As Christians, how do we address the contentious and often disturbing subject of demonology? Our cultural paradigms pit us between the extremes of skepticism and sensationalism. Increasingly diverse Christian communities are in desperate need of a biblical understanding of the demonic that transcends cultural frameworks – an understanding that will challenge assumptions, rebuke errors, and unite Christians in scriptural truth. Demonology for the Global Church endeavors to provide the biblical and theological essentials for a unified Christian perspective of the demonic. Avoiding speculation and anecdotal evidence, Scott D. MacDonald roots his analysis in Scripture. He frames a biblical demonology in light of global and contextual concerns, offering an understanding that avoids the pitfalls of anti-supernaturalism and over emphasis. If the church is to effectively overcome its spiritual adversaries, Christians from around the world must stand and resist together. This is an essential resource for the global church, relevant to students of theology, institutional scholars, cross-cultural missionaries, local pastors, and all types of Christian leaders.

A collection of five lectures which provide a much-needed study of the demonic in New Testament literature and thought, with useful summaries of demonology in the Greek and Jewish literature of that era.

"The supreme merit of Biblical Demonology is that it holds closely to the Word of God. . . . It will remain for many years to come the standard treatment of biblical demonology." —Dr. Wilbur M. Smith

Revised & Updated Edition! God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful love. Have you ever wondered if we're missing it? It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor—loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you've verbalized it yet or not, we all know something's wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts—it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same. Because when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything. Learn more about Crazy Love at www.crazylovebook.com.

Philosophers of religion have focused almost exclusively on the existence and nature of God and the nature and destiny of human beings. But these philosophers have been remiss in engaging discussions about the possibility of there being adverse gods of this world (demonic beings) despite being a doctrine that comprises a significant part of the Christian confession. This drought in the literature has left a number of questions unaddressed, including: Hasn't science buried the demonic? Are there any successful philosophical arguments for the existence of Satan? What kind of being is Satan? Is he the fallen angel of lore? Is it reasonable for Christians to say that demons are purely immaterial spirits? Can demons causally interact with the physical world and its inhabitants? Can demons perform diabolical miracles? Shandon Guthrie broaches new territory beginning with a rigorous defense for the existence of Satan and his cohorts. He then advances and defends a model for how to understand their nature in terms of their ontology and causal powers. No other book has attempted a full-fledged natural diabology on behalf of Christian orthodoxy. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the dark side of Christian theology and metaphysics. ""A large part of the world population believes in demons, angels, ghosts, and other supernatural forces, and yet very few philosophers have dared to develop a serious account of such beings. Guthrie's Gods of this World is a brilliant, unique work offering a serious philosophical account of the demonic with analytical skill and excellent research."" --Charles Taliaferro, St. Olaf College Shandon L. Guthrie (PhD; Manchester Metropolitan University) is a visiting lecturer of philosophy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has written and contributed to a number of published academic works on the subjects of angelology and demonology.

...probably the first thorough review of modern demonology...superb. Recommended... - Library Journal...a terrifically contextualized debunking that is sure to generate debate among the faithful. - Publishers Weekly...a fascinating book on the psychology of modern Western culture. - Science & Spirit MagazineThis fascinating discussion of modern demonology focuses on our ability to differentiate the physical world, with its mechanical laws, from the inherently less predictable psychological realm of thoughts and beliefs. McGrath points out that this ability was a hard-won historical development, and today must be learned in childhood through education. Because of this historical background and our rich fantasy life in childhood, each of us unconsciously suspects, or fears, that supernatural forces may break through the borders of our everyday commonsense order at any time. Indeed, at times of personal stress or societal crisis, the modern boundaries between fantasy and reality begin to slip, and then a magical world of demons and other phantasms can come flooding back into our disenchanted reality.Through this innovative thesis McGrath goes a long way toward explaining both our fascination with fantasy entertainment, such as horror stories and films, and bizarre crazes such as witch-hunts, Satanism scares, and even claims of alien abduction. Despite our demystified culture the lure of childhood's magic kingdom with its monstrous shadow realm remains strong.Malcolm McGrath (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a doctoral candidate in political philosophy at Oxford University.

This is the second volume of a series of three, containing seventeen essays of altogether forty-three articles based on the topics of the interdisciplinary conference held on "Demons, spirits, and witches" in Budapest. Recognized historians, ethnologists, folklorists coming from four continents present the latest research findings on the relationship, coexistence and conflicts of popular belief systems, Judeo-Christian mythology and demonology in medieval and modern Europe. After a first volume, published in 2005, on "Communicating with the Spirits", the studies in the present volume examine the manifold interchanges between learned and popular culture, and its repercussions on magical belief-system and the changing figure of the witch. Book jacket.