Acknowledgements
About fifteen years ago, I was given the opportunity to try a new type of class. In an attempt to bring in more majors, our department began offering mid-sized lecture classes for non-majors on broad themes in history. As the Undergraduate Director at that time, I joked that I could even do a class on âThe History of the Devil.â Several colleagues urged me to try, and that class, which covers the period from circa 500 BCE to the modern Church of Satan, has become a regular offering in our history curriculum. I never could have imagined.
In the same way, I never could have imagined I would have the opportunity to work with such an accomplished, pleasant, and professional group of scholars to pull together a Brill Companion. It all began with an impromptu discussion with Brillâs Arjan van Dijk at a Sixteenth Century Studies Conference where I asked why they had not published a Companion to the Devil and he suggested I edit one; his patience and support, and that of Ivo Romein, through a longer process than either of us likely imagined is greatly appreciated. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Brillâs anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments on a huge manuscript in record time. They improved our work and gave all of us a boost of confidence at a crucial period in the manuscriptâs production.
This collection was first outlined in the welcoming and stimulating environment of the Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK), who also most generously sponsored three summer workshops where various contributors to this Companion met, exchanged chapters, and brainstormed the best approach for our work. I cannot imagine a more pleasant and encouraging place to work (and appreciate their willingness to deal with a young Golden Retriever!). The University of South Carolina also provided leave, which allowed me to accept the HWKâs offer of a research appointment, and they gave a substantial publication grant towards the images and indexing costs of this book. I am particularly grateful to these institutions and my colleagues because of how Covid and other complicated circumstances delayed this Companionâs production. Their continued patience and support has been invaluable and touching.
Other individuals have helped in ways of which they may not be aware. The students in South Carolinaâs âThe History of the Devilâ classes have asked questions that have kept me constantly examining and re-examining topics I was certain I knew, and these queries have inspired more than a few conference calls in search of answers with friends such as David Whitford and Ward Holder. Christine Caldwell Ames has generously offered advice on medieval topics, in which she is an expert, and has nudged me to finish when I needed nudging. My colleague Yvonne Ivory has been a wonderful editor, and our writing group has provided just the necessary motivationâas well as lovely company. Two students, Savannah Bornheim and Quentin Jameson, have worked with me as research assistants on this project, doing the often thankless jobs of proofing and checking footnotes as well as asking me to clarify arguments and co-reading the entire manuscript. Their eyes and questions have made this book much clearer and more precise.
Finally, I would like to thank my parents for their patience and love as I tried to care for my mother and move my father while also wrapping up this collection. Although my mother is unable to see this final product, I have every confidence she would have been pleased. I know my father is.