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I originally picked this book up in 1999. It's weird to think it was 15 years ago. I was a young college student thinking this was going to be metaphysical and new agey. I thought it was going be a breeze. I was wrong. I picked it up then and realized that it read like many of my college course books. After about 10 pages, I put it down. Needless to say, it has stayed in my book collection as a "Well, maybe one day I'll get around to reading that book" but that day never came. A couple of weeks ago, this book crossed my mind. It was quite strange, but I felt like I had matured enough and was far more patient with books that presented material in an academic way.
This book is not an easy read, but boy did I find it interesting! This was my first foray into studying the early Christian Church. It was so fascinating to read. Rarely was the focus on Satan, but rather, how Satan was presented and what various groups represented Satan at the time. Reading about the society of the early Christian Era was something of a novelty, but Elaine Pagals spells it out in such a way that I was easily able to digest it.
It's easy to see how so many people take the New Testament at face value without questioning the historical context that it was written. It truly opened my mind, but didn't deter from my core beliefs. I was fascinated by the different sects of the early Christian church. I was intrigued by which Gospel author aligns which groups with Satan. I loved the historical context in which the Gospels were written. I was left wanting more information about the early Christian church and wanting to know more about the Gnostic gospels.
While the book never really focuses on Satan as a character, which at the time of purchase, is what I wanted, I loved the history of how Satan was used.
This book is not for everyone, though. Not everyone will have the endurance to read this. You have to be prepared for the academic touch. If not, you'll die of boredom. If you look at it as a study of what the Church was like, I think you'll enjoy it.
This book is not an easy read, but boy did I find it interesting! This was my first foray into studying the early Christian Church. It was so fascinating to read. Rarely was the focus on Satan, but rather, how Satan was presented and what various groups represented Satan at the time. Reading about the society of the early Christian Era was something of a novelty, but Elaine Pagals spells it out in such a way that I was easily able to digest it.
It's easy to see how so many people take the New Testament at face value without questioning the historical context that it was written. It truly opened my mind, but didn't deter from my core beliefs. I was fascinated by the different sects of the early Christian church. I was intrigued by which Gospel author aligns which groups with Satan. I loved the historical context in which the Gospels were written. I was left wanting more information about the early Christian church and wanting to know more about the Gnostic gospels.
While the book never really focuses on Satan as a character, which at the time of purchase, is what I wanted, I loved the history of how Satan was used.
This book is not for everyone, though. Not everyone will have the endurance to read this. You have to be prepared for the academic touch. If not, you'll die of boredom. If you look at it as a study of what the Church was like, I think you'll enjoy it.