HC6335: THE DEMONIC IN CHRISTIAN THOUGHT

Spring, 2008

Instructor: Walter Sundberg

Class Hours: Room: GH 101   Day: Th.   Time: 1:10PM-4:00PM

Office: BH 126A #270

Description

This course is a study of the demonic in the history of Christian thought. Special attention will be given to the function of the concept in dogmatics, its role in the understanding of evil, and the theological contributions of major figures including Augustine, Luther, and Tillich.

Requirements

Attendance at the seminar is mandatory as is the reading of assigned material on time. There will be a final, take-home examination based on reading and lecture materials.

Texts

Jefffrey Burton Russell, The Prince of Darkness, Cornell

M. Scott Peck, People of the Lie, Simon and Schuster

George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, (handout)

Walter Sundberg, “Primer on the Devil,” First Things (Jan. 1993) (Internet)

Paul Tillich, "The Demonic," The Interpretation of History, 76-122 (Internet)

Schedule

Week One: Introduction

Week Two: Old and New Testaments

Russell, 1-55

Suggested Reading: C.S Lewis, The Great Divorce; Bernhard W. Anderson, Creation versus Chaos, 11-42, 144-77; Walter Wink, Naming the Powers, 3-35; Walter Wink, Unmasking the Powers, 9-68 (Desk Reserve)

Week Three: The Devil in the Development of Doctrine I

Russell, 56-129

Suggested Reading: Adolf von Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries, 123-146,199-218; Ramsay MacMullen, Christianizing the Roman Empire, 1-42. (Desk Reserve)

Week Four: The Devil in the Development of Doctrine II; Luther

Russell, 130-185

Suggested Reading: Peter Brown, Augustine of Hippo, 299-329; Neil Forsyth, The Old Enemy, 387-440; Gustaf Aulén, Christus Victor, 1-80; Paul Althaus, The Theology of Martin Luther, 161-178; Gustav Wingren, Luther on Vocation, 78-161; Luther's Works, vols. 22, 23, 24 -- trace the treatment of the Devil using the volumes' indexes (Desk Reserve)

Week Five: The Devil in Modernity: Theology and Therapy

Peck, People of the Lie, chapters one and two. Paul Tillich, "The Demonic," The Interpretation of History, 76-122 (Handout)

Suggested Reading: H. R. Trevor-Roper, The Crisis of the Seventeenth Century, 90-192 David Hume, The Natural Historyof Religion, 23-76; Michael Ignatieff, The Needs of Strangers, 83-103 (Desk Reserve)

Week Six: The Devil in Modernity: Literature

Russell, 186-277, George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, 123-173.

HC6335: FINAL EXAMINATION

Directions: Write on three essays from the choice of essays below. Each essay should be four double-spaced typed pages.

1. “Neither pure dualism nor pure monism, the Hebrew position was ambiguous. Far from being a defect, this ambiguity was a great virtue” (The Prince of Darkness, p.42). Make an argument in support of this claim drawing upon specific passages from the Old Testament.

2. “The Devil of the New Testament is not tangential to the fundamental message, not a mere symbol. The saving mission of Christ can be fully understood only in terms of opposition to the Devil This is the whole point of the New Testament: the world is full of grief and suffering, but beyond the power of Satan is a greater power that gives meanings in the suffering” (The Prince of Darkness, p. 51).. Make an argument in support of this claim drawing upon specific passages from the New Testament.

3. Certain themes reoccur in the "59 formulations" (e.g., free will, sexuality, modified dualism, Satan's characteristics, Satan's power, etc.). Pick two of these themes and explicate them. That is to say, identify them in terms of the specific formulations from the list of 59 and relate them to the Christian duty to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

4. Drawing upon a close reading of chapters 11 and 12 of The Prince of Darkness (pp. 167-205) and class lecture, what generalizations can you make concerning the teaching of the Devil in the period between 1500 and 1700?

5. Russell speaks about the "fragmentation of the tradition" on the Devil in the modern period for which the name "Mephistopheles" is a fitting literary symbol. Drawing upon Russell and Shaw, explain the character of the modern Devil, Mephistopheles.

6. How do you understand the Devil in your own theology? In formulating your answer, employ Tillich and Peck. These writers may be used positively or negatively (or a combination of both) in your argument.