In "The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer" by Andrew Naselli, readers are taken on a captivating journey into the heart of one of the most profound stories in human history: the account of Adam and Eve's encounter with the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Naselli's central thesis revolves around the biblical narrative of Genesis 3 and its implications for understanding the grand story of redemption. The book skillfully unpacks the layers of this foundational story, shedding light on the cosmic conflict between the serpent and the promised serpent slayer, Jesus Christ.

As I engaged with the book, I was struck by the way Naselli breaks down the complexities of the story and makes it accessible to readers of all backgrounds. He skillfully explains the significance of the serpent's cunning and Eve's response, highlighting the dire consequences of sin and the separation it caused between humanity and God. The author goes on to reveal how this story sets the stage for the ultimate serpent slayer, Jesus, whose sacrifice on the cross restores humanity's relationship with God. Naselli's thorough exploration of the biblical text and his clear explanations helped me grasp the depth of this foundational narrative and its relevance for my own life.

"The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer" is a book that should be read by anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible's core message. Whether you are new to the Christian faith or a seasoned believer, this book offers valuable insights into the heart of Christianity. If you've ever wondered about the significance of Jesus being called the "second Adam" or how the Bible's themes connect from Genesis to Revelation, this book provides clear answers. Naselli's engaging writing style and his ability to connect ancient truths with modern life make this book a valuable resource for personal growth and study. By delving into the pages of this book, readers will gain a fresh appreciation for the profound significance of the serpent's deception and the triumphant hope found in the serpent slayer, Jesus Christ.

Looking for a book that will make you be enchanted with the beauty of the Bible? This book might do it for you! The author Andrew David Naselli is a professor of the New Testament at Bethlehem College & Seminary and he did a masterful job of showing how the Bible has the theme of a hero that fights a monster/dragon in a great epic that results in the rescue and deliverance of many people. This isn’t just a minor theme; rather it is a subject that spans the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I believe this book makes a unique contribution in biblical theology and as the book progresses I am convinced that Nasellis is right of how serpent slaying stories found in many legends around the world echoes the greatest story ever told in the Greatest book of all namely the Bible. It was not only educational but also a fun read!
The book begins with an introduction titled “Why we love Dragon Slaying Stories.” I love the introduction in which the author note that people love dragon stories and he surveys six of the most popular dragon slaying stories in English literature. Naselli really got my interests peaked! This is followed by four chapters, a conclusion and an appendix. Early in the book the author encourages readers to read the appendix which covers how often does the Bible explicitly mention serpents; I love here the word studies and statistics. With this as background information chapter one looks at twelve things that Genesis 3 teaches us about the deceitful snake in Genesis 3. Chapter 2 and 3 is titled “Snakes and Dragons Between the Bible’s Bookends” with chapter 2 being labeled part 1 and chapter three labeled part 2. Chapter two looks at how the Bible portray the serpent both negative and positive. Chapter three looks at how Satan energizes his “offsprings” to war against God and His people. Six categories of other serpent’s offsprings are examined: Egypt, wicked Canaan and Moab, king of Babylon, Herod then Pharisees and Sadducees and other false teachers. I thought this was the best part of the book and the chapter that I learned a lot of things I never thought of before. Chapter four looks at thirteen truths that Revelation teaches about the “dragon.” The conclusion of the book focuses on applications that are drawn from the four chapters in the book.
I learned a lot from this book. For example the author did a good job of pointing out the method of operation of how Satan works: Satan as the Serpent first deceives then devours. I also thought the book does a good job to show that many of the Old Testament narratives where villains get their head crushed echoes the themes of Genesis 3:15.
If I’m correct this is the ninth book I read from the “Short Studies in Biblical Theology” series published by Crossway and this would rank as among my favorites in this series. I highly recommend this book.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Crossway and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

This is a great short overview of the battle of Good v Evil. It seems to me that the author should have gone a bit more in depth, but overall a good overview.

How does this story echo the greatest story? Jesus mercifully forgives his people of their sins, and he enables them to persevere in faith. Jesus is the ultimate serpent slayer, and he enables his people to fight the serpent. Christians must put on the whole armor of God so that they can stand against the serpent's schemes. Eph. 6:11-18)

With much symbolism in the bible on serpents and dragons, it is imperative as Christians to understand the meaning and the implications of these words. Using the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, we see the war raging of good and evil. Sacrificial love and destroying the strongholds with the truth. Did not Jesus say he came to show the truth of man and God. The spiritual warfare that we are currently engaged in is demonic. We are in the end times and evil knows it's time is short.

This study will give you insight to devil's schemes and how from the beginning of time to Revelations, he will destroy life, the image of God (we are made in the image of God), and deceive his image bearers with false teaching. Why is this important? If we know the mission, we will stand for the truth. We are either following Christ the serpent slayer or the serpent slayer that is bound to destroy what God loves.

The study focuses on Garden of Eden, the story of Job, Moses and Revelation. A good study like this will encourage you dig deeper into God's word. Glory!

A special thank you Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I found this interesting and appreciated the research that went into it. I found it a good resource for awareness of our enemy. Having the footnotes in the midst of the chapter, rather than at the end, was confusing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

I have never been into dragons. Or dinosaurs. So why was I drawn to reading a theology book about serpents and serpent slayers? Well, I was intrigued and curiosity got the better of me.
What I do know is that the epic tales of our world are often about the triumph of good over bad, the defeat over evil, the bad guy getting his comeuppance. As Naselli explains, "epic stories resonate deeply with us because they echo the greatest story." The greatest book every written is actually about people who were made by a King but instead of following that King, they chose to follow a serpent. This serpent (or dragon) cruelly wreaks havoc over ordinary people and the world they live in. But the King is not sitting helplessly on the bleachers, unable to stop him. No, this king is also the rescuer and the ultimate serpent crusher. So maybe I might read some more dragon slaying stories.

“Sleeping on a dragon’s hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself”
~CS Lewis, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”

Published this month, Andrew Naselli writes, “The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer,” tracing the theme of serpents and dragons from the Bible. It’s part of the “Short Studies in Biblical Theology” series by Crossway, which outlines a topic from the beginning of Scripture to the end, teaching both context and application.

I’ll say I was definitely intrigued by the subject of serpents and dragons, having enjoyed stories like Chronicles of Narnia, Pilgrim’s Progress, and the Lord of the Rings. As I read this, I was humbly surprised to find how prevalent the theme of serpents and dragons is throughout Scripture.

Dragon-slaying stories “resonate deeply with us because they echo the greatest story. And the greatest story is true.” They parallel the gospel in their three main characters: “the serpent (the villain, Satan), a damsel in distress (the people of God), and the serpent slayer (the protagonist and hero – Jesus). The serpent attempts to deceive and devour the woman but the serpent slayer crushes the serpent.”

We don’t have to go past the beginning chapters to discover the first serpent. In the garden of Eden, we read his introduction. We learn that that “the serpent has two major strategies: deceive and devour. When a serpent in Scripture attempts to deceive, it’s a snake. When a serpent attempts to devour, it’s a dragon. Snakes deceive; dragons devour. Snakes tempt and lie; dragons attack and murder. Snakes backstab; dragons assault.” We make no mistake in identifying that the serpent is Satan.

After the serpent’s deception of Adam and Eve in the garden, sin is befallen mankind, the storyline of Scripture now plots the battle between serpent’s offspring and the woman’s offspring.

Continuing through the Word, we find the Leviathan in the book of Job, where we see God in control of all created things, sovereign over all things, no matter how great or mighty they seem. We read about the serpents in Egypt, as Moses and Aaron stand before Pharoah, again showing us that the snake of Aaron swallows up the other, demonstrating the strength and might of God. The bronze snake in the desert reminds us to beware of idolatry, that we persevere by remembering Him, and that Jesus will draw the curse away from those bitten and onto Himself.

The dragon in the Revelation 12 seeks to destroy God’s people. The woman symbolizing the people of God, and the 1,260 days as a period of intense suffering for God’s people, before He delivers them. This story reminds us that the dragon cannot destroy God’s people, and though His people must suffer, God promises deliverance.

References through God’s word remind us that, “Satan is the ultimate serpent, and he energizes other serpents to craftily deceive and devour people. The Bible depicts at least 6 categories of such serpents: 1) Egypt and its Pharoah, 2) wicked leaders in Canaan and Moab, 3) the king of Babylon, 4) King Herod, 5) Pharisees and Sadducees, and 6) other false teachers.”

In light of this reflection on serpents, he offers us practical application, answering the question, “How should a Christian live in light of that thrilling storyline?” He presents six ways:
1. Don’t imitate the poisonous serpent. We fall into sin by deceiving others, or by thinking we are better than God.
2. Beware of the serpent as the deceiving snake and the devouring dragon. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are admonished to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” This ought to humble us and bring our watchfulness to the next level!
3. Fight the serpent. By taking up our spiritual armour, and being watchful. “You won’t properly fight the serpent if you are flirting with him. You won’t properly fight the serpent if you think he makes some compelling arguments about what is true and what is good.”
4. Exult in the Serpent-Slayer. We rejoice in the hero!
5. Enjoy good serpent slaying stories as echoes of the greatest story. Reading epic stories, helps remind us figuratively of the gospel.
6. Trust the Serpent-Slayer.

In the midst of our battle, against temptation and sin, we have the mighty hero on our side, who has already slain the dragon. Take courage as you step further toward trust, when circumstances around us seem to be against us. Find strength in his Word and what He has accomplished for us, and is accomplishing for us.
“Jesus is the ultimate serpent crusher, and he decisively crushed the dragon by being ‘crushed for our iniquities’ “
Which dragon story, in literature, do you enjoy most?


*Thank you to Crossway and Netgalley for the ARC of this book, and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Who doesn’t love a tale of dragon-slaying? This book traces the theme of serpent/dragon-slaying through the Bible from the first promise of a Savior who would “crush the head” of the serpent (Genesis 3:14-15) to the final defeat of “the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil” in the book of Revelation. Along the way, the author also draws comparisons to other serpent/dragon-slaying stories, both mythical and popular fantasy.

I love the idea of this book, and the theme is definitely there in Scripture and in popular stories. Naselli does a decent job of tracing the thread, quoting extended passages from the Bible throughout the book. However, I do think that some of his examples are a bit of stretch, particularly in the passages pulled from the eras of judges and kings (and points made from The Lord of the Rings which does not in fact feature any dragons or serpents even though it has a strong biblical good overcoming evil vibe).

In areas related to the fulfillment of prophecy and the role of national Israel, the author’s theology is quite a bit different from my own. While these aren’t issues over which we should call each other “heretic,” they do significantly affect how we understand some of the passages he highlights. Someone who is a bit more amillennialist, preterist, and/or supersessionist than I am will probably have a greater appreciation for certain parts of the book than I do.

Overall, this is a pretty cool little biblical theology book. It speaks to me as a theology nerd, fantasy geek, and follower of Jesus Christ who is the ultimate dragon-slayer.

This book, like the series, is beautifully consistent in its design and content. It is organized simply so that it can better serve those who read it, which can range from new to aged Christians. Keep up the great work! I will recommend this book widely.

“Tempting people is satanic. It’s serpentine. God does not tempt people.”
Quote from book Serpent And The Serpent Slayer

Author Andrew Naselli dives deep, theologically, into serpents and dragons and their themes in the Bible starting in Genesis (the fall) and in Revelation. Just as the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve in the garden, he is still tempting and deceiving us today and this book shares how he is doing that and how we can be prepared.
Just like how most stories have happy endings, this book shares the of the happen ending that is to come.


I graciously received an advance e-copy from Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.