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John Epps (1805-1869), The Devil: a Biblical exposition of the truth concerning that old serpent, the devil and Satan and a refutation of the beliefs obtaining in the world regarding sin and its source (London: Sherwood & Co, 1842)

Abstract

"John Epps’s The Devil (1842) presents a rationalist and biblicist critique of the traditional doctrine of a personal Devil, reflecting the intellectual climate of English Unitarianism and radical dissent in the early Victorian era. Rejecting the belief in a supernatural tempter, Epps offers a systematic exposition of biblical passages historically associated with Satan, arguing that terms such as “devil,” “Satan,” and “serpent” function metaphorically to denote human sin, opposition, or the adversarial principle, rather than an independent spiritual being. Through detailed philological analysis of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, he contends that the serpent of Genesis, the ha‑satan of Job and Zechariah, and the diabolos of the New Testament represent figurative or juridical roles, not a fallen angel. Epps critiques prevailing Christian orthodoxy for externalizing responsibility for sin, insisting instead on human moral agency and the natural origin of evil in the passions and choices of humankind. In refuting popular demonology, he positions his work within the rational dissenting tradition inaugurated in the 18th century (e.g., Farmer, Simpson), extending its implications for biblical interpretation and Christian ethics. The volume thus exemplifies the 19th‑century rationalist effort to demythologize the Devil while preserving the moral authority of Scripture, contributing to the broader transition from supernaturalist to ethical and metaphorical understandings of evil in modern theology."--ChatGTP

According to Epps, references in the Bible to the devil and Satan are, in the main, to be understood as personifications of the lustful principle in humans. Epps was one of a long line of Dissenters to take this view, stretching back through Simpson (1804), Lardner (1742), Sykes (1737), going back to the Dutch Anabaptist, David Joris (1540) ... While Barker had rejected not the existence of Satan but his natura as cosmic rebel, Eppes gives an allegorical explanation.

Sea also: John Simpson (1746–1812), An attempt to explain the meaning of the words satan, satanas, diabolos, and of other supposed synonymous expressions in the Old and New Testament (Bath 1804).

About the Author

Dr John Epps (15 February 1805 – 12 February 1869) was an English physician, phrenologist and homeopath. He was also a political activist, known as a champion of radical causes on which he preached, lectured and wrote in periodicals.