CT802 Angels and Demons
This class will examine the Judeo-Christian teachings regarding angels and demons. Students will study the various religious texts, including canonical and apocryphal scriptures from Judaism and Christianity, and will trace the historical development of the theology of angels and demons. Topics covered include: the pre-religious development of heavenly beings; scriptural mentions of angels; apocryphal writings about angels, demons, heaven, and hell; the theological development of ideas about Satan and hell; classical demonology from pre-Christian Judaism to today; Possession and Exorcism; modern psychological understanding of evil and the demonic; and modern occult practices; satanism and satanic cults; sin and evil.
Students will leave the course with a firm understanding of the real theological and historical teachings about angels and demons and will be conversant with the various texts and theologians who expounded on these topics. This course will not teach the mechanics of exorcism, only the theological underpinnings of the process.
Readings for the course will be provided electronically.