Book Review of Devil's Ink by Jeffrey Pugh

Devil's Ink: Blog from the Basement Office
by Jeffrey Pugh
ISBN 978-0-8006-9814-0
Fortress Press
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Over 50 years ago, C.S. Lewis wrote a brilliant fictional book called The Screwtape Letters. In this book, a mentor demon attempts to train a young demon on how to do his job, including how to lead certain subjects into a place of eternal torment. At once funny and insightful, it helped Lewis' generation look at spiritual warfare from the perspective of the enemy, and thus think about their decisions in a whole new light.

A few years ago, author and professor Jeffrey Pugh attempts to do a similar thing for a whole new generation. Once again, disciples of Jesus are challenged to a deeper understanding of the discipleship journey from its antithesis. Unlike The Screwtape Letters, readers of Devil's Ink will be challenged to think through many situations that Lewis did not anticipate.

Pugh makes a special emphasis to take on the rise of technology. Thus, instead of writing letters, Satan has a blog. And, the devil spends a lot of time instructing his minions on how to use technology to get people away from following the Way of Jesus. He touches a number of topics that are much easier to approach in a dark comedy about spiritual warfare. These topics include terrorism, the book of Revelation, postmodern philosophy, and the like. It really is a fun read, and doesn't have to be taken in all at once.

You may not agree with everything you read in these pages. I did not. But I sure appreciated the thoughtful and witty approach to the topic of spiritual warfare. And I hope this book gains a wide audience.