Demon Possession And The Christian

Shows from theology, the Bible and counseling experiences that Christians can be affected by demonic activity. Equips believers to fight spiritual battles--and win.

A fascinating, wide-ranging survey of the history of demon 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, thirty 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. “Riveting [and] readable . . . must-reading for students of history, psychology and religion.” —Publishers Weekly “Levak, a distinguished historian of early modern witchcraft, now sets exorcism in a long historical perspective, providing the most comprehensive and scholarly overview of the theme yet published.” —Peter Marshall, Times Literary Supplement

In this world there is a proliferation of reality shows and movies that focus on the paranormal and the supernatural realm. The resurgence of interest in the supernatural appears to be pervading every area of life, including the religious. While some scholars dismiss the notion of demons and demonic possession, others readily acknowledge their reality. In particular, bible scholars, ministers, and counselors have a vested interest in this area. However, their professional opinions may differ greatly as to whether a Christian can be demon-possessed. A major reason for this impasse is the ongoing influence of the Age of Enlightenment. It represents an anti-supernatural worldview that denies the existence of the spiritual realm. Thus, in order to by-pass the influence of the Age of Enlightenment on modern day interpretation of demon possession, this study presents the records of the early Church Fathers from A.D. 100 to A. D. 500. Their original accounts are presented, critiqued, analyzed, and evaluated to determine what they communicated about demon possession and the Christian. What was uncovered not only has major ramifications for the Church today, but also informs the world at large about the reality of the spirit world. The author holds a B.A. degree in Bible and Theology from Crown Bible College, a M.A. degree in Missions from Columbia International University, and a Ph. D. degree in Religious Studies from Trinity College and Theological Seminary. Over the past twenty-one years he has served as a Christian high school teacher, Christian radio DJ, pastor, and a college professor. He and his wife of thirty-three years, Vicki, are the proud parents of six wonderful Christian sons.

2020 Center for Biblical Studies Finalist for Biblical Theology The truth about demons is far stranger--and even more fascinating--than what's commonly believed. Are demons real? Are they red creatures with goatees holding pitchforks and sitting on people's shoulders while whispering bad things? Did a third of the angels really rebel with Satan? Are demons and "principalities and powers" just terms for the same entities, or are they different members of the kingdom of darkness? Is the world a chaotic mess because of what happened in Eden, or is there more to the story of evil? What people believed about evil spiritual forces in ancient biblical times is often very different than what people have been led to believe about them today. And this ancient worldview is missing from most attempts to treat the topic. In Demons, Michael Heiser debunks popular presuppositions about the very real powers of darkness. Rather than traditions, stories, speculations, or myths, Demons is grounded in what ancient people of both the Old and New Testament eras believed about evil spiritual forces and in what the Bible actually says. You'll come away with a sound, biblical understanding of demons, supernatural rebellion, evil spirits, and spiritual warfare.

Demon possession in New Testament times was real, contends the author in the face of rationalistic denials. A study of the Gospels reveals that genuine demon possession had two distinctive elements: (1) insanity or idiocy of some sort, forming the natural element," and (2) the confession of Jesus as Messiah, forming the supernatural element." The author's research also led him to conclude that demon possession in the New Testament is a unique phenomenon in the history of the world, being confined indeed to the earlier portion of the ministry of our Lord." Why did this phenomenon erupt when it did? The incarnation initiated the establishment of the kingdom of heaven upon earth. That determined a countermovement among the powers of darkness. Genuine demonic possession was one of its manifestations." Entire chapters are devoted to historic demonology, medical aspects of demonic possession, the existence of genuine demonic possession, the New Testament narratives concerning the Beelzebul controversy" and the Gerasene affair," and the alleged continuance of genuine demonic possession.

Christians are fighting a spiritual war against an enemy whose power most don't understand. Can a demon dwell in a Christian? Possess him? With scholarly wisdom and pastoral urgency, Dr. Unger challenges apathy and misunderstanding with concrete biblical answers. Facts, not sensationalism.