angel statue
Demons, The Devil, And Fallen Angels is the new book from Marie D. Jones and Larry Flaxman. It's a book which is published by Visible Ink Press and that runs to 368 pages. I finished reading the book a couple of nights ago and I can say it certainly makes for great reading. It's important to note that you don't have to be of a particular religious persuasion to enjoy the book (or, like me, of no religious persuasion). Why? Because the book is refreshingly free of any kind of agenda to indoctrinate the reader to one particular belief-system. Of course, I knew that Marie and Larry wouldn't do that anyway, but for those who may not have read their previous books, it's important to note that they simply go where the data takes them - which is the best that any of us can do.

The book begins with a good, solid study of such issues as "original sin," the concept of - and theories surrounding - the nature of Hell and the soul, and how different cultures embrace different ideas and concepts. As a perfect example of just how wild some of the theories are for where Hell may be (if such a place exists...), our authors note, "During the eighteenth century, Englishmen suggested that Hell might be on the moon, or even Mars, or possibly outside the confines of the known universe. Before then, Hell was thought to exist on some deserted island, out at sea, or at either of the Earth's poles, before humans ventured there and discovered it wasn't there!" In other words, not exactly the fiery pit far below us that so many people think of.

In a section titled "The Devil and His Counterparts," Larry and Marie provide important data on the nature of the Devil, his various names and much more. They also, in skillful fashion, explain the many misconceptions concerning who, exactly, the Devil is said to be. Abaddon, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Satan, the Tempter: are they all based on one entity? Or, are we looking at multiple entities? If you don't know your devils, you certainly will by the time you finish Demons, The Devil, And Fallen Angels.

Read the rest of the review here.