The Devil Within - Possession and Exorcism in the Christian West (Hardcover)

A fascinating, wide-ranging survey of the history of possession and exorcism through the ages In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the era of the Reformation, thousands of Europeans were thought to be possessed by demons. In response to their horrifying symptoms-violent convulsions, displays of preternatural strength, vomiting of foreign objects, displaying contempt for sacred objects, and others-exorcists were summoned to expel the evil spirits from victims' bodies. This compelling book focuses on possession and exorcism in the Reformation period, but also reaches back to the fifteenth century and forward to our own times. Entire convents of nuns in French, Italian, and Spanish towns, 30 boys in an Amsterdam orphanage, a small group of young girls in Salem, Massachusetts-these are among the instances of demon possession in the United States and throughout Europe that Brian Levack closely examines, taking into account the diverse interpretations of generations of theologians, biblical scholars, pastors, physicians, anthropologists, psychiatrists, and historians. Challenging the commonly held belief that possession signals physical or mental illness, the author argues that demoniacs and exorcists-consciously or not-are following their various religious cultures, and their performances can only be understood in those contexts.

General

Imprint:	Yale University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	March 2013
First published:	April 2013
Authors:	Brian Levack
Dimensions:	235 x 156 x 34mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover - Cloth over boards
Pages:	360
ISBN-13:	978-0-300-11472-0
Categories:	Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > History of religion Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Christian theology > General Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies > Satanism & demonology Books > Religion & Spirituality > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies > Satanism & demonology Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian theology > General Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > History of religion Books > Christianity > Christian theology
LSN:	0-300-11472-9
Barcode:	9780300114720

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!