Book contents
- The Problem of the Devil in Cappadocian Thought
- The Problem of the Devil in Cappadocian Thought
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1Problematising the Devil
- 2The First Fallen Angel
- 3Know Thine Enemy by Name
- 4Christ’s Defeat of the Devil
- 5The Church’s War Against the Devil
- 6Becoming Diabolic in Gregory of Nyssa’s Homilies On the Beatitudes and On the Lord’s Prayer
- 7The Devil in Gregory of Nyssa’s Homilies On the Song of Songs
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
2 - The First Fallen Angel
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 May 2026
Book contents
- The Problem of the Devil in Cappadocian Thought
- The Problem of the Devil in Cappadocian Thought
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1Problematising the Devil
- 2The First Fallen Angel
- 3Know Thine Enemy by Name
- 4Christ’s Defeat of the Devil
- 5The Church’s War Against the Devil
- 6Becoming Diabolic in Gregory of Nyssa’s Homilies On the Beatitudes and On the Lord’s Prayer
- 7The Devil in Gregory of Nyssa’s Homilies On the Song of Songs
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Chapter 2 takes as its point of departure angelology, which provides the theological context for examining the devil before, during, and after his fall. Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa drew on traditions of interpretation that understood scripture as speaking of one adversary, an angel – Satan, Lucifer, serpent, and devil – who moves across Testaments, Old and New. While the three theologians agree on who the devil is – a fallen angel – they are not of one mind on how he came to fall from the near presence of God, his defeat, his continued existence, or his ultimate end. By interrogating the nature and purpose of angels, this chapter identifies how the Cappadocians construe the devil as a philosophical, theological, and spiritual problem.
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- The Problem of the Devil in Cappadocian Thought , pp. 46 - 76Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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