The Persistence of Evil

As enlightening as it is engaging, this book is a masterful survey of the toughest of all subjects. Fintan Lyons not only surveys the ways in which Christians and Western thinkers have wrestled with the problem of evil for two millennia, but also wrestles gracefully with the theological, philosophical, ethical, and pastoral questions raised by it. * Carlos Eire, Yale University, USA * Books that examine evil and Satan are usually doing different things, with the former striving to produce a theodicy that is not always rooted in religion or Christian theology while the latter are usually of a popular sort and rarely helpful. The Persistence of Evil, which examines the history of belief in the existence of Satan from a wide variety of perspectives and genres, is not something easily found on one’s bookshelf and is an excellent study. Fintan Lyons’ sources are interdisciplinary, making the book attractive to readers and scholars from a range of backgrounds and areas of expertise. In light of the recent pandemic and the war in Ukraine, questions on the origin and nature of evil remain timely, making this book appealing to a wide audience. * Greg Peters, Biola University and Nashotah House Theological Seminary, USA * Through the eyes of theologians, mystics and great literary figures, Fintan Lyons has given us a magisterial survey of the human struggle with evil down the ages. Of particular interest is his wide-ranging study of demonology and the practice of exorcism. * Rodney Holder, St Edmund's College, Cambridge, and the The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, UK * At the heart of Christian prayer is the invocation to be delivered from evil. Yet how many of us know what we are praying about? There is hardly a more thorough yet accessible account of evil than Lyons’. Multidisciplinary in its approach, his magnificent mapping of the mystery of evil exemplifies how good theology, in dialogue with historical and literary sources as well as the human sciences, can illuminate a core aspect of human experience. The soundness of Lyons' scholarship means that this book will be of interest to believer and non-believer alike. It should be a key textbook in all courses that seek to unfold the Catholic Intellectual Tradition for contemporary students. * Father Eamonn Conway, University of Notre Dame Australia *