book update.

[sophiaserpentia]

Reading and recent book purchases include:

Currently re-reading: The Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels. This book tracks the historical development of the concept of Satan as a manifestation of social conflict. She begins by exploring the development of Satan first as an angel appointed to perform unsavory tasks at God's command, then later as a figure that sows discord among the people of Israel. As a radical fringe began to develop after the Maccabean revolt, Satan became seen first as God's adversary, then as a sinister force ruling the world and appointing corrupt leaders to rule over people. The figure of Satan as adopted by the early Christians is a direct descendant of Semihazah and Mastema as viewed by the Essenes and other Jewish radicals. [And also, though Pagels is not explicit about it here, Yaldabaoth as viewed by some of the Gnostics.]

Recent purchases: The Meme Machine by Susan Blackmore

also, Wholeness and the Implicate Order by David Bohm (which I purchased at the instigation of anosognosia, after comments in a recent discussion)

Comments

[mmoa.livejournal.com]

Ah, now Susan Blackmore is a wonder, isn't she? Got a really nice reply from her a while back via e-mail after commenting on some of her essays on her site and elsewhere on the internet: have you checked out her website yet? She's also got links which in turn have more interesting links on the study of memetics.

To be honest, I've never found anyone else who'd ebven heard of her, so I'm pretty pleased that someone else has!

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

I finally got to see her page today. (I've been largely absent from the internet, hence replies to week-old comments and so forth...) It looks like she does good work, that largely parallels the direction I've been heading in.