Not only did I waste some money($12.00), but a great deal of time. This book, "The Origin of Satan",is about everything but his origin. The author makes a couple of "stabs" at it but misses the mark by a country mile. It does make for some interesting reading and for someone that knows little about the Bible or its contents, it would help in understanding a few things. I do not claim to be an expert on the Bible, but it is so obvious this person isn't either. If you are looking for something about Satan and his relationship with the human race this may be a good book for you. However, it would still be a wise thing to double check some of the information presented. If you are looking for some information about the ORIGIN of Satan you need to go elsewhere. If you should find such information I would also like to have access to it. Lee Pritchett
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Summary: Excellant food for thought
Review: This is an excellant introduction to early christian thought processes. It has a lot of food for thought. It has inspired me to read more of the early teachings of Christianity. It also is an excellant example of us versus them thinking and how long that has been going on.
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Summary: Exposing the Satan myths
Review: Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University Elaine Pagels has written a wonderful book that all the people who should read it won't and all those who do will probably find interesting and something they can applaud. She has also written and I recommend The Johannie Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis; The Gnostic Paul:Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters; The Gnostic Gospels and Adam and Eve and the Serpent. But this treat The Origin Of Satan is just shy over 200 pages and covers the gospel of Mark and the Jewish war, the social history of Satan from Hebrew Bible to the Gospels, Matthews campaign against the Pharisees and Deploying the devil, on to Luke and John claim Israels legacy and the split widens, Satan's earthly kingdom Christians against the Pagan. And the enemy within demonizing the heritics. The books also shows that the Four Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John tell two different stories. One of Jesus genius and the other of the bitter bitter conflict amongst Jesus and the followers. My favorite chapter is the one dealing with the social history of Satan in the Hebrew text to what this entity became in the Gospels. And how the Satan in the Hebrew text was very much in combination with God the Yin Yang couple. And now we have "Christians" who have over the centuries made Satan into a being who in many instances is projected as being more powerful than God and yet created by God. And then she gives the tale of how society has come to believe however erroneously that Satan is real and that the phrase "The Devil made me do it" has fact written all over it.
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Summary: good book for bible readers
Review: I thought the book has a lot of interesting material, but I do not take the bible literally and was hoping to get more out of this book. It picks apart very minute details in the bible and analyzes them, which of course means nothing to me. By reading the begining of each chapter and the preface and conclusion I got the jist of the book and returned it later that day. The book contains some good information that is put together superbly, which i why i gave it a 4. But, I was expecting more independant thoughts from the author, this book is more of an essay depicting the bible.
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Summary: Great Writing
Review: Elaine Pagels is one of the most intelligent writers I have had the pleasure of reading. Truly a Masterpiece!
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Summary: Brilliant!
Review: This author is thoughtful, original, scholarly, and objective. This book answered so many questions and doubts I had, and has given rise to even more... Thank you Elaine Pagels for helping me on my journey to find the truth.
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Summary: a book about me
Review: hello. I am satan. or I think I am. there's the possibilty that i'm just horribly, horribly insane. i am very confused. but anyway, this book was amazing. because it was about me. i like books about me. apparently i'm the half crazed delusion of some pope, but I could debate that. i'll debate that soon. if i am really satan of course. maybe i'm jesus.
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Summary: Intelligent, Interesting and Objective
Review: Addressing a topic which many approach with strong convictions, Pagels addresses the synthesis of pre-Christian and Christian perspectives on "Satan" with sound historical analysis and very little personal agenda.
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