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I read the book by C.S. Lewis some years ago. I would be interested in finding more fiction or nonfiction works offering relatively contemporary perspectives on the experience or functioning of dark forces within lived (e.g., practiced or historical) Christian faith.

For example, I would like to be made aware of an ostensibly nonfiction polemic specifying how FDR's New Deal appears to have met the criteria for a work of the devil; and I would also like the book list to identify a fictional piece visualizing Satan in the halls of FDR's White House.

The problem is, I don't know how to characterize what I'm searching for. I seem to lack a name for what this literature would be called. For instance, Warnke's Satan Seller would be within the scope of my interest, though it is not an apologia or otherwise obviously similiar to The Screwtape Letters, beyond its generally satanic orientation.

Satanology comes to my attention, but I don't believe I'd want to get bogged down in the theology of Satan. I'm relatively familiar with biblical remarks on the subject. I'm looking more for arguably real-world elaborations or applications - for material that might tell me something I haven't already heard. But what is a name for that body of publications?

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  • Isn't it just satire? Maybe there's something more specific.
    – curiousdannii ♦
    Commented Oct 19, 2023 at 10:15
  • I pursued the information provided by the several answers but still didn't find a specific genre, though those answers were all helpful. Exploration of possible leads: rwclearmind.wordpress.com/2023/10/20/satan
    – Ray Woodcock
    Commented Feb 3 at 4:22

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The only other story in this vein I've ever read was The Loser Letters There also is a follow-up to The Screwtape Letters called Screwtape Proposes a Toast.

As for the genre, I looked it up in my local library:

  • Christian ethics.
  • Christian life.
  • Satire, English.
  • Fiction

and oddly enough

  • Non Fiction
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    To be fair to the Non Fiction classifier, treating it as a combat tactics training manual wasn't a joke.
    – Joshua
    Commented Oct 19, 2023 at 20:38
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I have a copy of ‘The Screwtape Letters’ and found it insightful, even if it was written “tongue-in-cheek”. At least it came from the pen of a Christian and illustrates how the spiritual forces of darkness wage war against persons who are taking tentative steps towards becoming Christians.

I found a Wikipedia article about FDR and the New Deal.

The New Deal included new constraints and safeguards on the banking industry and efforts to re-inflate the economy after prices had fallen sharply. New Deal programs included both laws passed by Congress as well as presidential executive orders during the first term of the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

I have read several publications claiming (for example) that demonic forces are behind organisation such as the United Nations, that there is a drive by “the elite” to implement a One-World Religion, a One-World Government, and a One-World Bank. Google these authors: Bob Mitchell, James Musker, James Perloff, Vernon Coleman. I don’t have links for any of them because I read them on my Kindle. If you are interested, I’m sure you will be able to track them down.

Another Internet search I did on dark and demonic forces within politics and world governments opened up a vast amount of publications, a few of which were academic, but most were fiction.

To find contemporary publications on the “dark forces” that are influencing people, all you have to do is search for demonic forces within contemporary literature. Frankly, it’s sickening to see how dark and demonic forces are infiltrating people via literature, films, television, popular and even classical music. Take a look at these Wikipedia links:

You only need to read the book of Revelation to get an idea of how humanity is being manipulated by demonic forces, even now. Christians know that Satan and those who follow him are doomed. The closer we get to the return of Jesus Christ, the more desperate and evil are their machinations. Be assured, though – the Devil is a dead demon walking. His time is short.

Edit: Perhaps ‘Christian Demonology’ would cover the subject? This is a book by R.C.Sproul:

Unseen Realities: Heaven, Hell, Angels and Demons

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    "publications claiming that demonic forces are behind organisation such as …" — though generally, these authors believe their works are non-fiction. I doubt Lewis believed there was a real demon named Screwtape, that demons behave as described, or that demons communicate by writing letters. So they are definitely a different category. (Religious fiction vs. fictional religion?)
    – Ray Butterworth
    Commented Oct 19, 2023 at 15:40
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    All of the answers to my question were helpful. In my writup (see comment, above), however, I found Lesley's most useful.
    – Ray Woodcock
    Commented Feb 4 at 1:51
  • I know we're not supposed to use comments to say "thank you", but thank you.
    – Lesley
    Commented Feb 4 at 9:05
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What is the genre of "The Screwtape Letters"?

I am sure there may be several ways to characterize this type of Christian fiction, but I believe ”Christian demonic fiction” would be quite helpful in any research that you are doing.

The non-fiction equivalent will pull up some sources as well.

To be clear The Screwtape Letters of C.S. Lewis is a satire!

You may wish to try equally Christian demonic satire fiction....

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Arena, by Karen Hancock, is science fiction, but set in contemporary times, and has a demonic-ish character.

She also wrote a series, "Legends of the Guardian King", which is fantasy in a kind of 17th-century-France-meets-Gladiator world. One of the characters in the 2nd or 3rd book has very strong Screwtape vibes wherein you get the first-person perspective of a Screwtape-like character, in particular. The whole series is very strong on the theme of spiritual warfare against demonic forces, but in this series there are very real-world-visible effects of that. The first book of the series is Light of Eidon.

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