Overview
- The first thorough exploration of the church's long tradition of and attitude to exorcism
- Provides a new perspective on this through it's long chronological span
- Explores liturgical sources, exorcism manuals and demonological treatises as well as specific exorcisms
Part of the book series: Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic (PHSWM)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
About this book
This book traces the development of exorcism in Catholic Christianity from the fourth century to the present day, and seeks to explain why exorcism is still so much in demand. This is the first work in English to trace the development of the liturgy, practice and authorisation of exorcisms in Latin Christianity. The rite of exorcism, and the claim by Roman Catholic priests to be able to drive demons from the possessed, remains an enduring source of popular fascination, but the origins and history of this controversial rite have been little explored. Arguing that belief in the need for exorcism typically re-emerges at periods of crisis for the church, Francis Young explores the shifting boundaries between authorised exorcisms and unauthorised magic throughout Christian history, from Augustine of Hippo to Pope Francis. This book offers the historical background to – and suggests reasons for – the current resurgence of exorcism in the global Catholic Church.
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
Table of contents (8 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Back Matter
Reviews
“A history of exorcism in Catholic Christianity is a valuable contribution to Catholic theological and liturgical history. Because it includes relatively few exorcism narratives, it has less to contribute to the social history of religion. Also, the narratives that do appear do little to capture the drama of these exorcisms, which were theatrical productions in every sense of the word.” (Brian P. Levack, Journal of Ecclesiastical History , Vol. 70 (1), January, 2019)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Francis Young is Volumes Editor for the Catholic Record Society. He is the author of several books, including English Catholics and the Supernatural, 1553–1829 (2013) and The Gages of Hengrave and Suffolk Catholicism (2015).
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: A History of Exorcism in Catholic Christianity
Authors: Francis Young
Series Title: Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29112-3
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: History, History (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-80491-0Published: 22 April 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-29112-3Published: 27 April 2016
Series ISSN: 2731-5630
Series E-ISSN: 2731-5649
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 275
Topics: Cultural History, History of Early Modern Europe, History of Britain and Ireland