The Devil That Failed. The Ominous Adventure of a Twentieth C... by Maurice Samuel

“In the New Testament, Jesus' exorcisms were evidence of his authority over the devil,” says Rob Haskell, ThM, a theologian specializing in the New Testament and former minister.

The first mention of Jesus casting away evil spirits appears in the Gospel of Mark, which is thought to have been written around A.D. The first four books of the New Testament of the Bible, known as the Gospels, tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish prophet whose life and teachings became the basis of Christianity.

70: Jesus Casts Out Evil Spirits in Gospel of MarkĬhrist casting out the evil spirit, as depicted by Georg Penca (c. Many religious traditions believe that there are evil forces that can have a negative influence on a person's life and reports suggest that demand for exorcisms have increased since the turn of the century.Īccording to Okey, the term 'exorcism' is most commonly associated with Christianity, especially Catholicism, partly because of the numerous explicit references to Jesus casting out spirits in the Gospels. In 2017, Pope Francis told priests that they “ should not hesitate” to call on a Vatican-trained exorcist should they need one.īelow is a timeline highlighting episodes in the history of exorcism, beginning with its biblical roots. “Exorcism is a prayer or ritual that is meant to remove the influence of demonic, evil power over a person,” says Stephen Okey, a theologian and assistant professor of philosophy, theology, and religion at Saint Leo University in Florida. In reality, it’s only part of the most recent chapter in the long history of the spiritual practice that involves far more than a spinning head and green projectile vomit.

Since its theatrical release in 1973, The Exorcist, based on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name, has served as the cultural touchpoint for an otherwise mysterious religious ritual.

The Devil That Failed. The Ominous Adventure of a Twentieth C... by Maurice Samuel