Origin of Satan

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer first discusses the origins of the name of Satan. The writer then explains that one of the most widely debated aspects concerning the origin of Satan revolves around the question as to exactly what extent the power of evil is manifested in Satan. The writer maintains that perhaps the most powerful image of Satan in today's world is linked with the concept of Armageddon, a time in the distant future, or in the distant past, when Satan and his evil minions will gather together to battle God and Christ for the ultimate and supreme control over man and the universe. The writer concludes that Satan remains an elusive yet easily recognizable figure, due to the fact that this personage of evil and destruction has survived untold numbers of revisions for more than three thousand years and continues to pervade the minds and hearts of believers and non-believers alike.

From the Paper:

"However, other theological scholars and students of ancient religions have devised another path toward associating evil with Satan via non-canonical Hebrew literature which supports the idea that not only is Satan a true adversary of God but is also the leader of the fallen angels, contained in such works as The Book of the Secrets of Enoch and several Islamic texts. Yet also Satan eventually evolves into the ultimate symbol of evil, the ancient Hebrews offered "no suggestion of any dualism, neither temporal, spatial or ethical," meaning that Satan was either pure evil or was not. Additional apocalyptic literature maintains this stance but it was only in later Judaism when Satan was viewed as being a dualistic figure. Tom Radcliffe points out that as the Jewish church became established and grew in prominence, many of its enemies were linked to Satan, such as heretics and the Syrians."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Pagels, Elaine. The Origin of Satan. New York: Random House, 1995.
• Panati, Charles. Sacred Origins of Profound Things. New York: Penguin Books, 1996.
• Radcliffe, Tom. "The Birth of Dualism: A Review of The Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels." Internet. July 29, 2000. Retrieved from http://enlightenment. Supersaturated.com/essays/text/tomradcliffe/dualism.html.
• Turner, Alice K. A History of Hell. New York: Harcourt-Brace, 1993.

More papers on Origin of Satan:

• Term Paper # 104515 : "Satan"
• Essay # 109798 : "Perpetual Mourning: An Anathema to God and Satan"
• Poem Review # 139295 : "Cultural Impact of "Paradise Lost"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: