THE DEVIL IN WESTERN SOCIETY: HISTORICAL THEMES

Undergraduate

From Megiddo and Patmos, through the sewers of nineteenth-century Paris and into the studios of America’s televangelists, this course will examine how the figure of the devil has been made and remade over the centuries in response to broader historical trends. Topics may include: the ancient combat myth; the devil in the Christian scriptures; Satan and Lucifer; the devil and the saints; the idea of hell; monks and demons; demonic witchcraft; the development of exorcism; Protestant devils; the devil in art, literature and film; the demonization of outsiders; devils and the New World and Old; comedic devils; and the devil in the modern American consciousness. Cross-listed with History 1160 Three credit hours