[Milton-L] Good Books on Satan

[Salwa Khoddam]

Carl wrote:  "Under which heading, Scriptural or Literary, should we place Lewis's "Screwtape Letters?" Or do we want a third category?"

This is a very interesting question to me, and I'll offer some of my thoughts on this matter. My response is that Screwtape is definitely a literary work, primarily, with a type of a devil as the main character. It is a fictional work, extremely complex at that, that happens to have the devil as a character for Lewis to use, not to explicate the Scriptures, but to make fun of modern schools of thought of his time (published in 1942) from his Christian point of view.  One has to be extremely well versed in Christian doctrine to pick up some of the hidden theological implications that are interwoven with literary devices such as characterisation, building up  motives, and consistency of plot (all in the form of "personal" letters).  To me Screwtape would not belong in the category of "Biblical Studies" that Jim is thinking about like Elaine Pagels' book, for example, whose purpose is to explicate and comment on the devil in the Scriptures.
Screwtape was, and probably still is, the most popular book by Lewis and the one that was/is responsible for converting a lot of readers. I'm not sure that  works in the category of "Biblical Studies" have converted many people.  Also, It's strength is in its sparkling wit and fantasy, which are not  qualifications for a work in the category of "Biblical Studies."  Would you place Paradise Lost in the category of "Biblical Studies"?? Even the medieval Everyman and the seventeenth-century Pilgrim's Progress, heavy in theology as they are, are still literary works.
Maybe I'm after simplifying things rather than dividing and sub-dividing.  There's certainty in boundaries.
Best,
Salwa Khoddam


----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Carl Bellinger 
  To: John Milton Discussion List 
  Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 12:41 PM
  Subject: Re: [Milton-L] Good Books on Satan


  Under which heading, Scriptural or Literary, should we place Lewis's "Screwtape Letters?" Or do we want a third category?

  Same guest for Luther's devil; the one he threw an inkwell at. 

  -Carl
    From: James Rovira 
    Are you looking primarily for works dealing with the Hebrew Scriptures and the NT (say, Biblical studies), or are you looking for works focusing on Satan in English lit?

    Jim R


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