The Possession at Loudun

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Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 0226100359
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (261 download)

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Book Synopsis The Possession at Loudun by : Michel de Certeau

Download or read book The Possession at Loudun written by Michel de Certeau and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2000-08 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is August 18, 1634. Father Urbain Grandier, convicted of sorcery that led to the demonic possession of the Ursuline nuns of provincial Loudun in France, confesses his sins on the porch of the church of Saint-Pierre, then perishes in flames lit by his own exorcists. A dramatic tale that has inspired many artistic retellings, including a novel by Aldous Huxley and an incendiary film by Ken Russell, the story of the possession at Loudun here receives a compelling analysis from the renowned Jesuit historian Michel de Certeau. Interweaving substantial excerpts from primary historical documents with fascinating commentary, de Certeau shows how the plague of sorceries and possessions in France that climaxed in the events at Loudun both revealed the deepest fears of a society in traumatic flux and accelerated its transformation. In this tour de force of psychological history, de Certeau brings to vivid life a people torn between the decline of centralized religious authority and the rise of science and reason, wracked by violent anxiety over what or whom to believe. At the time of his death in 1986, Michel de Certeau was a director of studies at the école des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris. He was author of eighteen books in French, three of which have appeared in English translation as The Practice of Everyday Life,The Writing of History, and The Mystic Fable, Volume 1, the last of which is published by The University of Chicago Press. "Brilliant and innovative. . . . The Possession at Loudun is [de Certeau's] most accessible book and one of his most wonderful."—Stephen Greenblatt (from the Foreword)

Demons!

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781365931888
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (318 download)

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Book Synopsis Demons! by : Alexandre Dumas

Download or read book Demons! written by Alexandre Dumas and published by . This book was released on 2023-01-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE DEVILS (1971) Ken Russell's horrifying film of the possession and resultant exorcism of the "Loudun Nuns," (based upon the book THE DEVILS OF LOUDON by Aldous Huxley), scourged the eyes of audiences in the 1970s, with its harsh, brutal, and sickening depiction of blasphemous torture, hideous pain, possession, and wild, orgiastic rites to fallen spirits. Now here is the classic full account of this bizarre, startling, and tragic chapter in the history of possession and exorcism, the annals of primitive witch hysteria: the exorcism of the Loudun Nuns, and the subsequent trial and hideous execution, by burning, of Father Urbain Grandier, (claimed by some to have entered into a pact with Satan to torment and afflict the sisters of the afflicted Ursuline order). Was Urbain Grandier an emissary of Satan? Or was he simply a man caught up in the crosshairs of his vindictive enemies and powerful forces, those willing to send a man to his death for purely political reasons? What of the hunchbacked Sister Jeanne? Was she really the focus of a black, demonic incubus? Or was she simply a disturbed, repressed woman, one whose life of piety, self-abnegation, penance, and sacrifice, lead her to the brink of madness? To read this chilling account is to step back through a doorway in time, gaining an insight into the hysteria of the witchcraft hysteria of the old world, and what it might tell us about our own contemporary society. Published by Zem Books

Demonic Possession and Exorcism

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134615191
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (346 download)

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Book Synopsis Demonic Possession and Exorcism by : Sarah Ferber

Download or read book Demonic Possession and Exorcism written by Sarah Ferber and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-01-11 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a highly original study of demon possession and the ritual of exorcism, both of which were rife in early modern times, and which reached epidemic proportions in France. Catholics at the time believed that the Devil was everywhere present, in the rise of the heretics, in the activities of witches, and even in the bodies of pious young women. The rite of exorcism was intended to heal the possessed and show the power of the Church - but it generated as many problems as it resolved. Possessed nuns endured frequently violent exorcisms, exorcists were suspected of conjuring devils, and possession itself came to be seen as a form of holiness, elevating several women to the status of living saints. Sarah Ferber offers a challenging study of one of the most intriguing phenomena of early modern Europe. Looking towards the present day, the book also argues that early modern conflicts over the Devil still carry an unexpected force and significance for Western Christianity.

The Nun's Possession

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Publisher : Boruma Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0463619110
Total Pages : 45 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (636 download)

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Book Synopsis The Nun's Possession by : Alana Church

Download or read book The Nun's Possession written by Alana Church and published by Boruma Publishing. This book was released on with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lorelei is a demon, a punisher of the damned. But one fateful day she is able to escape from Hell. Sister Kathleen is a nun, dedicated to helping others. What will she do when an otherworldly being takes up residence in her mind? Can she control the perverse urges of a horny demon? Or will she fall into a sinful, sexy darkness? Find out today in "Hell's Horny Demon: Possession!" ~~~~~ PG Excerpt ~~~~~ If she still had her physical form, Lorelei would be rubbing her hands together in glee. True, the tall, gawky youth in front of Kathleen was not at all the sort of man she would have chosen for her first sexual encounter in thousands of years. But beggars could hardly be choosers, after all. And it had taken all of her considerable cunning to worm her way past Kathleen’s defenses and bring her to this spot to begin with. For a mortal, the woman’s willpower was really quite remarkably strong. So strong, in fact, that Lorelei briefly wondered who was actually doing the choosing. Was she actually corrupting the virginal young nun? Or were her whispered hints and the erotic dreams she had been sending Kathleen nightly only nudging her in a direction she already wished to go? Who cares? She guided Kathleen’s hands to the ridiculous fastenings of Nick’s trousers, teasing the young man with a brush of fingers against his eager manhood. Mortal, angel, or demon, males were all alike. If you were smart enough, you could lead them around by their manhood, and they would be none the wiser for it. With fingers that had learned how to navigate Kathleen’s clothing over the last few days, she undid the buckle of the leather belt, then the button which held Nick’s trousers up. A push, a whisper of falling cloth, and the young man was nude from waist to knee. He swallowed, looking down at her nervously. “Is it…” “It’s beautiful.” And Lorelei couldn’t help but wonder if it was her voice whispering in wonder and awe, or Kathleen’s. She reached out with her host’s body, feeling the hot skin, tight-stretched over the throbbing, pulsing length of Nick’s erection. If her heart had anything left in it but ashes and dust, she might have wept at the sheer, human, ordinariness of him. ~So long,~ she whimpered. It had been so long. When she, along with the rest of the rebellious angels, had been cast out of Heaven, the Almighty had cursed the male demons with a foul ugliness that was could drive a human to madness. Which was why Lorelei had no need or desire for a sexual superman. She had lived for generations with a hideous reality that would make most humans run screaming in horror. Anything, even this untested youth, would be so much better that there was literally no comparison between the two. But… ~Lift up your sweater,~ she urged Kathleen. ~Show him our body.~ A hint of coolness as the soft cloth was pushed upward, a balm on her pain-ravaged senses. Nick’s eyes went wide, and Lorelei stifled a hint of triumph It wasn’t her body, after all. Not yet. But it was still a good one. One to be proud of. The tips of her breasts were tingling, almost aching in their need to be touched. She moved Kathleen’s fingers faster, watching Nick’s face go slack with pleasure. She could do it. Make him climax, bind him to the two of them. But she wanted more. Needed more. “What can I do for you?” Nick asked, his eyes worshipful. “You can love me.” Lorelei took Nick’s hands and put them on her breasts. “I have waited too long. I am tired of waiting. I want to know what it’s like to be with a human. A man,” she corrected quickly, hoping Nick wouldn’t catch the slip. She ran her hands up his chest, savoring the feel, and used her legs to pull him in close. “I need it, Nick. Need to be held, to be touched, to be loved. “Can you do that for me?”

True or False Possesion?

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Author :
Publisher : Sophia Institute Press
ISBN 13 : 1622821726
Total Pages : 111 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (228 download)

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Book Synopsis True or False Possesion? by : Jean Lhermitte

Download or read book True or False Possesion? written by Jean Lhermitte and published by Sophia Institute Press. This book was released on 2013-08-15 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unhinged or unholy? Fiend or fraud? That’s what authorities had to decide about the French nun Marie-Thérèse Noblet (1889–1930). She suffered sudden diseases that were as quickly cured, chokings, night beatings, unclean visions of blasphemous scenes, violent shakes witnessed by onlookers, foul assaults from filthy beasts, including one she recalled as “full of terrible beauty with eyes full of hate.” Then there’s Sr. Jeanne of the Angels, the seventeenth-century prioress of her Ursuline convent, plagued by diabolical visits with an explicitly erotic element, which spread, epidemic-like, to the Ursuline sisters under her care, whose convulsive attacks and obscene contortions scandalized all who witnessed them. Were these sisters really demonic? Deranged? Or merely deceitful? That’s the first question exorcists must answer — the question addressed in these pages by the world-famous French neuropsychiatrist Jean Lhermitte. Genuine demonic possessions, admits Lhermitte, evade the explanations and exceed the competence of even the wisest physicians: they must be handled not in the clinic, but by the Church. At the same time, exorcisms will not help the symptoms of those who are mentally ill. So skilled physicians and trained clergy must press past the visions, the gibbering, the howlings and grindings of teeth, and the other frightening symptoms to discern whether they’re dealing with real possession, or only pathology, mental or physical. That’s the work Dr. Lhermitte undertakes in these pages. With sober clarity and reserve, he reviews the detailed clinical records of scores of cases that startled and alarmed our forefathers as well as the cases of many souls that he personally examined: unfortunate souls judged “possessed,” who manifested symptoms ranging from picturesque to loathsome and pitiful. By means of these cases, Lhermitte illuminates the criteria that the Church holds to be decisive signs of genuine possession ... and those that assure us that — despite filth and fits, shrieks and slobbering — in other cases the influence of the demon is sought in vain. Good priests and wise Catholic physicians know that, for the sake of their souls, those who are disturbed must never be hastily examined or casually judged. True or False Possession? will teach you, too, not to rush to judgment and show you when it’s time — right now! — to call the priest.

The Divine Within

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Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062236830
Total Pages : 206 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (622 download)

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Book Synopsis The Divine Within by : Aldous Huxley

Download or read book The Divine Within written by Aldous Huxley and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-07-02 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A genius . . . a writer who spent his life decrying the onward march of the Machine.” — The New Yorker Brave New World author Aldous Huxley on enlightenment and the "ultimate reality." In this anthology of twenty-six essays and other writings, Aldous Huxley discusses the nature of God, enlightenment, being, good and evil, religion, eternity, and the divine. Huxley consistently examined the spiritual basis of both the individual and human society, always seeking to reach an authentic and clearly defined experience of the divine. Featuring an introduction by renowned religious scholar Huston Smith, this celebration of "ultimate reality" proves relevant and prophetic in addressing the spiritual hunger so many feel today.

The Devil Within

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Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300195389
Total Pages : 519 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil Within by : Brian Levack

Download or read book The Devil Within written by Brian Levack and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2013-04-22 with total page 519 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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

The Devils of Loudun

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Author :
Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 1409079503
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devils of Loudun by : Aldous Huxley

Download or read book The Devils of Loudun written by Aldous Huxley and published by Random House. This book was released on 2010-05-25 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gripping biography by the author of Brave New World In 1634 Urbain Grandier, a handsome and dissolute priest of the parish of Loudun was tried, tortured and burnt at the stake. He had been found guilty of conspiring with the devil to seduce an entire convent of nuns. Grandier maintained his innocence to the end but four years after his death the nuns were still being subjected to exorcisms to free them from their demonic bondage. Huxley's vivid account of this bizarre tale of religious and sexual obsession transforms our understanding of the medieval world.

The Penguin Book of Exorcisms

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Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0525507140
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (255 download)

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Book Synopsis The Penguin Book of Exorcisms by : Joseph P. Laycock

Download or read book The Penguin Book of Exorcisms written by Joseph P. Laycock and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-09-08 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Haunting accounts of real-life exorcisms through the centuries and around the world, from ancient Egypt and the biblical Middle East to colonial America and twentieth-century South Africa A Penguin Classic Levitation. Feats of superhuman strength. Speaking in tongues. A hateful, glowing stare. The signs of spirit possession have been documented for thousands of years and across religions and cultures, even into our time: In 2019 the Vatican convened 250 priests from 50 countries for a weeklong seminar on exorcism. The Penguin Book of Exorcisms brings together the most astonishing accounts: Saint Anthony set upon by demons in the form of a lion, a bull, and a panther, who are no match for his devotion and prayer; the Prophet Muhammad casting an enemy of God out of a young boy; fox spirits in medieval China and Japan; a headless bear assaulting a woman in sixteenth-century England; the possession in the French town of Loudun of an entire convent of Ursuline nuns; a Zulu woman who floated to a height of five feet almost daily; a previously unpublished account of an exorcism in Earling, Iowa, in 1928--an important inspiration for the movie The Exorcist; poltergeist activity at a home in Maryland in 1949--the basis for William Peter Blatty's novel The Exorcist; a Filipina girl "bitten by devils"; and a rare example of a priest's letter requesting permission of a bishop to perform an exorcism--after witnessing a boy walk backward up a wall. Fifty-seven percent of Americans profess to believe in demonic possession; after reading this book, you may too.

Possession and Exorcism

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Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 9780815310310
Total Pages : 350 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Possession and Exorcism by : Brian P. Levack

Download or read book Possession and Exorcism written by Brian P. Levack and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 1992 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The History of the Devils of Loudun

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Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781519305718
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (57 download)

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Book Synopsis The History of the Devils of Loudun by : Edmund Goldsmid

Download or read book The History of the Devils of Loudun written by Edmund Goldsmid and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-11-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thank you for checking out this book by Theophania Publishing. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you soon. We have thousands of titles available, and we invite you to search for us by name, contact us via our website, or download our most recent catalogues. THE following extraordinary account of the "Cause Célèbre" of Urbain Grandier, the Curé of Loudun, accused of Magic and of having caused the Nuns of the Convent of Saint Ursula to be possessed of devils, is written by an eye-witness, and not only an eye-witness but an actor in the scenes he describes. It is printed at "Poitiers, chez J. Thoreau et la veuve Ménier, Imprimeurs du Roi et de l'Université, 1634." I believe two copies only are known: my own, and the one in the National Library, Paris. The writer is Monsieur des Niau, Counsellor at la Flèche, evidently a firm believer in the absurd charges brought against Grandier.

Begone Satan

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Publisher : TAN Books
ISBN 13 : 1505106885
Total Pages : 57 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (51 download)

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Book Synopsis Begone Satan by : Rev. Fr. Carl Vogl

Download or read book Begone Satan written by Rev. Fr. Carl Vogl and published by TAN Books. This book was released on 1994-09 with total page 57 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Famous 23-day-long exorcism case of Erling, Iowa. Incredible and frightening. We have received several letters from Iowa verifying that this exorcism really occurred. Probably the most famous exorcism ever performed in the U.S.A.

From Possession to Freedom

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Publisher : Zubaan
ISBN 13 : 9385932748
Total Pages : 218 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (859 download)

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Book Synopsis From Possession to Freedom by : R. Umamaheshwari

Download or read book From Possession to Freedom written by R. Umamaheshwari and published by Zubaan. This book was released on with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Tamil text, Nīlakeci, dated around the 5th century CE (debated), is an unusual literary creation. It retrieves a violent, vengeful pēy (female possessing spirit) of Palayanur, transforming her into a Jaina philosopher. It was a profoundly subversive idea of its time, using the female persona and voice (for a hitherto disembodied being) to debate with preceptors of different schools of thought/religions of the time, all male, barring the Buddhist nun, Kuṇṭalakeci. Nīlakeci’s debates focus on questions of non-violence, existence of the soul, authorship and caste, among others. However, in order to truly appreciate this alter-texting, one has to unravel layers of other texts and traditions: the lesser known villuppāttu (bow-song) and nātakam (theatrical) versions of the pēy Nīli stories, as well as the story of Kuṇṭalakeci’s own transformative journey. Umamaheshwari situates these in a comparative context, while maintaining the centrality of the debates within Nīlakeci, using translation of selected excerpts.

Demons! The Possession and Exorcism of the Nuns of Loudun, and the Execution of Urbain Grandier

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Author :
Publisher : Lulu.com
ISBN 13 : 035904283X
Total Pages : 170 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (59 download)

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Book Synopsis Demons! The Possession and Exorcism of the Nuns of Loudun, and the Execution of Urbain Grandier by : Alexandre Dumas

Download or read book Demons! The Possession and Exorcism of the Nuns of Loudun, and the Execution of Urbain Grandier written by Alexandre Dumas and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2018-08-26 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Devil's (1971) Ken Russell's harsh, horrifying film of the possession and exorcism of a group of medieval French nuns, and the death by burning of Father Urbain Grandier in 1632, scorched the eyes and disturbed the souls of viewers of the early Seventies. Now, here is a full account of the hideous happenings, the demonic doings, that saw a group of holy sisters become cursing, spitting, vile creatures, and accused priest Grandier, said to be in league with the Devil, go to an unimaginable death at the stake. Here then is a story of good, evil, torture, betrayal, madness and consequences too hideous to contemplate. This tale of a medieval exorcism and fiery execution will open your eyes to the history many think too nightmarish to have happened, yet did.

How About Demons?

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Publisher : Indiana University Press
ISBN 13 : 025301462X
Total Pages : 165 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (53 download)

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Book Synopsis How About Demons? by : Felicitas D. Goodman

Download or read book How About Demons? written by Felicitas D. Goodman and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 1988-05-22 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of the Exorcism of Anneliese Michel “is to be commended for a stimulating and wide-reaching treatment of a compelling and much-debated subject” (Journal of Folklore Research). As part of a series that strives to introduce new or previously unrecognized folkloric phenomena—as well as new approaches and theories that result from discovery and investigation—How About Demons? provides an overview of a topic that has for many years captured the imagination of people from all walks of life. Rich in detail derived from the author’s fieldwork and anthropological literature, this work contemplates possession and exorcism in a holistic manner—discussing their effects on both the body and soul. How About Demons? paints a picture of possession as a usually positive experience occurring in a wide variety of cultures and religions around the globe. It also details the ritual of exorcism which is applied when things go wrong. “Quite an interesting book.”—Religious Studies Review “It is by far superior to anything else on demons we have seen in the past few years.”—The American Rationalist

Satan's Harvest

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Publisher : Graymalkin Media
ISBN 13 : 1631680226
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (316 download)

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Book Synopsis Satan's Harvest by : Ed Warren

Download or read book Satan's Harvest written by Ed Warren and published by Graymalkin Media. This book was released on 2014-10-04 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The shocking true case of demonic possession from the reporters who first covered it in the Boston Herald. The case was discussed and you can watch the real exorcism footage in the blockbuster horror film The Conjuring. When terrifying, bizarre things kept happening to a hard-working Massachusetts farmer, he did what anyone would do. First he went to the local police chief. Then he went to his priest. And then he went to Ed and Lorraine Warren, the world’s most famous demonologists who investigated the “The Amityville Horror” and other terrifying cases of demonic possession. It was the Warrens who called in one of America’s most renowned exorcists, Bishop Robert McKenna. What they all experienced is described in this extraordinary book. Absolutely terrifying. Absolutely true. Don't miss the Warrens' new film "Annabelle" (October, 2014).

Believe Not Every Spirit

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Author :
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 0226762955
Total Pages : 385 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Believe Not Every Spirit by : Moshe Sluhovsky

Download or read book Believe Not Every Spirit written by Moshe Sluhovsky and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2008-11-15 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From 1400 through 1700, the number of reports of demonic possessions among European women was extraordinarily high. During the same period, a new type of mysticism—popular with women—emerged that greatly affected the risk of possession and, as a result, the practice of exorcism. Many feared that in moments of rapture, women, who had surrendered their souls to divine love, were not experiencing the work of angels, but rather the ravages of demons in disguise. So how then, asks Moshe Sluhovsky, were practitioners of exorcism to distinguish demonic from divine possessions? Drawing on unexplored accounts of mystical schools and spiritual techniques, testimonies of the possessed, and exorcism manuals, Believe Not Every Spirit examines how early modern Europeans dealt with this dilemma. The personal experiences of practitioners, Sluhovsky shows, trumped theological knowledge. Worried that this could lead to a rejection of Catholic rituals, the church reshaped the meaning and practices of exorcism, transforming this healing rite into a means of spiritual interrogation. In its efforts to distinguish between good and evil, the church developed important new explanatory frameworks for the relations between body and soul, interiority and exteriority, and the natural and supernatural.