Degree Year
2015
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Religion
Advisor(s)
Cynthia Chapman
Andrew Wilburn
Committee Member(s)
Corey Barnes, Co-Chair
Margaret Kamitsuka, Co-Chair
Keywords
Satan, 2 Corinthians, Greek Life of Adam and Eve, Testament of Job, New Testament, Bible, Trickster
Abstract
This paper examines three brief mentions of Satan in 2 Corinthians by comparing them with representations in two longer pseudepigraphal texts: the Testament of Job and the Greek Life of Adam and Eve. Although the Satan of 2 Corinthians is often read in tandem with other mentions of an apocalyptic evil figure, I argue that this Satan bears a greater resemblance to the Satan portrayed in the Testament and the Life. In these three texts, Satan's moral alignment is ambiguous: although he often acts for nefarious purposes, he does not oppose God on a cosmic scale as apocalyptic Satan figures do. Instead, this Satan tests and tricks humans, often using disguises. The trickster Satan is not the diametric opposite of the apocalyptic Satan; in fact, the two portrayals sometimes appear within the same text, indicating a gradual evolution of the figure of Satan during the early Christian period.
Repository Citation
Rutherford, Miranda Julia, "A Trickster in Disguise: Reading a New Type of Satan in 2 Corinthians" (2015). Honors Papers. 271.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/honors/271
