Description: Satan's transformation from opaque functionary to chief antagonist is one of the most striking features of the development of Jewish theology in the Second Temple Period and beyond. Once no more than an "accuser" testing members of the human community, Satan, along with his demons, is presented by Jewish apocalyptic texts and the New Testament as a main source of evil in the world. In Satan and the Problem of Evil, noted scholar Archie Wright explores this dynamic in both its historical and theological trajectories.
Interactions with Zoroastrianism led Jewish and Christian writers of the Second Temple Period to separate God from responsibility for evil in the world. This led to the emergence of a heavenly being that is responsible for evil and suffering: Satan. Satan and the Problem of Evil charts the development of Satan traditions and the problem of evil from the Hebrew Bible and its various translations in the Greek Septuagint to Jewish literature from the Second Temple Period to the Greek New Testament. It concludes by examining the writings of the early church theologians, from the late first century through the fourth century CE. Wright argues that these latter writers present a shift in the understanding of Satan to one that is significantly different from the Jewish Scriptures, extrabiblical Jewish literature, and the New Testament.Brief description: George W. Sarris is an actor, author, narrator, and storyteller. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Speech from Northwestern University and a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Sarris has been a principal spokesman in commercials, industrial films, and at trade shows for companies such as AT&T, American Express, BMW, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Puffs Tissues. He has developed a unique one-man show and audio/video series entitled The World's Greatest Stories. Sarris is also the author of Heaven's Doors . . . Wider Than You Ever Believed! The book was awarded the Silver Medal in Theology in the 2018 Illumination Awards for exemplary Christian literature. Sarris is the narrator for the 2011 revision of The Holy Bible, New International Version by Zondervan Publishing House. He has narrated audiobooks on a wide range of topics and has consistently received high reviews for his work.