The Devil S Mousetrap

The Devil's Mousetrap approaches the thought of three colonial New England divines--Increase Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and Edward Taylor--from the perspective of literary theory. Author Linda Munk focuses on the background of these men's ideas and on the sources from which they drew, both directly and indirectly, in framing their theology. She notes that the language used in the pulpit by Mather, Edwards, and Taylor is full of allusions to the Bible and Apocrypha, to Puritan treatises, and to post-biblical exegesis, Jewish and Christian. Munk proceeds to unpack many allusions that have, for the most part, proven to be unclear to contemporary readers, in order to provide essential insights into the construction of Puritan theology.

The Devil's Mousetrap approaches the thought of three colonial New England divines--Increase Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and Edward Taylor--from the perspective of literary theory. Author Linda Munk focuses on the background of these men's ideas and on the sources from which they drew, both directly and indirectly, in framing their theology. She notes that the language used in the pulpit by Mather, Edwards, and Taylor is full of allusions to the Bible and Apocrypha, to Puritan treatises, and to post-biblical exegesis, Jewish and Christian. Munk proceeds to unpack many allusions that have, for the most part, proven to be unclear to contemporary readers, in order to provide essential insights into the construction of Puritan theology.

Over 15 years in the making, an unprecedented one-volume reference work. Many of today's students and teachers of literature, lacking a familiarity with the Bible, are largely ignorant of how Biblical tradition has influenced and infused English literature through the centuries. An invaluable research tool. Contains nearly 800 encyclopedic articles written by a distinguished international roster of 190 contributors. Three detailed annotated bibliographies. Cross-references throughout.

Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen provide answers to these and other questions about world-famous works of art. Guiding our eye to revealing details, they also shed fascinating light on fishions and lifestyles, loves and intrigues, politics and people, and transform our encounter with art into an exciting adventure. Book jacket.

Originally published in 1900, this book was the first investigation of the devil and the Vice as dramatic figures, and a study of these figures led to a new view of the subject: it is, in brief, that the appearance of the devil in the non-dramatic as well as in the dramatic literature is limited to a definite range. As a dramatic figure the devil falls more and more into the background and the Vice is distinct in origin and function from the devil.

A bold retelling of the history of lying in medieval and early modern Europe Is it ever acceptable to lie? This question plays a surprisingly important role in the story of Europe's transition from medieval to modern society. According to many historians, Europe became modern when Europeans began to lie—that is, when they began to argue that it is sometimes acceptable to lie. This popular account offers a clear trajectory of historical progression from a medieval world of faith, in which every lie is sinful, to a more worldly early modern society in which lying becomes a permissible strategy for self-defense and self-advancement. Unfortunately, this story is wrong. For medieval and early modern Christians, the problem of the lie was the problem of human existence itself. To ask "Is it ever acceptable to lie?" was to ask how we, as sinners, should live in a fallen world. As it turns out, the answer to that question depended on who did the asking. The Devil Wins uncovers the complicated history of lying from the early days of the Catholic Church to the Enlightenment, revealing the diversity of attitudes about lying by considering the question from the perspectives of five representative voices—the Devil, God, theologians, courtiers, and women. Examining works by Augustine, Bonaventure, Martin Luther, Madeleine de Scudéry, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and a host of others, Dallas G. Denery II shows how the lie, long thought to be the source of worldly corruption, eventually became the very basis of social cohesion and peace.

"Andrew Walker is one of the most remarkable scholars I have met across the years." William J. Abraham This "miscellany" puts readers around the table with a teacher who has provided the church with wisdom and passion and introduces a new voice to the ongoing conversation about the relationship between the gospel and culture. Andrew Walker's "ecclesial intelligence" and broad interdisciplinary approach to theology and sociology will undoubtedly capture the imagination of many who are curious about the church's mission in the modern West. Notes from a Wayward Son represents a broad sampling of Walker's writings from a distinguished forty-five-year career--from explorations of Pentecostalism and Charismatic Renewal to Eastern Orthodoxy, C. S. Lewis, and Deep Church; from the impact of modernity on the ecclesia to mission and ecumenism in the West today. In a world and a church often driven by the latest fashions, Walker's is a voice to which we will want to listen!