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Christian demonology states that the mission of the demons is to induce humans to sin. [10] Demons are also believed to try to tempt people into abandoning the faith, committing heresy or apostasy, remaining or turning into Pagans, or venerating idols (the Christian term for cult images).
Scholars have seen multiple resemblances between the medieval Christian conception of hell and evil places in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. These include the industrial hells of Saruman 's Isengard with its underground furnaces and labouring Orcs ; the dark tunnels of Moria ; Sauron 's evil land of Mordor ; and Morgoth 's ...
He further links the demons to the story alluded in the Quran (38:34) that a demon replaced the prophet Solomon: one must behave like a triumphant 'Solomon' and chain the demons of the nafs or lower self, locking the demon-prince into a 'rock', before the rūḥ (soul) can make the first steps to the Divine.
If the devil is bound in hell, the question arises how he can still appear to people on earth. In some literature, the devil only sends his lesser demons or Satan to execute his will, while he remains chained in hell. [236] [237] Others assert that the devil is chained but takes his chains with him when he rises to the surface of the earth. [230]
[C.S.] Lewis believes that the doors of hell are locked from the inside rather than from the outside. Thus, according to Lewis, if escape from hell never happens, it is not because God is not willing that it should happen. Instead, residence in hell is eternal because that is just what persons in hell have chosen for themselves.
[49] Some have interpreted these words as a denial that Hell can be considered to be a place, or at least as providing an alternative picture of Hell. [50] Others have explicitly disagreed with the interpretation of what the Pope said as an actual denial that Hell can be considered a place and have said that the Pope was only directing ...
A number of authors throughout Christian history have written about demons for a variety of purposes. Theologians like Thomas Aquinas wrote concerning the behaviors of which Christians should be aware, [ 27 ] while witch hunters like Heinrich Kramer wrote about how to find and what to do with people they believed were involved with demons . [ 28 ]
The Testament of Solomon, [4] an early treatise on demons of Judeo-Christian origin, presents the demon Ornias, who assumes the shape of a woman to copulate with men (though in other versions he does it while in the shape of an old man [5]). After meeting him, King Solomon asks Beelzebub if there are female demons, suggesting a difference ...