Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots »

T. J. Wray is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Salve Regina University. She is the author of Surviving the Death of a Sibling and Grief Dreams. Gregory Mobley is Associate Professor, Andover Newton Theological School.

A groundbreaking search for the origins of the Prince of Darkness

Publishers Weekly

Where the devil did the devil come from? Wray, a Roman Catholic who teaches religious studies at Salve Regina University, and Mobley, a Protestant professor of Old Testament at Andover Newton Theological School, suggest that the early Hebrews struggled with the puzzle of a God who is the source of both good and evil. As Israel continued to evolve toward a clearer monotheism, it was considered prudent to cast off the negative characteristics of the one true God-which the authors call "repellant aspects of Yhwh")-and embody them in a personality who would become the biblical "Satan." Beginning with Genesis, the authors trace the development of "the devil" until he appears fully formed in the New Testament, where his role is "to serve as the cosmic scapegoat, saving God from blame for evil." Wray and Mobley pay particular attention to the beliefs of many of Israel's neighbors and their influence on her emerging faith in a cosmic evil being. Ultimately, they reject the concept of a personal Satan, but acknowledge its usefulness in dealing with the idea of evil. Written at a popular level, this book offers an interesting and challenging alternative to traditional beliefs. (Oct. 5) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

The Bible and Other Preliminaries
• Unsystematic Theology: The Nature of God in the Hebrew Bible
• The Devil Is in the Details: Satan in the Hebrew Bible
• The Influence of Israel's Neighbors on the Development of Satan
• Satan between the Testaments
• Satan in the New Testament
• Why Satan Matters