XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien, alt.fan.tolkien, alt.religion.tolkienology   
   XPost: alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic, alt.religion.christian   
   From: hayesmstw@hotmail.com   
      
   On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 12:27:59 +0000 (UTC), "Douglas Eckhart"   
    wrote:   
      
   >   
   >"the softrat"  wrote in message   
   >news:fbfqsvktsvfr01gt286bmockfnm1mjilah@4ax.com...   
      
   >> >The Christian notion of 'demons' too stems from the old Greek 'Daemones'   
   >> >which actually referred to any kind of spirit, not necessarily an 'evil'   
   >> >one.   
   >> >   
   >> Not the 'notion', which is virtually universal. Just the word.   
      
      
      
   >However, it was certainly not the case that 'Daimones' were universally   
   >recognised as 'evil' spirits. Daimones was a greek term which applied to all   
   >spirits, and they were not any more good or evil than people.   
   >However, with the advent of christianisation demons (and all pagan gods)   
   >were alterd to fit in with the the 'eternal battle' good/evil bollocks which   
   >was being promoted by Christianity, which of course it got from Judaism and   
   >before that Zoarostianism....   
      
   Check again what Softrat said, and perhaps read up on the history   
      
   >Check Prof. Robert Turcan's book 'Cults of the Roman Empire' to get the   
   >lowdown on this.   
      
   Read the following to get the lowdown on the Christian understanding of this.   
      
            Russell, Jeffrey B. 1980. A history of witchcraft: sorcerers,   
                 heretics and pagans. London: Thames & Hudson. Dewey:   
                 133.4   
      
            Russell, Jeffrey Burton. 1977. The devil: perceptions of evil   
                 from antiquity to primitive Christianity. Ithaca, NY:   
                 Cornell University Press. Dewey: 291.26   
      
            Russell, Jeffrey Burton. 1981. Satan: the early Christian   
                 tradition. Cornell University Press: Ithaca. Dewey:   
                 235.470 901 RUS   
      
            Russell, Jeffrey Burton. 1984. Lucifer: the devil in the   
                 Middle Ages. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.   
                 Dewey: 235.47 RUSS   
      
            Russell, Jeffrey Burton. 1986. Mephistopheles: the devil in   
                 the modern world. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.   
                 Dewey: 235.40903 RUSS   
      
            Russell, Jeffrey Burton. 1988. The Prince of Darkness:   
                 radical evil and the power of good in history. Ithaca,   
                 NY: Cornell University Press. Dewey: 235.47   
      
            Wink, Walter. 1984. Naming the powers. Philadelphia:   
                 Fortress. Dewey: 235.3   
      
            Wink, Walter. 1986. Unmasking the powers: the invisible   
                 forces that determine human existence. Philadelphia:   
                 Fortress. Dewey: 235 WINK   
      
      
   --   
   Steve Hayes   
   E-mail: hayesmstw@hotmail.com   
   Web: http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/stevesig.htm   
        http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/books.htm   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)