Ritual Of Exorcism In Christianity

Humanity’s fascination with the ritual of exorcism is as ancient as many religions themselves. Ritualistic exorcism, while employed by a variety of religious traditions, has undergone numerous and dramatic changes throughout Christianity’s entire existence. There has been an apparent shift in the practice and perception of the ritual from the time of Jesus, up to the 21st century wherein it is used by one of the most powerful religious establishments on earth, Catholicism. Its development that enabled its survival within Christianity is striking. As a result its purpose and components changed accordingly. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the ritual of exorcism has been altered in a variety of ways, under varying influences,

Following, as the Christian Church gained influence, the ritual was used as an instrument of maintaining that power through fear. Approaching the modern period, while this is still evident, there is a noticeable change as the Church balances between establishing stricter boundaries on the ritual while working to make it relevant within an increasingly secular society. To accomplish this, the investigation will begin within ancient Jerusalem wherein Jesus was practicing, through to Medieval Europe up until modern North America. Specifically, Jesus’ completion of exorcisms and their significance will be analyzed. Subsequently, the practice and purpose of exorcisms within Medieval Europe will be explored as the ritual underwent significant developmental milestones. Following, the first instance of standardization of the ritual and its consequential and numerous revisions afterwards are essential to examine. Notably, it is necessary to investigate the interactions between modern exorcism legislation and medical advancements in the field of

To begin, it is necessary to recognize Jesus’ historical context. Jesus was born into a Jewish family sometime between 4 and 6 BC in Jerusalem. Since the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is recorded within the New Testament Gospels as well as by writers such as Josephus as performing exorcisms (Schweitzer, 189). Hence, it is important to acknowledge that exorcism’s roots lie within Judaism, as do many other rituals that became adopted by or altered for Christianity. Notably, Jesus’ execution of exorcisms was rather formless. At this point in history, the ritual was not quite standardized. There were neither specific prayers nor structure for the performance of exorcisms and they could be done without approval from religious authorities (Rusu, 91). As will be demonstrated, this ritualistic shapelessness and inconsistency changes significantly as the church begins to slowly be constructed. It must also be noted that the public viewed demon possession as the result of sin. Further, anyone regardless of their religious convictions, Jewish, pagan or otherwise, could receive an exorcism. Generally speaking, exorcisms were by no means rare in Jesus’ time and there were numerous individuals who performed them. However, unlike other exorcists, Jesus is reported as being both feared and respected by the demons that allegedly possess individuals.