Seven Heads, Ten Horns: The History of the Devil

This week we return to the scene of the crime from our first episode—the Garden of Eden—to make sense of why Christian theologians got so obsessed with Adam and Eve and why this matters for understanding the Devil. Our main source is Irenaeus, a 2nd century theologian who wrote a very long book about why everyone else was wrong, Against Heresies. Our intro music is by Yung KooladeOur transition music is "Vater Lee" by Black Ant from here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Black_Ant/Free_Beats_Sel_3/Fater_Leelicense link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcodeA translation of Against Heresies: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103.htmOther things we read:Gustaf Aulèn, Christus VictorGerald Hiestand, The Bishop, Beelzebub, and the Blessings of Materiality: How Irenaeus’ Account of the Devil Reshapes the Christian Narrative in a Pro-Terrestrial DirectionDenis Minns, OP, Irenaeus: An IntroductionNeil Forsyth, The Old Enemy: Satan and the Combat MythJ.B. Russell, Satan: The Early Christian Tradition

Back in action with Season 2, Klaus and Travis discuss the mysterious and often acerbic Justin Martyr, the 2nd century philosopher and Christian apologist, whose understanding of devils and demons fits in with a larger project of differentiating Christians from Romans and Jews. What could go wrong?Sources discussed:Justin Martyr's writings: https://archive.org/details/writingsofjustin00justuoftAnnette Yoshiko Reed, "The Trickery of Fallen Angels and the Demonic Mimesis of the Divine" https://muse.jhu.edu/article/169408/summaryJennifer Knust, "Enslaved to Demons: Sex, Violence, and the Apologies of Justin Martyr": https://brill.com/view/book/9789047411260/Bej.9789004154476.i-582_015.xml

Travis takes us to Hell for the first time since we discussed Milton's Paradise Lost in episode 5. He discusses the Gospel of Nicodemus B, another apocryphal gospel, in which Jesus leads a prison break out of Hell and we get a bizarre dialogue between Satan and Hades, the personification of Hell.Remember to rate, review, & subscribe and we'll be back before too long to begin our second season.

Statues gone wild! Sinister, nameless old men! The Devil's favor shown toward a city of cannibals! This episode focuses an example of New Testament apocrypha, AKA, scripture that didn't make the final draft of the Bible, called The Acts of Andrew and Matthias in the City of the Cannibals. You can read a translation of that text here: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0820.htm

This week Klaus and Travis discuss the experience of trying to make sense of the Book of Revelation over the past 2 episodes, its links to modern apocalyptic Christian Fundamentalism, and Revelation- reverberations in the January 6 MAGA coup.

This week Travis guides us to safety through the second half of the Book of Revelation. We meet various monsters and learn the diabolical secret of the "mark of the Beast." Travis delves into the misogynistic language of sexual impurity that appears throughout Revelation and determines its biblical sources and rhetorical purposes. Finally, he poses the important question of why things are so boring at the end when the monsters exit the stage. Email us at 7h10hpod@gmail.com and follow us on social media @heads_ten [Twitter] and @7heads10hornspod [Instagram.] For works cited, check out: https://7h10hpod.blogspot.com/2020/11/works-consulted.html

This is part 1 of 3 projected episodes on the Book of Revelation. This week we skip to the end of the New Testament to see what the end of the world is like and the role the Devil plays in it. We meet the prophet/seer John and hear about his very strange trip to the heavenly throne room. Along the way we encounter all kinds of monsters including a monstrous lamb, scorpion-tailed locusts, and a certain pale rider. New Twitter handle: @heads_tenInstragram: @7heads10hornspodEmail: 7h10hpod@gmail.comCitations: https://7h10hpod.blogspot.com/2020/11/works-consulted.html

This week we look at the gospel that is different from all the rest, especially when it comes to the Devil: The Gospel of John. We discuss the way the Devil appears in this text, its demonization of Jews or "Judaeans," whether or not John was part of a sectarian community, the possible influence of the Dead Sea Scrolls on John, and Pontius Pilate as the personification of Christian ambivalence about political power. And how he might be infested with demons.Email us with comments and controversies at 7h10hpod@gmail.comCheck out our bibliography: https://7h10hpod.blogspot.com/2020/11/works-consulted.htmlFind us on social: @7heads10hornspod on Instagramand: @klaus_yoder on Twitter

This week we slide head-first into the New Testament (AKA "the Christian Bible") and puzzle over its oldest sources, the letters of St. Paul. Travis and Klaus discuss the myriad ways Paul thinks about evil: powers & principalities, sin, death, fallen angels, and Satan himself. Find us on Twitter: @klaus_yoder & @realtravis_teaAnd Instagram!Check out the sources we use to make the pod: https://7h10hpod.blogspot.com/2020/11/works-consulted.htmlEmail us feedback at 7h10hpod@gmail.com

This week 7H10H addresses the big question on everyone's mind: did Jewish and Christian apocalyptic theologians get their best ideas from ancient Iran when it comes to the Devil and cosmic war?Shout out and thanks to Ernest J. Mitchell and Prods Oktor Skjaervø for help with sources this week.Talk to us: 7h10hpod@gmail.comCheck out our sources: https://7h10hpod.blogspot.com/2020/11/works-consulted.html