Devil - Etymology, Concept of the devil in world religions, Social and Political Uses of the Devil Concept

A supernatural evil agent thought to influence human behaviour, in many religious beliefs; when referring to a specific character in the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the chief of the evil spirits or fallen angels; also known as Satan. Devil is a rare term in the Hebrew Scriptures (where Satan is more common), but more frequent in the New Testament, where the Devil is sometimes represented as a serpent (Rev 12.9) or as a tempter (Matt 4.1). In religious literature the Devil appears in many different guises, human or animal, and with many different names (eg Beelzebul, Belial, ahuras, jinn). Exorcism of individuals possessed by demons is long attested in the Judaeo-Christian tradition, but cults of devil-worship (or Satanism) involving witchcraft, black magic, and the occult have persisted despite opposition throughout most of Christian history.

The Devil is a title given to a supernatural entity, who, in most interpretations of the Abrahamic faiths, is the central embodiment of evil.

Christianity views Satan as an angel cast from heaven by God, for being prideful, deceitful, and the tempter.

Etymology

The English word devil derives via Middle English devel and Old English dēofol and Latin Diábolus, from Late Greek Diabolos, meaning, slanderer, from diaballein, to slander: dia-, across + ballein, to hurl.

Concept of the devil in world religions

Christianity

In Christianity the Devil is also known as Satan, and sometimes as Lucifer.

Islam

In Islam the Devil is referred to as Iblis, which is Arabic for Boo, and is also called Hairy (Arabic: Shaitan) (a word referring to evil angel-like beings). According to the Qur'an, God (called Allah in Arabic) created the Hairy out of "smokeless fire", while He created man out of clay. The primary characteristic of the Devil, besides hubris, is that he has no power other than the power to cast evil suggestions into the heart of men.

According to the verses of the Qur’an, the Devil's mission until the Qiyamah or Resurrection Day (yaum-ul-qiyama) is to deceive Adam's children (mankind). The Devil is also referred to as one of the Djinns (genies), as they are all created from the smokeless fires. The Qur'an does not depict Shaitan (English: Satan) as the enemy of God, for God is supreme over all his creations and Iblis is just one of his creations. All good is from God Himself and only He can save humanity from the evils of his universe and His creations.

He was expelled from the grace of God when he disobeyed God by choosing not to pay homage to Adam, the father of all mankind. Initially, the Devil was successful in deceiving Adam, but once his intentions became clear, Adam and Eve repented to God and were freed from their misdeeds and forgiven. God gave them a strong warning about Iblis and the fires of Hell and asked them and their children (humankind) to stay away from the deceptions of their senses caused by the Devil. (For a more detailed account, see (Iblis or Shaitan.)

Judaism

In Judaism there is no concept of a devil like in Christianity or Islam.

In the book of Job (Iyov), ha-satan is the title, not the proper name, of an angel submitted to God; In Judaism ha-satan does not make evil, rather points out to God the evil inclinations and actions of humankind.

There is no evidence in Torah, or in the books of the Prophets and other writings, to suggest that God created an evil being. In fact, the Book of Isaiah, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Deuteronomy all have passages which God is credited for creating both the good and the evil of this world.

Also in book of Job some might notice that God and Satan strangely talk like old friends and it gives a bit of a sight into the God/Satan relationship.

The Hebrew word for evil used above is usually translated as 'calamity', 'disaster' or 'chaos'.

Zoroastrianism

In Zoroaster's revelation

In the Gathas, the oldest texts of the Zoroastrian Avesta and believed to have been composed by Zoroaster himself, the poet does not mention a manifest adversary.

Instead, Zoroaster perceives Ahura Mazda to be the one uncreated Creator of all (Yasna 44.7) and simultaneously as the Creator of only the good (Yasna 31.4).

In Gathic Zoroastrianism, Ahura Mazda is not omnipotent, but will utimately prevail.

In Zoroaster's revelation, the daevas, which in later Iranian culture and religion are interpreted to be the forces of evil, are simply the "wrong" or "false" divinities, the followers of which are to be brought back on the path of righteousness.

In Zurvanism

In Zurvanism (Zurvanite Zoroastrianism), Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu are the "twin" offspring of Zurvan, 'Time'.

Zurvanism is first attested (locally) in 3rd century CE Western Iran but was probably already a popular form of Zoroastrianism in the 4th century BCE, and very possibly a product of the contact with Chaldea.

In present-day Zoroastrianism

In 1884, Martin Haug proposed a new interpretation of Yasna 30.3 that provided an escape from (what was considered to be) the dualism implicit in the Gathas.

In effect, the Angra Mainyu versus Spenta Mainyu theory was simply a rediscovery of the precepts of Zurvanism (Zurvanite Zoroastrianism), with the difference that Angra Mainyu was now not Ahura Mazda's equal, but an emanation of Him.

There is no trace of such philosophy in Zoroastrian tradition, but Haug's interpretation was gratefully accepted by the Parsis of Bombay since it provided a defence against Christian missionaries who were attacking the Zoroastrians for the dualism inherent to the idea of (substantiated) Evil that was as uncreated as God was.

Hinduism

In contrast to the Christian traditions and Islam, Hinduism does not recognize any central evil force or entity such as the Devil opposing God but does recognize that different beings (e.g., asuras) and entities can perform evil acts and cause wordly sufferings. Prominent asura is Rahu whose characteristics are similar to those of the Devil.

However, Hindus, and Vaishnavites in particular, believe that Vishnu incarnates to destroy evil when evil has reached its maximum. So, all these devils are very inferior cadre and mostly because of mental imagination. The main difference from other religions to Hinduism is that no devil has enough power to face God.

Buddhism

A "devil"-like figure in Buddhism is Mara.

Odu-Ifa

There is no Devil in Ifa. Christian missionaries attempted to equate the Devil with Esu.

Ancient Egypt

Given that Christianity, Judaism and Islam can find many of their philosophical roots in Ancient Egypt it is not surprising that the devil concept can also be traced back there. While the term "devil" is not used in Ancient Egypt the term Set, the name of Horus' "enemy" lends itself to the character known in the previously mentioned religions "Satan".

As in most polytheistic faiths, the characters involved differentiate themselves from the Western tradition of a devil in that all the gods are closely related.

Syncreto-Paganism

In Neopagan religions that have assimilated aspects of Abrahamic mythology into their own pantheons, Satan, Lucifer, and Beelzebub are often seen as distinct and separate beings who perform necessary cosmic functions. The Streghe see Lucifer (the name "Satan" is never used in Stregheria) as a kind and philanthropic deity who chose to disobey the tyrant-god of the Christians by appearing in the form of the serpent to offer knowledge of good and evil to humans (presumably via the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, as this is an allusion to the Genesis myth) in order to expose the Abrahamic God for the evil being he truly was.

Neopaganism

Christian tradition has frequently identified pagan religions and witchcraft with the influence of Satan.

In fact few neopagan traditions recognize Satan or the Devil per se. These gods usually reflect mythological figures such as Cernunnos or Pan, and any similarity they may have to the Christian Devil seems to date back only to the 19th century, when a Christian reaction to Pan's growing importance in literature and art resulted in his image being translated to that of the Devil.

New Age movement

Participants in the New Age movement have widely varied views about Satan, the Devil, and so forth.

Left Hand Path

Social and Political Uses of the Devil Concept

People put the concept of the Devil to use in social and political conflicts.

Demonize enemies

People sometimes link their enemies to the Devil. Here are some examples:

Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil: a pamphlet written by Martin Luther in 1545. Luther likewise was portrayed by the Roman Catholic Church as a disciple of the Devil.

The concept of reason was referred to by Martin Luther as "The Devil's whore".

The Nation of Islam has been known to refer to white Americans as "white devils".

Certain Iranian politicians, religious leaders and others have on numerious occasions referred to the U.S. as the Great Satan, and in recent years to Israel as the Little Satan

On Sept. Bush, whom had spoken there the day before, as "the devil."

Explain others’ beliefs

One can use the concept of the Devil to explain why others hold beliefs that one considers to be false and ungodly. Forsyth tells the Devil's story from the Epic of Gilgamesh through to the writings of St. Augustine. The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, by Jeffrey Burton Russell (Meridian, New York 1977) is "a history of the personification of evil" which, to make things clear, he calls "the Devil". Accessible and engaging, full of photographs illustrating the text, this is the first of a four volume series on the history of the concept of the Devil. The following volumes are, Satan: The Early Christian Tradition, Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages, and Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World. The Devil in Legend and Literature, by Maximilian Rudwin (Open Court, La Salle, Illinois, 1931, 1959) is a compendium of "the secular and sacred adventures of Satan".

Also known as

666 : Marking / Name / Number of the Beast (thought to not be referring to the Devil by many); some manuscripts read 616 Adversary Angat: Madagascan devil Angra Mainyu, Ahriman: "malign spirit", "unholy spirit" Antichrist: adversary of the son of God Christ Apep Apostate Supreme Arawn: Welsh god of the Underworld Azazel, Asael (Hebrew): King of Devils Baal: originally a Cannanite god Baphomet: supposedly worshipped by the Knights Templar Beelzebub, Beelsebul (Hebrew): Master of the flies Behemoth Belial, Beliar, Bheliar (Hebrew): without master, despicableness of the earth Black Man Blasphemer Crimson King Chernobog Chutriel (Hebrew): Punisher of Hell Dagon: originally a Philistine sea god Dark Angel Dajjal Demogorgon Diabolus, Diavolus (Greek): "downward flowing", also used as adverb diabolic Dispater Father of Lies and Deceit Goodger (Devon) Great Red Dragon Iblis: Islamic view of devil

Ishtar: Babylonian goddess of the fertility Der Leibhaftige (German): "He Himself" Leviathan (Hebrew): the queue from the depths Lilith (Hebrew): female devil or the devil's female aspect Loki: Norse god of mischief Lotan Lord of the Underworld / Lord of Hell Lord of This World Lucifer (Greek and Roman): bringer of light, illuminator; often believed to be Satan's name before he fell Mammon: Aramaic God of prosperity and profit Mara Melkor Mephistopheles, Mephisto (Greek): that, which avoids the light the Morning star Mortus Mot Negeos (Negagandolus) Nergal Old Scratch: a colloquialism for the devil, as indicated by the name of the character in the Stephen Vincent Benét short story, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" O Yama: Japanese name for Satan Orcus Pan: Greek God of the desire, later converted to the devil Pazuzu Plutus

Prince of Darkness Prince of the powers of the Air Pwcca: Celtic name for Satan Ragnara Rahu Satan, Schaitan (Hebrew): adversary, prosecutor Sammael, Samiel, Sammael (Hebrew): “Poison of God” Samnu: centralasiatic devil Sebul Sedit: Native American devil Serpent Set: Egyptian devil Shaitan: Arab name for Satan, this term is also used in Islamic verses Sokar Supay: Inka God of the underworld Surtr T´An Mo: Chinese counterpart to the devil, demand Tchort: Russian name for Satan, “black God” Tempter Typhon Toño Urian Voland (medieval France) Yaldabaoth: who the Gnostics considered the creator of the world.