In this article for Vice, the author references Theos’ 2017 report, ‘Christianity and Mental Health: Theology, Activities, Potential’. 19/06/2019
The belief that demons exist is as old as religion itself, but at the end of last year it was reported that exorcisms are back in a big way. In 2017, the Catholic rite of exorcism was translated into English for the first time since being standardised in the early 17th century, and in May of this year the Vatican held a dedicated “exorcist training convention” in Rome following a sharp rise in “reports of demonic possession around the world”.
Looking into what’s caused this current “spike” throws up complex answers. What’s evident is that it isn’t just a Catholic concern, as a 2017 report by faith–focused think–tank Theos made clear. The “Christianity and Mental Health” paper points to Pentecostalism – the Protestant renewal movement with an emphasis on direct personal connections to God – “[which is mainly] driven by immigrant communities and churches [which are] very open about their exorcism services”.
Article by Francisco Garcia @ffranciscodgf.
Read the Vice article in full here.
