Satan

Chafer, Lewis Sperry, 1871-1952Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 243K words
Chapters: 25

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Satan by Lewis Sperry ChaferAuthor: Chafer, Lewis Sperry, 1871-1952,Language: English, Class: BT: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Doctrinal theology, God, Christology, Release Date: Jun 1, 2004

Editor's review

Satan is an English theological work by Lewis Sperry Chafer on the subject of Satan, falling within the field of Christian dogmatic theology. Chafer treats the origin, character, work, and destiny of Satan within a systematic theology framework, in a style typical of early twentieth-century American evangelical theological writing: clearly structured argument, dense scriptural citation, and close attention to defining and distinguishing doctrinal propositions. The book's value lies in offering a relatively complete traditional theological perspective for readers to understand how conservative theology conceives the source of sin and temptation; for the study of the historical forms of Christian demonology, it is also a directly readable primary text. As a public-domain e-book, the main barrier to reading is language and theological background rather than length. It is suitable as supplementary material for topical theological reading, and is best read alongside the biblical texts; those seeking popular devotional reading or a general survey of religious history may find the argument rather technical and the context remote.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Christian systematic theology and demonology
Theology students who need original English-language sources for specialized research
Pastoral workers who want to understand traditional doctrinal statements about temptation
Enthusiasts of religious texts accustomed to reading public-domain English e-books

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for popular devotional essays or narrative content
Those who struggle with English reading and need a Chinese translation
Readers expecting cross-religious comparison or psychological analysis

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and the opening of each chapter to grasp the place of the doctrine of Satan within systematic theology, then read chapter by chapter.
Keep a Bible at hand and check the original sources of the dense citations; this significantly reduces the difficulty of comprehension.
After each chapter, write a three-to-five-line summary in your own words to trace the author's chain of argument.
If English is difficult, read the relevant chapters of a Chinese-language introduction to theology first, then return to the original text of this book.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a theological treatise?

It is a theological treatise, not a novel. Chafer discusses the theme of Satan in the manner of dogmatic theology, covering propositions such as his origin, character, works, and destiny. The writing consists mainly of argument and scriptural citation, with no narrative plot, so the reading expectation should be placed on doctrinal analysis rather than story reading.

Can I understand it without a theological background?

You can read it, but it will be rather laborious. The book makes extensive use of systematic theology terminology and cross-referencing of scriptural texts; without background, it is easy to see only the conclusions and miss the argument. It is advisable to first acquire the basic framework of an introduction to Christian doctrine, or to read and discuss with readers who have a theological background, before entering this book.

What should I note when reading the electronic edition?

This book comes from a public-domain electronic text on Project Gutenberg, laid out mainly as plain text without modern annotations or an introduction. When reading, it is advisable to mark chapters yourself, build an index of citations, and note differences in diction from early English usage; for unfamiliar expressions, judge from context rather than dwelling on every word.

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About the author

Chafer, Lewis Sperry, 1871-1952 Author · American · 1871–1952

Lewis Sperry Chafer (1871–1952) was an American theologian, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, and a representative figure in systematic theology and dispensationalism. He organized Christian doctrine in a careful, systematic way, and his writings have had a lasting influence on conservative theological education. This library holds his work Satan, which discusses the identity, activity, and final end of Satan. It is a topical theological study that gives weight both to doctrinal exposition and to biblical support, and it is aimed mainly at theology students and church readers. Because public information is limited, his biographical details should not be expanded here. His available work shows, however, that he focused on specific topics within a systematic framework and was accustomed to breaking complex doctrinal questions into clear subtopics for discussion one by one. For readers studying dispensational theology and twentieth-century American conservative theology, Chafer is a figure who cannot be overlooked; his works are focused in theme and clear in argument, making it easier for beginners to grasp the relevant theological threads.