Is the Devil a Myth?

Wimberly, C. F. (Charles Franklin), 1866-1946Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 222K words
Chapters: 23

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.Is the Devil a Myth? by C. F. WimberlyAuthor: Wimberly, C. F. (Charles Franklin), 1866-1946,Language: English, Class: BT: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Doctrinal theology, God, Christology, Release Date: Jul 12, 2013

Editor's review

Is the Devil a Myth? is an English-language treatise by Charles F. Wimberly examining whether the Devil is merely a myth; the public-domain Project Gutenberg e-text makes it freely accessible and searchable. Classified under Christian dogmatic theology, the book addresses the traditional question of whether the Devil truly exists and reflects one voice in early twentieth-century theological discussion. Its reading value lies in presenting the argumentation of a particular era and standpoint, making it suitable as supplementary material for the history of Christian theological thought and the topic of demonology rather than a neutral survey. Readers should treat it as a positioned primary source, distinguishing the author's presuppositions from his arguments and comparing it with works taking different positions. The English is fairly direct, but theological concepts are involved, so non-specialist readers may wish to acquire basic doctrinal background first. It suits readers interested in demonology and Christian apologetics; reading in a quiet setting while making note cards of viewpoints will yield a more solid takeaway.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying Christian demonology and dogmatic theology
Those interested in apologetics and religious debate
Students needing public-domain English theological texts for reference
Readers wanting to understand early twentieth-century theological discussion

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a neutral comparative-religion survey
Those completely unfamiliar with basic Christian concepts and unwilling to build background
Readers seeking only short popular devotional pieces

Reading tips

Learn the basic Christian doctrine of the Devil before entering the main text
Distinguish the author's presuppositions from his argumentative steps and make viewpoint cards while reading
Read alongside theological works taking different positions for comparison
After each chapter, restate the core argument in your own words to check comprehension

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's stance neutral?

Judging from the title and classification, the author argues the question of whether the Devil is a myth from a clear theological standpoint; it is not a neutral comparative study. Readers should regard it as a primary source expressing one position and judge it in light of other materials.

Can I understand it without theological background?

The book involves dogmatic theological concepts, and readers with no background at all may find it difficult. It is advisable to first acquire basic Christian concepts of God, the Devil, and sin; the author's arguments will then be much easier to follow.

What is the Gutenberg edition suitable for?

It offers a free English electronic text suitable for keyword searching, copying quotations, and reading across devices, and can serve as supplementary material for research in the history of theological thought. For academic writing, however, you should still verify the edition and page numbers cited.

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About the author

Wimberly, C. F. (Charles Franklin), 1866-1946 Author

C. F. Wimberly (Charles Franklin Wimberly, 1866–1946) is an author about whom little is publicly known; his nationality, education, and career cannot be reliably established. What can be confirmed is that he left one work, Is the Devil a Myth?, the only title by him held in this collection. Judging from its title, the book addresses the religious and theological question of whether the devil truly exists, and belongs to the tradition of argumentative writing on Christian doctrine, likely aimed at general readers rather than specialists. Such subjects were common in English-language religious publishing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, where question-style titles drew readers in and were then answered through scripture and theological reasoning. Given the scarcity of biographical material, Wimberly's style and stance can only be tentatively inferred from this title, and his historical influence remains to be further examined.