Are there mainstream Christian churches that treat the devil as figurative?

[Doubting Brutus]

What is the modern Anglican attitude? What do the Methodists believe these days? Are all modern Evangelicals literalists when it comes to the devil?

The reason I ask is that I'm currently reading C. S. Lewis' classic Mere Christianity and he talks about the devil with complete earnestness. Its totally jarring to me.

I should be clear, I'm not asking for reasons as to why I should believe in a literal devil, that's a different discussion. I just want to know if there are churches and traditions that treat the devil as metaphor and a figurative device employed by God to make a broader point.

 

[Silmarien]

To the best of my knowledge, there's been a move towards neutrality on the issue. The Rite of Confirmation in the Episcopal Church involves the renunciation of evil rather than the more traditional renunciation of Satan, so it's really up to the individual how they want to understand it. I don't know of any church that explicitly teaches that the devil is a metaphor as a point of dogma, but it's not an uncommon view. (My priest has said that he's unusual in that he does believe in a literal devil.)

[edit] I finally managed to find the text for baptism in the Book of Common Prayer, and that still references renunciation of Satan, though I don't know how people understand that.

 

[bekkilyn]

What is the modern Anglican attitude? What do the Methodists believe these days? Are all modern Evangelicals literalists when it comes to the devil?

The reason I ask is that I'm currently reading C. S. Lewis' classic Mere Christianity and he talks about the devil with complete earnestness. Its totally jarring to me.

I should be clear, I'm not asking for reasons as to why I should believe in a literal devil, that's a different discussion. I just want to know if there are churches and traditions that treat the devil as metaphor and a figurative device employed by God to make a broader point.

Now while I don't view the devil as this little (or big) red guy with horns, a forked tail, and a pitchfork, I don't consider the idea of the devil as a metaphor. I do believe that there are invisible powers at work in the world that act in opposition to God and seek to do harm. When we hear of Jesus casting out demons, I believe they were real and not just representing "mental illness" or what have you. Spiritual warfare is real.

 

[Anthony2019]

What is the modern Anglican attitude? What do the Methodists believe these days? Are all modern Evangelicals literalists when it comes to the devil?

The reason I ask is that I'm currently reading C. S. Lewis' classic Mere Christianity and he talks about the devil with complete earnestness. Its totally jarring to me.

I should be clear, I'm not asking for reasons as to why I should believe in a literal devil, that's a different discussion. I just want to know if there are churches and traditions that treat the devil as metaphor and a figurative device employed by God to make a broader point.

As far as I understand it, In the Anglican Church, particularly the Church of England, the concept of the devil is understood literally rather than figuratively.
For example, in both the Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship, candidates for baptism and confirmation are required, as part of their vows, to reject the devil and all rebellion against God, and to renounce the deceit and corruption of evil.
Even in the modern form of the CofE Night Prayer (Compline), the hymn Te Lucis Ante Terminum is included which speaks of "treading underfoot our deadly foe". The collects used encourage us to "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, seeking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in the faith". And also: "Visit this place, O Lord, we pray, and drive far from it the snares of the enemy".

 

[Aussie Pete]

What is the modern Anglican attitude? What do the Methodists believe these days? Are all modern Evangelicals literalists when it comes to the devil?

The reason I ask is that I'm currently reading C. S. Lewis' classic Mere Christianity and he talks about the devil with complete earnestness. Its totally jarring to me.

I should be clear, I'm not asking for reasons as to why I should believe in a literal devil, that's a different discussion. I just want to know if there are churches and traditions that treat the devil as metaphor and a figurative device employed by God to make a broader point.

I'm not sure if there are mainstream denominations that do not believe in the reality of Satan. There are countless that act as if he does not exist. It's a tragedy because Satan has those people blinded and bound. You do not resist an enemy if you do not believe that he exists. The Bible is clear that Satan is real and so is the battle that Christians' face. CS Lewis wrote the "Screwtape Letters". Well worth reading.

 

[crossnote]

Are there mainstream Christian churches that treat the devil as figurative?

Yes we call them theological liberals because they will not hold to the Divine inspiration of Holy Writ and therefore take liberties to explain away the plain sense of the text...denying the supernatural, miracles etc.
These are the wolves in sheepskins Jesus warned about, coming with sweet words of 'love-'love' but are enemies of the cross and God's Word.

 

[rnmomof7]

What is the modern Anglican attitude? What do the Methodists believe these days? Are all modern Evangelicals literalists when it comes to the devil?

The reason I ask is that I'm currently reading C. S. Lewis' classic Mere Christianity and he talks about the devil with complete earnestness. Its totally jarring to me.

I should be clear, I'm not asking for reasons as to why I should believe in a literal devil, that's a different discussion. I just want to know if there are churches and traditions that treat the devil as metaphor and a figurative device employed by God to make a broader point.

Scripture teaches that Satan is an actual being ... One of his works is to convince us that he does not exist.. that being said, he is not omnipresent or omniscient ... man is completely able to sin on his own without demonic help .... It was after all his "work" that brought the fall ...and made all men to be born fallen

 

[Not David]

You can find theologians in Episcopalian, Anglican and even Roman Catholic Churches who don't believe in a real devil.

 

[PloverWing]

What is the modern Anglican attitude?

I've seen a variety of views among Episcopalians. The priest of my first Episcopal parish did not think the devil was a literal being, and interpreted New Testament stories of casting out devils as the ancients' view of mental illness. My current priest has said that he does believe that the devil is a being with agency. As a denomination, the Episcopal Church doesn't take any particular stance on the question.

My own best guess is that the devil is a mythological representation of evil, but is not a literal being with consciousness. Evil is real enough (or, at least, evil thoughts and actions are real), and it can be useful to envision our struggle against evil as a fight against a person. When I say that I renounce Satan, I mean that I renounce all the evil actions and thoughts and attitudes that tempt me. I acknowledge, though, that I could be wrong; the universe is a big place, and it's possible that there are spirit-beings that are beyond my awareness.

 

[Sanoy]

I grew up methodist, I go to a pentacostal church (I guess that's evangelical). I'm a Berean (prove it in scripture) but I can speak on the churches I attended though things very from church to church. In both the Methodist church and the Pentacostal church they believe the devil is real, however in practice only the Pentacostal church I attended acted as if he is a serious and present threat. The Methodist church doesn't do exorcisms (I asked the head over my state), all they have in that regard is a liturgy with a minor exorcism via a statement of faith. The pentacostal do believe the devil is a serious and present threat, and they do excorcisms which are called deliverance on the protestant side. (That said I imagine the Methodist church outside the US is very different in the way they treat this issue and likely far more cognizant of the threat he poses)

I myself have been demonically attacked. This darkness approached, seized me, I was above my bed being shaken like a pendulum horizontally. I thought my soul was being clawed out of my chest. I called out to God with everything I had, a light began approaching and I could sense the terror in the one terrorizing me as it fled. It's real, and I think all the protestant churches have room for improvement on how it deals with the unseen world.

 

[Original Happy Camper]

My own best guess is that the devil is a mythological representation of evil,

So is God a mythological representation of GOOD?

 

[hedrick]

I'm not aware of any mainstream group that specifically denies the existence of Satan. But in most mainline churches many consider the idea of Satan as a person to be symbolic. Remember that Satan is not the opposite of God. Satan can't create, because evil isn't something that exists separately, but a corruption of good. There is an evil that's beyond any individual. Whole groups and even nations can fall into its power. But is it a person?

The problem is that evil in many ways contradicts the true concept of what a person is. It's clearly not the same kind of being as God. There's no other god than God. But I would say it's not like created persons either, because it's a denial of personhood. So evil exists as something beyond just individual bad actions. It can, in a sense, possess people. It's more than a metaphor. But I wouldn't consider it a person nor use Satan as a personal name.

(Satan, of course, isn't actually a personal name. It was originally a function. the Accuser. At times one gets the impression that he's God's prosecuting attorney. But in my view God neither needs nor wants a prosecuting attorney. And as it develops, Satan turns out not to be an agent of God, but something hostile to mankind.)

 

[PloverWing]

So is God a mythological representation of GOOD?

hedrick has stated it well. God is the origin and creator of all things. Satan, if he exists as a being with consciousness and personality, is merely a created being. The Creator and the various created beings are different kinds of things entirely. Traditional Christianity is not polytheistic; we don't believe in a good God and an evil God.

So, God is real. A perfect and complete description of God is beyond our ability, but I believe that God has consciousness, the ability to love, the ability to communicate, and so on.

 

[Original Happy Camper]

hedrick has stated it well. God is the origin and creator of all things. Satan, if he exists as a being with consciousness and personality, is merely a created being. The Creator and the various created beings are different kinds of things entirely. Traditional Christianity is not polytheistic; we don't believe in a good God and an evil God.

So, God is real. A perfect and complete description of God is beyond our ability, but I believe that God has consciousness, the ability to love, the ability to communicate, and so on.

you diverted from the question I asked

So who tempted Jesus? A mythological entity?

 

[Doubting Brutus]

you diverted from the question I asked

So who tempted Jesus? A mythological entity?

I think that's a very serious question. The NT seems pretty unequivocal that Jesus encountered Satan. Whether that Satan is the same as the devil I can't be sure. The Satan that tempted Jesus seems less like the lord of darkness and more like the traditional emissary of God we see in the OT (sort of like Slugworth in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. i.e - someone posing as a villain whilst actually working for the good guy in order to test the character of the hero.) I guess you could make the argument that Jesus encountered sin in the form of doubt, lust for power, ego.etc in the wilderness and this dalliance with sin was personified in the person of Satan. I don't think its a strong argument but its a possible interpretation.

 

[PloverWing]

So who tempted Jesus? A mythological entity?

I guess you could make the argument that Jesus encountered sin in the form of doubt, lust for power, ego.etc in the wilderness and this dalliance with sin was personified in the person of Satan. I don't think its a strong argument but its a possible interpretation.

That is, in fact, how I see the temptation story. Jesus had just heard a voice from heaven at his baptism saying he was the Son of God, and he went off into the wilderness to contemplate what that meant and what the implications were. He could use his miraculous powers to feed himself -- but no, those powers weren't meant to be self-serving. He could do a big, spectacular miracle that would show everybody that he was special -- but no, that's not what the kingdom of heaven is supposed to be like. He could make just a few compromises with evil, and rule everything -- but no, that kingdom would be something different from the kingdom of heaven.

I see these temptations as the ones that might naturally arise out of being told you were the Son of God. I agree that it's possible that there was an actual spirit-being named Satan whom Jesus argued with, but I think it just as likely that the name "Satan" is a personification of the evils that Jesus was tempted by.

 

[Silmarien]

The Satan that tempted Jesus seems less like the lord of darkness and more like the traditional emissary of God we see in the OT (sort of like Slugworth in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. i.e - someone posing as a villain whilst actually working for the good guy in order to test the character of the hero.)

It's worth taking a look at the Epistles also when it comes to figuring out just what sort of role Satan is playing in the New Testament. In the Johannine literature, for example, there are references to the devil as more of a rebellious figure whose works need to be broken by Christ (1 John 3:8), so we're already well beyond the accuser in Job. I'm not sure I'd quite characterize him as the lord of darkness of medieval Christianity, but the maliciousness and the idea of the world being under his power are already there.

 

[sea5763]

nvm

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I should be clear, I'm not asking for reasons as to why I should believe in a literal devil, that's a different discussion. I just want to know if there are churches and traditions that treat the devil as metaphor and a figurative device employed by God to make a broader point.

Lord, I hope not! I'm pretty sure the Devil is alive and kick'n at the goads!