Three Characteristics of the Diabolical, And How they Are Manifest in the Modern World

The video at the bottom of this post is of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. It is a fascinating excerpt from a longer video he did, where he analyzes the diabolical (anything of or relating to the Devil), from several different perspectives. In the excerpt I present, he identifies three characteristics of the diabolical by examining the story of the Gerasene demoniac, depicted in the synoptic gospels. Here is the story as Luke presents it:

They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him.. (Luke 8: 26-30)

You will then recall how Jesus drove the demon(s) out and into the herd of swine.

From this story and also based on an insight from a psychiatrist of his time (the talk was given in the mid 1970s), Bishop Sheen sets forth characteristics of the diabolical:

  1. Love of Nudity – For the text says: For a long time this man had not worn clothes.
  2. Violence – For the text says: though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains. Mark 5:4 more vividly adds: For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
  3. Division (Split Personality and divided from others) – for the text says, many demons had gone into him. Mark’s version has the demoniac reply My name is Legion, for we are many. (Mk 5:9). Further all the texts say the demoniac lived apart from others, in solitary places.

So here are three characteristics of the diabolic.

It does not take much analysis to see how these three characteristics of the diabolic are alive and flourishing in the modern world, at least the Western branch of it. Let’s consider them

1. Love of Nudity – This is clearly manifest at several levels. First there is the widespread tendency of immodest dress. We have discussed modesty here before and ought to note that modesty comes from the word “mode” referring to the middle or to moderation. Hence, while we want to avoid oppressively puritanical notions about dress that impose heavy burdens (especially on women) and regard the body as somewhat evil, we must also critique many modern forms of dress at the other extreme. These “fashions” reveal more than is reasonable and generally have, as their intent to draw attention to aspects of the body that are private and reserved for sexual union in marriage. Too many in our culture see little problem parading about in various stages of undress, wearing clothing that are more intended to disclose and call attention to, than to conceal the private areas of the body. This love of disclosure and titillation is surely an aspect of the Evil One’s love of nudity, and he has surely spread his obsession to many in the modern West.

Pornography, though nothing new in this fallen world, has surely reached epidemic proportions via the Internet. Any psychotherapist, counselor or priest will tell you that addiction to pornography is a huge problem among people today. Pornographic sites on the Internet outpace all others tenfold. Multimillion Americans are viewing enormous amounts of pornography and the “industry” is growing exponentially. What was once hidden away in adult bookstores is now one click away on the Internet. And the thought that browsing habits are easily discoverable matters little to the addicts of this latest form of slavery. Many are on a steep slope downward into ever more deviant forms of porn. Many end up at illegal sites before they even know what has happened to them, and the FBI is knocking on their door. Satan’s love of nudity has possessed many!

The overall sexualization of culture also ties in to Satan’s love of nudity. We sexualize women to sell products. We even sexualize children. Our sitcoms chatter endlessly about sex in a very teenage and immature sort of way. We are, collectively, goofy and immature about sex, and our culture giggles like horny teenagers obsessed with something we don’t really understand. Yes, Satan loves nudity, and everything that goes with it.

2. Violence – We have discussed here before how we, collectively, have turned violence into a form of entertainment. Our adventure movies and video games turn violent retribution into gleeful entertainment and death into a “solution.” Recent Popes have warned us of the culture of death, where death is increasingly proposed as the “solution” to problems. In our culture violence begins in the womb, as the innocent are attacked and it is called “choice” and “rights.” The violence and embrace of death continues to ripple through culture through contraception, violent gang activity, easy recourse to war and capital punishment. The past Century was perhaps the bloodiest ever known on this planet and untold people in the hundreds of millions died in two world wars, hundreds of regional wars and conflicts, horrific starvation campaigns in the Ukraine, in China and elsewhere, genocides in Central Europe, in Africa and Southeast Asia. Paul Johnson, in his book Modern Times estimates that over 100,000,000 died in war and violent ways in the just the first 50 years of the 20th Century. And with every death, Satan did his “snoopy dance.” Satan love violence. He loves to set fires, and watch us blame each other as we burn.

3. Division Satan loves to divide. Archbishop Sheen says that the word “diabolical” comes from two Greek words dia+ballein, meaning “to tear apart.” My own study of Greek, poor that it is, does not yield this result.  Rather dia means “through” or “between” and ballein means “to throw or to cast.” Nevertheless, the Good Archbishop was a learned man and I ask you Greek Scholars to set me straight and defend Bishop Sheen.

But, even still, it is clear that the devil wants to divide us, within our very own psyche and among each other. Surely he rejoices at every division he causes. He “casts things between us” (dia+ballein)! Diabolical indeed. And thus, we see our families divided, the Church divided, our culture and Country divided. We are now divided at almost every level: racial, religious, political, economic. We divide over age, race, region, blue and red states, liturgy, music, language, and endless minutia.

Our families are broken, our marriages are broken. Divorce is rampant and  commitments of any sort are rejected and deemed impossible. The Church is broken and divided into factions, so too the State, all the way down to the level of school boards. Though once we agreed on essentials, now even appeals to shared truth are called intolerant.

And within too, we struggle with many divisive drives and forms of figurative and literal schizophrenia. We are drawn to what is good, true and beautiful and yet what is base, false and evil also summons us. We know what is good, but desire what is evil, we seek love, but indulge hate and revenge. We admire innocence but often revel in destroying it or at least replacing it with cynicism.

And Satan dances his “snoopy dance.”

Three characteristics of the diabolic: love of nudity, violence, and division. What do you think? Is the prince of this world working his agenda? Even more important: are we conniving? The first step in over-coming the enemy’s agenda is to know his moves, to name them and then rebuke them in the Name of Jesus.

Thank you Archbishop Sheen. Your wisdom, God’s Wisdom, has never aged.

Pay attention to What the Good Archbishop has to say:

43 Replies to “Three Characteristics of the Diabolical, And How they Are Manifest in the Modern World”

  1. For some perspective on a couple of these points.
    On point 2.
    The murder rate in the US is currently about half of what it was in 1980. The wars being fought are more circumscribed and far less deadly than those of the 20th Century. The number of abortions, while still appalling, is well below the high of 1990.
    On point 3.
    The divorce rate (for those who bother to get married) is well below its high.

    1. You’re not suggesting that Satan is losing are you?! Hmm…. You must have read the end of the Bible or something. Sadly though, sexual confusion seem to be be getting deeper and more debased. It may be longer before that turns around, and, whether the West is here to see it, remains questionable.

      1. Divorce is down probably due to couples living together without being married.

        Abortion is down probably due to abortion drugs such as RU486 (Morning After Drug) and contraceptives creating early abortions that are not recorded, but are numerous.

        War deaths are up for innocent civilians. The numbers are harder to come by. But the civilians are becoming increasingly the main targets, such as September 11. That was not the case 100 years ago.

        1. Taad,

          You are incorrect. Far fewer civilians have died in the wars of the 21st Century than in the wars of the 20th Century. The 9/11 attacks would have been a slow day for civilian deaths in WW2, for example.
          Abortion statistics include RU486 and the number is still declining. As I mentioned, for people who care enough to get married, divorce rates are down. I didn’t comment on Msgr.’s first point, which contraception and cohabitation would fall under.

  2. To me, love of nudity and violence are divisive ergo–Division pretty well sums up the biggest weapon in Satan’s toolbox. Scary!!!!!!!!!!

  3. One thing to note about the passage you mention above, which a priest who regularly performs exercisms also talked about, is supernatural strength. That this man was able to break chains is definitely the kind of supernatural strength you see in those who are possessed.

    Also, once on silent retreat God pointed out to me that it is His nature to unite, and Satan’s to divide. Thus, you can find the One True Church by looking at whether she unifies others or divides them. Protestantism divides endlessly, but the Catholic Church unites even grossly diversified groups. These groups may be united by their hatred of her and nothing else, but she still acts as a unifying force among them.

  4. Msgr. Pope, all these things, nudity, violence, and division, do seem to be on the increase these days. What I find disturbing is the lack of shame that is apparent. People used to know these things are wrong and did them covertly if they could. Now people behave as if they are proud of their wrong-doing. They behave as if they just do not recognize evil for what it is.

  5. Archbishop Sheen is timeless. I read him often (what insight) and listen to him on tape or even You Tube.
    I have heard this talk on the subject several times and it rings true–one word: Hollywood.
    One can tell by reading Archbishop Sheen that he spent one hour each day in front of the Blessed Sacrament, it shows in everything he wrote, “Life of Christ”, “Peace of Soul” and so on. I love the work he did for God (books and audios), and have never been let down by him. I recommend him to all that want a deeper understanding of the faith. May God rest his soul.

  6. Wow..material for an examination of conscience for our time if there ever was.

  7. Epistle 189
    My some ideas of “the homily” of Msgr. Charles Pope are here below:
    Firstly, in the homily, Msgr. Charles Pope talked about three characteristics of the diabolical and how their manifestations are.
    Three characteristics of the diabolical are to love nudity, violence, and division.
    Their main manifestations are to love pornography, to love war, and to destroy families.
    I quite agree with Msgr. Charles Pope on the homily.
    Secondly, now permit me to add some issues in the homily hereafter:
    In my opinion, Vietnamese Communists have no concerns about characteristics of the diabolical and their manifestations because Vietnamese Communists knew clearly about them.
    Vietnamese Communists only want to know that how to expel devils or how to heal men were possessed by demons.
    As far as I’m concerned, when reading Gospels in Luke 8:26-39, Matthew 8:28-34, and Mark 5: 1-20, I understand that demon- possessed men are persons having unclean spirits.
    Therefore, the main healing method of Jesus is that demon- possessed men ought to clean their own spirits. For instance, they don’t eat unclean foods such as pork or to read pornography or to read reactionary books and articles.
    Jesus stressed that “Do not be afraid; just have faith and you will be saved”, that is, if we believe in Jesus, we will be saved by Jesus./.

    1. I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make by bringing in the matter of Vietnamese communists. From my own experience the communists plant diabolical seeds in their own country, so I don’t see how they really care for healing those who are possessed by demons. If they were to care at all, then they would only rely on the lies of Satan.

  8. Thank you for this teaching and its clarity, especially the division inside ourselves. But then how do we come to understand the meaning of the scripture when Christ says something along the lines of that he came to cause division?
    Thanks

    1. Marianna: I think this is the scripture you are referring to, the commentary is not mine but from a bible, just take the abortion issue, how many family members have heated arguments about this, have serious differences to the point where they may not speak to each other.

      Matthew 10:34-35

      [34] Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. [35] For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

      Commentary:

      “I came to set a man at variance”… Not that this was the end or design of the coming of our Saviour; but that his coming and his doctrine would have this effect, by reason of the obstinate resistance that many would make, and of their persecuting all such as should adhere to him.

  9. The mask of the divorce rate going down from its peak is the amount of cohabitation and casual sex that permeates this culture, also it is indicative of the fear to get married.

    The dearth of shame is part of the nudity, nakedness proclamed as courage when it is mere sensationalism and eroticism being celebrated.

  10. I read the title of this post in Google Reader and thought “Gee, Msgr Pope is sounding an awful lot like Fulton Sheen these days…” 😀

  11. Monsignor,
    The omnipresent shows on TV that not only show homicides and all forms of physical abuses but also “graphic accidents/chases” has struck me. At one time, there were such things as “snuff films” that showed filmings of people being killed. I’ve heard they were available in the “red light districts” of cities to be shown for a price. Now, what are called “entertainment shows” (“Worlds Most Horrific Car Accidents”; “Car Chases at High Speed Part 14”) are basically the same and yet they receive high ratings. Even camera shots of police officers being killed as recorded with their own camcorders used for traffic stops are now shown. The “idiot box” has made it possible to view people who are going to end up deceased as a form of entertainment. I find that trend most disturbing and it continues to escalate.
    Saint Michael the Archangel, Defend us!

  12. As usual well put, by both and Archbishop Sheen. I have suffered attacks of numbers 1&3.
    First number 3. I am both a child of divorce and have been divorced. When my parents first split I was ten and my view of the world I knew was shattered. My parents eventually divorced when I was fifteen, which led to me moving and starting at new highschool and all that entails. My own marraige ended in divorce. After three years and one child it was essentially “I found someone better, see you later.” With no fault divorce once doesn’t stand a chance of keeping the marriage together even if that is one’s desire.
    Now number 1. I am of the first generation that had sexual “freedom” from the time we hit puberty (born in the 60’s and hit my teenage years in the 70’s) I believe I read somewhere that Freud believed if people could rid themselves of their sexual inhibitions then happiness would ensue. That was followed by things like the Kinsey Report essentially telling us that again sexual freedom was the route to happiness. When I was eight or so an older boy on my street found his sexual “freedom” in re-enacting pornography on me. By the time I was a teenager I realized that sex was easy to find. At college thanks to a coed dorm it was even easier. All the while happiness remained elusive. Our culture has been sold a bill of goods in that sexual freedom brings happiness, which I know by experience and looking around me it does not. If sexual freedom brought true happiness then given the anything goes sexual attitude around us I should be seeing a lot more smiles.

  13. Priest-man,

    Your 100,000,000 figure for the 20th century is a little off. A better estimate (including abortion) is approximately 1:8 people. 1:11 people had been murdered at the hands of governments. This adds up to around 850-Million.

    +++

  14. Msgr.,
    There are some points in your post I agree with, but I’m confused by the consistency of the method of Biblical interpretation. I cannot view the video, so perhaps these followup questions are answered there, but if not I wonder if you could comment:
    1. How does the idea that “love of nudity” is somehow diabolical deal with the concept of nudity in art (attempting to express the nude body as “beautiful”)? Also, what about tribal cultures in some parts of Africa or South America which wear little clothing but which don’t seem to be hyper-sexualized?
    2. How does contraception fit in with the images you put in the “violence” category (gang activity, war, and capital punishment)?
    3. What about the detail in the story that the man not only avoided clothing but also did not live in a house?
    Thanks for any insights.

    1. I cannot speak for the good Monsignor…
      I would say I was going to e-mail the Monsignor on this very point of nudity… but it was more a bickering on word choice than any serious disagreement with him.
      When I think of nudity, I think of the original nakedness of Adam and Eve before the Fall. In their innocence, they were naked. They could trust the other was not going to abuse the gift. It was dominion or sharing. In a sense, this is what marriage attempts to get back to… original nakedness — a sense of total respect for the other person in all their strengths and virtues, weakness and sins. What you speak of is a respectful understanding of the gift in art, and I would say that it falls into original nakedness… and even this has to be ‘guarded’ in a fashion, for though the artist may well show respect in what he is intends, the receiver is not always so mature.
      I would think your example of primative tribes have that gift of innocence, in that its commonness leads to a maturity… but I should also think that even here there is a real danger of objectifying the other… one cannot help but notice guys and gals are different…
      The nakedness the good Monsignor speaks of is not that of Original Nakedness. It is used not as gift, but as seduction and dominance. Those caught up in lust are dominated, not sharing and gift as was intended by God.
      While I would bicker with the Monsignor with his word choice, I would not with his statement.
      Original Nakedness was the gift of sharing, and a lack of abuse of the other person. True Art would fall into that category.
      The nudity the Monsignor speaks of is used to dominate and control, and once we engage in lust, we do not share, we take by force a gift not offered to us… It is not a love of beauty or a love of the gift, the Monsignor speaks of the love of domination and control that is of Satan.
      When Monsignor speaks of giddy teenagers, there is an innocence to that, the problem that he refers to is that in their lack of understanding of the gift, in their immaturity, there is a very real danger of hurt and so on…

      Contraception fits in the violence in several ways. (1) The act of love is to be a total gift of self. Imagine telling some woman you will love her if she will put a bag over her head. In a sense, contraception says I will not love that you have the power to proCreate life in the same way that putting a bag over a woman’s head says I will not love the face attached to that body. (2) It is violent in that it takes a normal, healthy, functioning system and then turns it off. In what other circumstance do we take a normal, healthy, functioning system and turn it off. (3) In contraception, it forgets that love is not just a unitive act, but a proCreative act. (4) Contraception is an abortifacient, and in that regard is violent in that an embryo cannot attach to the uterine wall, and is basically flushed down the toilet. I understand that this happens naturally as well — that an embryo does not always succeed in attaching, but that is no the deliberate act of human will like contraception is.

  15. The wheat and the weeds grow together, the Lord Jesus came that we may bear wheat in our lives, perhaps He said I have come for division to this notion. In my own life we start with a morning prayer, because the evil one uses whatever mean to tear our marriage apart, it uses the weaker spouse to try to laid waist any plan of God for our lives, mearily to serve Him in His Glory. The devil is in the detail when on spouse chooses to select things in the church and rejects other church matters, while the other spouse embraces the beauty of truth and the holiness of the catholic church. The evil one uses whatever means it can to grow in numbers. When we idolize our family in a way that distracts us from from the work of the Lord Jesus to go out and proclaim the Gospel, to live the Gospel in our life, to convert daily, because we sin daily. The evil one uses scripture to tell the brother or sister you don’t need to convert because the Lord forgives your sins. The Lord is merciful and full of compasion, the Lord is also justice and has spoken of proper conduct through His commandments. The Lord can not be pushed into coersion because of His generosity to love the sinner. Lord have mercy on me and forgive my sins – a sinful one!

  16. Thank you for writing this. I love Bishop Fulton Sheen, and we need lots of teaching on these topics. There is never enough teaching on these topics.

  17. May God bless you, Monsignor!

    There is a priest, I think in the west or southwest, who holds men’s retreats in which the men get nude together in sweat lodges and jump over bonfires, even purposefully “grazing” each others bodies, and, if I recall correctly, each others’ genitals. ‘Nuff said? I don’t know the priest’s standing. The reason I mention this is that when I read about this priest, a comment on the article mentioned that Archbishop Sheen had once said that wherever there is gratuitous nudity involved, demons are immediately present, spatially and causally. This essay of yours today confirms that.

  18. In many video games and movies, nudity/sex is intertwined with violence. This has to be most damaging to young people, but no one is immune to its effects.

  19. Division. In slight response to reader, Ms.Miller, above, where she states: “Thus, you can find the One True Church by looking at whether she unifies others or divides them. Protestantism divides endlessly, but the Catholic Church unites even grossly diversified groups. These groups may be united by their hatred of her and nothing else, but she still acts as a unifying force among them.” One is reminded of the Church in the time of the Fourth Century, described so well by Blessed Newman. The Church was awash in the Arian heresy, seemingly mired in it, yet still moving forward and being The Church. Newman wrote this before his conversion. While writing his last Anglican work, On the Development of Doctrine, he gave marks of the True Church, one of which was the Power of Assimilation. That is, like a healthy digestive system, the Church could ‘consume’ heresy and dissention. Masticate it, break it down, and assimilate it into its organs. Thus, the heterodox ‘morsel’ was incorporated into the body of the Church. Only the True Church can be in the presence of heresy and schism and still prevail–swallowing, as it were, the offending particle. When recently one hears Bishop Fellay of the SSPX complainging about “inconsistency” on the part of Pope Benedict XVI for allowing the SSPX to use St. Peter’s for its masses while at the same time regarding its ordinations as illegitimate, one has a perfect example of the contrarian ‘morsel’, bristtling at the largesse of the Church. It’s like hearing the little ‘morsel’ screaming “division, division!” before it’s gulped down. No heresy, schism, or immorality can stand against the Church in the long run. Sometimes it’s a very long run, such as the Arian ascendancy in early Church history. Division can try to break down the Church, but the Church has the Power of Assimilation. Kind of like the Borg in Star Trek. All will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. Munch, munch.
    With respect to dia + ballein: Liddel & Scott’s dictionary gives the following definitions for the compound word, “to throw over or across”, “to set at variance, make a quarrel between”, “to traduce, slander, calumnate”, “to misrepresent a thing”. The words dia and ballein looked at separately are as Msgr. Pope says. But this compound, which is found in both Thucydides and Plato, may have been a later or more sophisticated expression. And, of course, Fulton Sheen rocks!!!

  20. Msgr: another great article…keep them coming! I wish some of our priests could speak out like this during their homilies, Bishop Sheen had a way of speaking that captured your attention, the way he was able to synthesized arguments in such a elegant and simple way was amazing, the rationalization of his arguments was so clear and understandable, I guess he’s more of a laymans St Thomas Aquinas.

    But back to the article….maybe the first step should be to acknowleged satan, acccording to Fr Amorth, the chief exorcist of Rome, this seems to be an issue with priests, bishops and theologians, not to mention the laity…what is it that someone said; satan wants you to believe he does not exist, as Fr Amorth states “A Christology that ignores satan is crippled and will never understand the magnitude of redemption”, if someone does not see the work of satan in abortions or does not even call it evil or morally wrong then your conscience is ill formed, and many of these people called themselves christians, I called them anti-christ.

    1 John 2:18
    Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that Antichrist cometh, even now there are become many Antichrists: whereby we know that it is the last hour.

  21. We have to remember that there exists an evil opposite to rending apart that which should be united.

    That evil is the uniting of that which should be separated. Illicit sexual union is the most obvious example.

    The right form of reality is the analogy of being – the right balance between sameness and difference, and between union and separatedness.

    So evil is not one thing opposed to that, but two things on either side of the analogy of being – excessive closeness or excessive separation.

    An evil thing or situation is most often a combination of both evils.

  22. Msgr. Pope,
    My gratitude for your postings and most especially for your AMEN to the call of the Roman Catholic Priesthood.
    Please google the vision of Pope Leo XIII. It was this vision of the diabolical activity to take place in the 20th century that inspired him to compose the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel; with the instruction to all Bishops to have this prayer said following every mass. This practice ceased following Vatican II.

  23. Unfortunately Satan is viewed today as a boogyman rather than the malevolent force that he is. If Satan isn’t real, what need do we have of Christ? We can take care of ourselves.

    And you can see to where THAT attitude has brought us.

  24. As a licensed mental therapist, I cannot commend Bishop Sheen anymore than his ability to identify the ills of this world using Sacred Scripture. I am tired of “psychologizing away” deep moral and spiritual illnesses (diabolica both within the person and without in our relationships both familial and societal. I long to address the psychiatric establishment by recognizing the reality of the diabolical that exists within many persons struggling with mental and deep emotional illnesses. May the Lord open our eyes to the divisions in our world by exposing the lies inflicted by Satan and his angels. Bravo to you Bishop Sheen and may Holy Mother Church canonize you soon, God willing! May Jesus Christ reign now and forever! -Amen

  25. As a licensed mental therapist, I cannot commend Bishop Sheen anymore than his ability to identify the ills of this world using Sacred Scripture. I am tired of “psychologizing away” deep moral and spiritual illnesses (diabolica both within the person and without in our relationships both familial and societal. I long to address the psychiatric establishment by recognizing the reality of the diabolical that exists within many persons struggling with mental and deep emotional illnesses. May the Lord open our eyes to the divisions in our world by exposing the lies inflicted by Satan and his angels. Bravo to you Bishop Sheen and may Mother Church canonize you soon, God willing! May Jesus Christ reign now and forever! -Amen

  26. Great article ! Thank you so much ! I have a small problem ! It’s hard to catch sinners from religious pages . I saw a fb page with this aim “Let’s ADMIRE the precious gifts that GOD has given to US in the RIGHT WAY WITHOUT LUSTFUL THOUGHTS ! If YOU don’t know the RIGHT WAY go to this page and learn – The way to Enjoy God”s creations without falling into LUST”. Every picture album warns the viewers about Satan’s trap, lustful thoughts,etc. Most erotic pictures contains that warning ! If there are unwanted words.They warn them too. Do you think they are doing a SIN ? Is it a sin to look at naked girls without lustful thoughts ? Just watching to see the beauty !

  27. Thanks. Here is my return. I am a Classics trained PhD.

    In NT Koinh, the verb diabollein means “to accuse” (its components “across” “throw” cast little light on the NT meaning). The noun, diabolos (Latin diabolus, English “devil”), is found in the same chapter of Luke 8:12.

    However, in the quoted passage, Luke 8:26-30, diabolos does not appear. The word used of the Gerasene’s evil spirits is daimonion (daemonium, “demon” or “spirit” [Christian, “evil spirit”]). The etymology is sometimes said to relate to a lost verb meaning “to stare at”; but this would be of no use in this context.

  28. Dear sir or ma’am: I recently listened to one of Bishop Sheen’s lectures, this one was on the “holy hour”. In the tape he refers to a 19 volume set of books that he uses during meditation. The author was an episcopalian minister from NJ but despite rewinding it over & over I cannot make out his name. Do you know who the bishop is referring to? Thanks. Km

Comments are closed.