The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity Hardcover - October, 1977

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A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics, & Pagans

( "It separates centuries of supernatural nonsense from d...)

"It separates centuries of supernatural nonsense from documented fact spellbinding."―Los Angeles Times For nearly thirty years, Jeffrey B. Russell's authoritative book has been the one illustrated history to which anyone interested in this subject could turn with confidence. Now, in collaboration with Brooks Alexander, who has himself conducted innovative research in the field, this classic book has been fully revised, with an updated introduction and bibliography, new information throughout, and an extended account of witchcraft from ancient times to the present day. Drawing comparisons between modern sorcery and that of the ancient world, the book shows how the European witch craze in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries developed out of a combination of ancient sorcery and medieval Christian heresy, paganism, folklore, scholastic theology, and inquisitorial trials. Whether the diabolical witchcraft for which men and women went to the stake ever existed is open to question. What matters more is that it was believed to exist by intellectuals and peasants alike. 110 illustrations

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Dissent and Reform in the Early Middle Ages:

(Book by Russell, Jeffrey Burton)

Book by Russell, Jeffrey Burton

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Dissent and reform in the early Middle Ages.

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Religious Dissent in the Middle Ages (Major Issues in History)

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By Jeffrey Burton Russell - The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History: 1st (first) Edition

(Brand New. In Stock. Will be shipped from US. Excellent C...)

Brand New. In Stock. Will be shipped from US. Excellent Customer Service.

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WITCHCRAFT In The MIDDLE AGES.

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Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity (Cornell Paperbacks)

(This lively and learned book traces the history of the co...)

This lively and learned book traces the history of the concept of evil from its beginnings in ancient times to the period of the New Testament. A remarkable work of synthesis, it draws upon a vast number of sources in addressing a major historical and philosophical problem over a broad span of time and in a number of diverse cultures, East and West. Jeffrey Burton Russell probes the roots of the idea of evil, treats the development of the idea in the Ancient Near East, and then examines the concept of the Devil as it was formed in late Judaism and early Christianity. Generously illustrated with fifty black-and-white photographs, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers, from specialists in religion, theology, sociology, history, psychology, anthropology, and philosophy to anyone with an interest in the demonic, the supernatural, and the question of good and evil.

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Paradise Mislaid: How We Lost Heaven--and How We Can Regain It

(The Christian concept of heaven flourished for almost two...)

The Christian concept of heaven flourished for almost two millennia, but it has lost much of its power in the last hundred years. Indeed today even theologians tend to avoid the topic. But heaven has always been a central tenet of the Christian faith, writes Jeffrey Burton Russell. If there is no heaven, no resurrection of the dead, the entire Christian story makes no sense. In this stimulating book, Russell sets out to rehabilitate heaven by forcefully attacking a series of ideas that have made belief in heaven, not to mention belief in God, increasingly difficult for modern people. Russell provides elegant and persuasive refutations of arguments ranging from the idea that science has disproved the existence of the supernatural, to the notion that biblical criticism has emptied the scripture of meaning. Along the way, as Russell looks at the ideas of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer, Mark Twain and Alfred Lord Tennyson, Marx and Freud, and a host of others, he sheds light not only on the history of Christian thought, but on the process of secularization in the West. One by one, Russell refutes these anti-religious ideologies, pinpointing the deficiencies of their reasoning. Throughout the book, Russell invites the reader, whatever his or her beliefs, to take the concept of heaven seriously both as a worldview in itself and as one with enormous influence on the world. It is a book that will be welcomed by thinking Christians, who often feel beleaguered by the forces of modernity and sometimes find it hard to defend their own beliefs.

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Witchcraft in the Middle Ages

( All the known theories and incidents of witchcraft in W...)

All the known theories and incidents of witchcraft in Western Europe from the fifth to the fifteenth century are brilliantly set forth in this engaging and comprehensive history. Building on a foundation of newly discovered primary sources and recent secondary interpretations, Jeffrey Burton Russell first establishes the facts and then explains the phenomenon of witchcraft in terms of its social and religious environment, particularly in relation to medieval heresies. Russell treats European witchcraft as a product of Christianity, grounded in heresy more than in the magic and sorcery that have existed in other societies. Skillfully blending narration with analysis, he shows how social and religious changes nourished the spread of witchcraft until large portions of medieval Europe were in its grip, "from the most illiterate peasant to the most skilled philosopher or scientist." A significant chapter in the history of ideas and their repression is illuminated by this book. Our enduring fascination with the occult gives the author's affirmation that witchcraft arises at times and in areas afflicted with social tensions a special quality of immediacy.

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Witchcraft in the Middle Ages by Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1972) Hardcover

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A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics & Pagans By Russell, Jeffrey B ( Author ) 2007 ) Paperback

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Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages (Cornell Paperbacks) by Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1986) Paperback

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Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians by Jeffrey Burton Russell (1997) Paperback

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A History of Medieval Christianity: Prophecy and Order

(This volume, a general history of the church in the Middl...)

This volume, a general history of the church in the Middle Ages, pays close attention to the spiritual, intellectual, and institutional aspects of medieval Christianity. From its beginnings, the church has existed in a state of tension between two forces: the spirit of order and the spirit of prophecy. The spirit of order attempts to reform humanity and human institutions; the spirit of prophecy attempts to transform them into the world of God. This tension created a balance within the church that kept it from forgetting the nature of basic religious experience while continuing to remain sensitive to the needs of society.

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Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World

( Mephistopheles is the fourth and final volume of a crit...)

Mephistopheles is the fourth and final volume of a critically acclaimed history of the concept of the Devil. The series constitutes the most complete historical study ever made of the figure that has been called the second most famous personage in Christianity. In his first three volumes Jeffrey Burton Russell brought the history of Christian diabology to the end of the Middle Ages, showing the development of a degree of consensus, even in detail, on the concept of the Devil. Mephistopheles continues the story from the Reformation to the present, tracing the fragmentation of the tradition. Using examples from theology, philosophy, art, literature, and popular culture, he describes the great changes effected in our idea of the Devil by the intellectual and cultural developments of modem times. Emphasizing key figures and movements, Russell covers the apogee of the witch craze in the Renaissance and Reformation, the effects of the Enlightenment's rationalist philosophy, the Romantic image of Satan, and the cynical or satirical literary treatments of the Devil in the late nineteenth century. He concludes that although today the Devil may seem an outworn metaphor, the very real horrors of the twentieth century suggest the continuing need for some vital symbol of radical evil. A work of great insight and learning, Mephistopheles deepens our understanding of the ways in which people in Western societies have dealt with the problem of evil.

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Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World Paperback February 22, 1990

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Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians 1st edition by Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1991) Hardcover

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Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages (Cornell Paperbacks)

( Evil is an intrinsically fascinating topic. In Lucifer,...)

Evil is an intrinsically fascinating topic. In Lucifer, Jeffrey Burton Russell continues his compelling study of the personification of evil in the figure of the Devil. The previous two volumes in this remarkable tertalogy―The Devil and Satan―trace the history of the concept of the devil comparatively as it emerged in diverse cultures and followed its development in Western thought from the ancient Hebrew religion through the first five centuries of the Christian era. The present volume charts the evolution of the concept of the devil from the fifth century through the fifteenth. Drawing on an impressive array of sources from popular religion, art, literature, and drama, as well as from scholastic philosophy, mystical theology, homiletics, and hagiography, Russell provides a detailed treatment of Christian diabology in the Middle Ages. Although he focuses primarily on Western Christian thought, Russell also includes, for the sake of comparison, material on the concept of the devil in Greek Orthodoxy during the Byzantine period as well as in Muslim thought. Russell recounts how the Middle Ages saw a refinement in detail rather than a radical alteration of diabological theory. He shows that the medieval concept of the devil, fundamentally unchanged over the course of the centuries, eventually gave rise to the unyielding beliefs that resulted in the horrifying cruelties of the witch-hunting craze in the 1500s and 1600s. This major contribution to the history of the Middle Ages and to the history of religion will enlighten scholars and students alike and will appeal to anyone concerned with the problem of evil in our world.

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Satan: The Early Christian Tradition (Cornell Paperbacks)

( Undeniably, evil exists in our world; we ourselves comm...)

Undeniably, evil exists in our world; we ourselves commit evil acts. How can one account for evil's ageless presence, its attraction, and its fruits? The question is one that Jeffrey Burton Russell addresses in his history of the concept of the Devil―the personification of evil itself. In the predecessor to this book, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Russell traced the idea of the Devil in comparative religions and examined its development in Western thought through ancient Hebrew religion and the New Testament. This volume follows its course over the first five centuries of the Christian era. Like most theological problems, the question of evil was largely ignored by the primitive Christian community. The later Christian thinkers who wrestled with it for many centuries were faced with a seemingly irreconcilable paradox: If God is benevolent and omnipotent, why does He permit evil? How, on the other hand, can God be all-powerful if one adopts a dualist stance, and posits two divine forces, one good and one evil? Drawing upon a rich variety of literary sources as well as upon the visual arts, Russell discusses the apostolic fathers, the apologetic fathers, and the Gnostics. He goes on to treat the thought of Irenaeus and Tertullian, and to describe the diabology of the Alexandrian fathers, Clement and Origen, as well as the dualist tendencies in Lactantius and in the monastic fathers. Finally he addresses the syntheses of the fifth century, especially that of Augustine, whose view of the Devil has been widely accepted in the entire Christian community ever since. Satan is both a revealing study of the compelling figure of the Devil and an imaginative and persuasive inquiry into the forces that shape a concept and ensure its survival.

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Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians

( Neither Christopher Columbus nor his contemporaries tho...)

Neither Christopher Columbus nor his contemporaries thought the earth was flat. Yet this curious illusion persists today, firmly established with the help of the media, textbooks, teachers—even noted historians. Inventing the Flat Earth is Russell's attempt to set the record straight. He begins with a discussion of geographical knowledge in the Middle Ages, examining what Columbus and his contemporaries actually did believe, and then moves to a look at how the error was first propagated in the 1820s and 1830s and then snowballed to outrageous proportions by the late 19th century. But perhaps the most intriguing focus of the book is the reason why we allow this error to persist. Do we prefer to languish in a comfortable and familiar error rather than exert the effort necessary to discover the truth? This uncomfortable question is engagingly answered. Inventing the Flat Earth is Jeffrey Burton Russell's attempt to set the record straight. He begins with a discussion of geographical knowledge in the Middle Ages, examining what Columbus and his contemporaries actually did believe, and then moves to a look at how the error was first propagated in the 1820s and 1830s—including how noted writers Washington Irving and Antoinne-Jean Letronne were among those responsible. He shows how later day historians followed these original mistakes, and how this snowball effect grew to outrageous proportions in the late nineteenth century, when Christians opposed to Darwinism were labelled as similar to Medieval Christians who (allegedly) thought the earth was flat. But perhaps the most intriguing focus of the book is the reason why we allow this error to persist. Do we prefer to languish in a comfortable and familiar error rather than exert the effort necessary to discover the truth? This uncomfortable question is engagingly answered, and includes a discussion about the implications of this for historical knowledge and scholarly honesty.

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A New History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics & Pagans: Sorcerers, Heretics and Pagans by Jeffrey B. Russell (2-Apr-2007) Paperback

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Dissent and Order in the Middle Ages: The Search for Legitimate Authority (Twayne's Studies in Intellectual and Cultural History) (No 3)

(Book by Russell, Jeffrey Burton)

Book by Russell, Jeffrey Burton

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The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History

( The Devil, Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles - throughout ...)

The Devil, Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles - throughout history the Prince of Darkness, the Western world's most powerful symbol of evil, has taken many names and shapes. Jeffrey Burton Russell here chronicles the remarkable story of the Devil from antiquity to the present. While recounting how past generations have personified evil, he deepens our understanding of the ways in which people have dealt with the enduring problem of radical evil. After a compelling essay on the nature of evil, Russell uncovers the origins of the concept of the Devil in various early cultures and then traces its evolution in Western thought from the time of the ancient Hebrews through the first centuries of the Christian era. Next he turns to the medieval view of the Devil, focusing on images found in folklore, scholastic thought, art, literature, mysticism, and witchcraft. Finally, he follows the Devil into our own era, where he draws on examples from theology, philosophy, art, literature, and popular culture to describe the great changes in this traditional notion of evil brought about by the intellectual and cultural developments of modern times. Is the Devil an outmoded superstition, as most educated people today believe? Or do the horrors of the twentieth century and the specter of nuclear war make all too clear the continuing need for some vital symbol of radical evil? A single-volume distillation of Russell's epic tetralogy on the nature and personifcation of evil from ancient times to the present (published by Cornell University Press between 1977 and 1986), The Prince of Darkness invites readers to confront these and other critical questions as they explore the past faces of that figure who has been called the second most famous personage in Christianity.

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Satan: The Early Christian Tradition (Cornell Paperbacks) Paperback - August 25, 1987

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Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians

(Five hundred years after Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)...)

Five hundred years after Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), history continues to be accompanied by a curious and persistent illusion; the well-known fable that when Columbus discovered America he proved that the earth is round - to the astonishment of contemporaries who believed that it was flat and that one might sail off the edge. This error has become firmly established in the popular mind by the media, textbooks, and teachers, despite the fact that historians of science have known and proclaimed for over sixty years that most people in Columbus' time believed the earth to be spherical. Jeffrey Burton Russell aims to set the record straight, beginning with a discussion of geographical knowledge in the Middle Ages and what Columbus and his contemporaries actually did believe. Russell then demonstrates why and how the error was first propagated in the 1820s and 1830s - and how Washington Irving and Antoine-Jeane Latronne were among those responsible. Later historians followed the mistakes of these writers, reaching a peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Christians opposed to Darwinism were labelled similar to medieval Christians who allegedly opposed the sphericity of the earth. "Inventing the Flat Earth" ends with an explanation of why the error remains pervasive in society, despite the overwhelming evidence against it, and the implications of this for historical knowledge and scholarly honesty.

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Ruga in Aevis: A Latin Translation of a Wrinkle in Time

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Dissent and Order in the Middle Ages: The Search for Legitimate Authority (Twayne's Studies in Intellectual and Cultural History) (No 3) Hardcover - June, 1992

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History of Medieval Christianity

(This volume, a general history of the Church in the Middl...)

This volume, a general history of the Church in the Middle Ages, pays close attention to the spiritual, intellectual, and institutional aspects of medieval Christianity. The author's central theme is the tension between the two forces within the Church - the spirit of order and the spirit of prophecy. The spirit of order attempts to reform man and his institutions; the spirit of prophecy attempts to transform them into the world of God. Mr. Russell suggests that this tension created a balance within the Church that kept it from forgetting the nature of basic religious experience while continuing to remain sensitive to the needs of society. No study of medieval history would be complete without a consideration of the role of the Church in medieval life; students using this book will find it eminently suited to this purpose.

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A History of Heaven

( Well-known for his historical accounts of Satan and hel...)

Well-known for his historical accounts of Satan and hell, Jeffrey Burton Russell here explores the brighter side of eternity: heaven. Dispensing with the cliché images of goodness that can make even heaven seem unbearable, the author stimulates our imagination with a history of how the joy of paradise has been conceived by writers, philosophers, and artists for whom heaven was an imminent reality. Russell not only explores concepts found among the ancient Jews, Greeks, and Romans as well as early and medieval Christians, but also addresses the intellectual problems heaven poses: how does time "pass" in eternity? is heaven a place or a state? who is in and who is not? what happens to the body and soul between death and Judgment Day? Russell stresses that the best way to approach the logic-defying concept of a place occupying neither space nor time is through poetry and paradox, and through the visions of such mystics as Bernard, Julian of Norwich, and Eckhart. After the Revelation of Saint John the Divine, the most sublime and encompassing portrait of heaven to date has come not from a theologian but from a poet--Dante Alighieri in his Divine Comedy. Russell's history of heaven culminates in a lively analysis of how Dante described the glories of the indescribable. The unsurpassed images of light, movement, and community that Dante uses so skillfully to convey the presence of God are rooted in the Jewish picture of heaven as a garden or court and in the Greek picture of the Elysian Fields. Using current scholarly insights together with a vast store of knowledge gathered from the past, Russell takes the idea of heaven as valid and important in itself--something to be understood from the point of view of those believing in it. His very use of language immerses us in the thoughts of those who have sought heaven and provides rich material for contemplation.

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