Devil, The: A Biography

Discover the complex role the figure of the Devil plays in our belief systems and culture with award-winning Gettysburg College professor Vernon W. Cisney. Known by many names—Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, and Satan, to name but a few—the Devil is universally recognized as the embodiment of pure evil and rebellion in Christianity. Although little is said about this figure in the Bible, the Devil has, throughout history, served as an abstract canvas onto which human beings have projected their greatest fears and adversarial forces. Depictions of the Devil also come complete with the allure and romance that accompanies characters associated with rebellion and transgression. In this riveting 21-lecture audio series, Prof. Cisney engages an interdisciplinary lens to unveil and explore the mythos around this elusive figure. As you investigate representations of the Devil in texts ranging from the Bible to Rosemary’s Baby, you’ll learn how the Devil has been invoked in a variety of contexts—political, natural, epidemiological, religious, and moral—to make a myriad of statements about good and evil. By tracing the figure of the Devil through 4,000 years of historical, religious, philosophical, literary, and cinematic portrayals, you’ll better understand the historical-political milieus out of which these depictions and their contextual myths have emerged. You’ll also interrogate your own views on what the presence of evil this figure represents means about the nature of God. This course is part of the Learn25 collection.