The a very short introduction Oldridge, Darren 1966- creator text bibliography enk Oxford New York Oxford University Press 2012 monographic eng

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xiv, 121 pages : illustrations ; 18 cm. "The Devil has fascinated Christians since the time of the New Testament, and inspired many haunting works of art. This Very Short Introduction looks at the Devil in the history of ideas and in the lives of real people. Darren Oldridge shows us that the Devil is an important figure in western history--a richly complex and contradictory one. Oldridge focuses on three main themes: the idea of the Devil being integral to western thought from the early Middle Ages to the beginnings of modernity; the belief that the Devil represents the mirror image of goodness; and the multiplicity and instability of ideas about the Devil. Oldridge concludes by exploring "demonological" ways of thinking in our own time, including allegations of "satanic ritual abuse.""-- Machine generated contents note: -- 1. Introduction -- 2. A short history of the Satan -- 3. The Devil and humankind -- 4. Depicting the Devil -- 5. The Devil Today -- Conclusion. Darren Oldridge. Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-114) and index. Devil Christianity RELIGION / Christianity / History RELIGION / History BT982 .O43 2012 235.4 OLT 2012 9780199580996 (pbk.) 2012001120 DLC 120117 20231116085956.0 eng