Philosophical Approaches to Demonology — Occult Philosophy

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🕯️ Occult Philosophy

Philosophical Approaches to Demonology

Name: Philosophical Approaches to Demonology
Price: 200.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781138205499

✍️ Benjamin W McCraw, Robert Arp

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$200.00

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

This compelling collection transcends typical historical or theological accounts, offering a profound philosophical exploration of demonology. Esteemed scholars delve into the nature of malevolent entities through the lenses of metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and ethics. It examines diverse perspectives, encompassing both traditional Eastern and Western religious doctrines, alongside contemporary interpretations that challenge conventional wisdom. For anyone seeking a deep intellectual engagement with the concept of demons, this volume provides incisive analysis and stimulating debate, making it an essential read for discerning minds.

McCraw, Benjamin W; , Arp, Robert

📚 all books by this author (2) →

🕯️

Occult Philosophy

🏛 Routledge 📅 2017 📖 304 pages 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9781138205499

Fun Fact

This volume brilliantly fills a significant void in the literature, offering a rigorous philosophical dissection of demonology. It excels at stimulating intellectual debate and presenting a multi-faceted, academic approach. Those seeking practical occult instruction or sensationalized accounts will be disappointed; this is a work for serious scholars and thinkers. It firmly establishes philosophical demonology as a legitimate and fertile field of inquiry, moving beyond mere folklore or theology.

📝 Description: Philosophical Approaches to Demonology

In contradistinction to the many monographs and edited volumes devoted to historical, cultural, or theological treatments of demonology, this collection features newly written papers by philosophers and other scholars engaged specifically in philosophical argument, debate, and dialogue involving ideas and topics in demonology. The contributors to the volume approach the subject from the perspective of the broadest areas of Western philosophy, namely metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and moral philosophy. The collection also features a plurality of religious, cultural, and theological views on the nature of demons from both Eastern and Western thought, in addition to views that may diverge from these traditional roots. Philosophical Approaches to Demonology will be of interest to philosophers of religion, theologians, and scholars working in philosophical theology and demonology, as well as historians, cultural anthropologists, and sociologists interested more broadly in the concept of demons.

📑 What's inside

Introduction
Robert Arp and Benjamin W. McCraw
Part I. Demons in Christianity
1 Augustine and Aquinas on the Demonic
Benjamin W. McCraw
2 The Demonic Body: Demonic Ontology and the Domicile of the Demons in Apuleius and Augustine
Seamus O'Neill
3 Christian Demonology: A New Philosophical Perspective
Shandon L. Guthrie
4 Women as "The Devil's Gateway" A Feminist Critique of Christian Demonology
Jeff Ewing
Part II. Non-Christian Conceptions of Demons
5 Socrates' Demonic Sign (Daimonion Sēmeion)
Charlene Elsby
6 The Ecological Demon: Silent Running and Interstellar
Brian Willems
7 Demons of Seduction in Early Jewish Literature
Dawn Hutchinson
8 The Jinn and the Shayatīn
Edward Moad
9 Māra: Devā and Demon
Christopher Ketcham
Part III. Demons and Epistemological Issues
10 Justified Belief in the Existence of Demons is Impossible
David Kyle Johnson
11 Esoteric Spirituality, Devils and Demons: Introducing the Gnostic Vision of Modernity
Kristina Sipova
12 Re-Enchantment and Contemporary Demonology
Olli Petteri Pitkänen
Part IV. Demons in Moral and Social Philosophy
13 Whedon's Demons: The Immorality of Moral Clarity and the Ethics of Moral Complexity
Talia Morag
14 Modern Representations of Evil: Kant, Arendt, and the Devil in Goethe's Faust and Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita
Elvira Basevich
15 The Politics of Possession: Reading King James's Daemonologie Through the Lens of Mimetic Realism
Duncan Reyburn

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

McCraw and Arp deliver a compelling collection that successfully transcends typical historical or theological accounts of demonology. The editorial assessment highlights its strength in offering a profound philosophical exploration through metaphysics, logic, and ethics. However, this book is explicitly NOT suited for readers seeking supernatural thrillers, practical spellcasting guides, or superficial historical summaries. It demands patience and academic rigor, making it inaccessible to those expecting easy answers or entertainment. While the intellectual engagement is high, the dense theoretical framework may alienate casual readers or those uninterested in abstract debate. It is a serious scholarly resource for specific niches within esoteric studies.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This volume is crafted specifically for the discerning mind seeking intellectual depth rather than sensationalism. Readers who crave a rigorous philosophical inquiry into the nature of malevolent entities will find immense value here. By exploring metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics, the book offers a profound engagement with the concept of demons that transcends conventional wisdom. It is essential for those interested in how diverse Eastern and Western doctrines intersect with contemporary interpretations. If you desire incisive analysis and stimulating debate regarding evil's deepest shadows, this collection provides the necessary framework for understanding these complex topics through an academic lens.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you're a philosopher, theologian, or scholar intrigued by the intellectual dimensions of evil, this is for you. Also, historians, anthropologists, or anyone seeking a deep, academic understanding of demonology, rather than just folklore, will find this an invaluable resource for serious study.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

McCraw and Arp deliver a compelling collection that successfully transcends typical historical or theological accounts of demonology. The editorial assessment highlights its strength in offering a profound philosophical exploration through metaphysics, logic, and ethics. However, this book is explicitly NOT suited for readers seeking supernatural thrillers, practical spellcasting guides, or superficial historical summaries. It demands patience and academic rigor, making it inaccessible to those expecting easy answers or entertainment. While the intellectual engagement is high, the dense theoretical framework may alienate casual readers or those uninterested in abstract debate. It is a serious scholarly resource for specific niches within esoteric studies.

❓ Frequently asked questions

While it touches upon various traditions, its primary focus is on the philosophical concepts surrounding demons, rather than detailing individual entities or grimoires. It's an inquiry into the idea of the demonic.

No, it's an academic philosophical study. While it discusses religious views, it does so from an analytical, critical perspective, not from a position of faith or theological advocacy.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Demonic Metaphysics and Ethics

This volume rigorously scrutinizes the very existence and nature of demons, questioning their ontological status and their role in moral frameworks. It probes the philosophical implications of malevolent forces, examining how their presence, or even the belief in them, shapes our understanding of good, evil, and human agency.

East Meets West Demonology

Moving beyond singular cultural narratives, the essays present a rich tapestry of demonological traditions from across the globe. Readers will encounter varied interpretations of demonic entities, exploring how different spiritual and philosophical systems, from ancient Eastern philosophies to Western theological doctrines, conceptualize and engage with these formidable forces.

Rethinking Demonic Concepts

The collection boldly ventures beyond conventional religious dogma, inviting readers to consider demonology through a broader, more critical lens. It explores modern philosophical interpretations and secular perspectives, challenging entrenched notions and fostering a nuanced understanding of how the concept of the demonic continues to evolve in contemporary thought.

📜 Historical context

While demonology has long been a subject of historical, cultural, and theological study, this collection carves out a distinct niche. It departs from purely descriptive or faith-based accounts, positioning itself firmly within the rigorous tradition of Western philosophy. By applying metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics to the subject, it offers a fresh, analytical framework for understanding the demonic in contemporary scholarship.

📚 Glossary

Metaphysics
Epistemology
Demonology

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might a purely philosophical understanding of 'evil' alter your personal or cultural conceptions of demonic entities?
If demons were proven to exist, what ethical obligations would humanity have towards them, or towards protecting ourselves from them, given a purely secular framework?
Consider a belief system different from your own. How does it conceptualize malevolent forces, and what philosophical assumptions underpin those views?