medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
For early evidence, see the discussion in Harnack's Mission and Expansion,
conveniently available at
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/courses/535/Harnack/bk2all.htm#2-3
(For the general site, go to
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/courses/535/Harnack/bk0-TOC.htm --
the project is still in process.)
Bob
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Dear all,=20
>
> I have a few questions pertaining to the early Christian and medieval =
> ritual of exorcism and how it has evolved over the centuries.=20
> There is this passage inside J.N Hillgarth's "Christianity and Paganism, =
> 350-750. The conversion of Western Europe"(Philadelphia: U of =
> Pennsylvania Press, 1969) concerning the ritual of exorcism,=20
>
> "The Church also offered men protection against evil demons. Candidates =
> for Baptism were repeatedly exorcised as part of the normal rite. Those =
> considered to be "possessed" by demons, that is most ill people--most =
> obviously epileptics and the insane, but also the deaf, paralytics, =
> etc.--were "treated" by being taken to the nearest priest, bishop, or =
> monk who was thought to possess the power to heal. Christ had exercised =
> the power in his ministry and was believed to have transmitted it to his =
> disciples. Casting out devils was a standard test of sanctity for a =
> Christian ascetic."(page 12)
>
> Commonly, what are the actions performed as a part of the ritual of =
> exorcism in the medieval period in Western Europe? How does it differ =
> specifically from its counterparts in Byzantine Christianity and the =
> rest of the Christian Orient? Specifically, in the theological sense, =
> how was "possession" understood? Was it seen to be the case of the evil =
> spirit or devil(s) taking over control of the human's body and mind to =
> the extent of him or her losing voluntary control over it(whether =
> totally or partially), hence in the sense of another spiritual presence =
> in the bodily vessel other than the human soul? Or was it more directly =
> a case of just mere physical oppression on the outside by an external =
> actant?=20
>
> Also, in addition, was the experience of possession for the human seen =
> to stop after Baptism, or could it in a way be dependent on the person's =
> state of sanctity(or debauchery) even after he or she is baptised and =
> hence granted remission of sins through the symbolic act of "washing =
> away sins"? (That is, if he falls into a sin, a devil or demon can still =
> plague him after he goes through baptism)
>
> A former Catholic friend has told me a little bit about the existence of =
> something called the black Mass in Roman Catholicism. How exactly is it =
> different from exorcism, or does it in any way entail any ritual of =
> exorcism? As such, does it have any medieval antecedents, and how is it =
> being executed as a black Mass?(I am not aware of this aspect since I =
> have not read anywhere about it and barely heard about it from a friend, =
> and I would really appreciate someone pointing me to the primary and =
> secondary source materials available on it.)
>
> Thanks very much.=20
>
> Sincerely,
> Kevin Jang
>
> **********************************************************************
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> ------=_NextPart_000_00AC_01C54763.0AD65440
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> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
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> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dear all, </FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have a few questions pertaining to =
> the early=20
> Christian and medieval ritual of exorcism and how it has evolved over =
> the=20
> centuries. </FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There is this passage inside J.N =
> Hillgarth's <FONT=20
> size=3D2>"Christianity and Paganism, 350-750. The conversion of Western=20
> Europe"(Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania Press, =
> 1969)</FONT> concerning the=20
> ritual of exorcism, </FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"The Church also offered men protection =
> against=20
> evil demons. Candidates for Baptism were repeatedly exorcised as part of =
> the=20
> normal rite. Those considered to be "possessed" by demons, that is most =
> ill=20
> people--most obviously epileptics and the insane, but also the deaf, =
> paralytics,=20
> etc.--were "treated" by being taken to the nearest priest, bishop, or =
> monk who=20
> was thought to possess the power to heal. Christ had exercised the power =
> in his=20
> ministry and was believed to have transmitted it to his disciples. =
> Casting out=20
> devils was a standard test of sanctity for a Christian ascetic."(page=20
> 12)</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Commonly, what are the actions =
> performed as a part=20
> of the ritual of exorcism in the medieval period in Western Europe? How =
> does it=20
> differ specifically from its counterparts in Byzantine Christianity and =
> the rest=20
> of the Christian Orient? Specifically, in the theological sense, how was =
>
> "possession" understood? Was it seen to be the case of the evil spirit =
> or=20
> devil(s) taking over control of the human's body and mind to the extent =
> of him=20
> or her losing voluntary control over it(whether totally or partially), =
> hence in=20
> the sense of another spiritual presence in the bodily vessel other than =
> the=20
> human soul? Or was it more directly a case of just mere physical =
> oppression on=20
> the outside by an external actant? </FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Also, in addition, was the experience =
> of possession=20
> for the human seen to stop after Baptism, or could it in a way be =
> dependent on=20
> the person's state of sanctity(or debauchery) even after he or she is =
> baptised=20
> and hence granted remission of sins through the symbolic act of "washing =
> away=20
> sins"? (That is, if he falls into a sin, a devil or demon can still =
> plague him=20
> after he goes through baptism)</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A former Catholic friend has told me a =
> little bit=20
> about the existence of something called the black Mass in Roman =
> Catholicism. How=20
> exactly is it different from exorcism, or does it in any way entail any =
> ritual=20
> of exorcism? As such, does it have any medieval antecedents, and how is =
> it being=20
> executed as a black Mass?(I am not aware of this aspect since I have not =
> read=20
> anywhere about it and barely heard about it from a friend, and I would =
> really=20
> appreciate someone pointing me to the primary and secondary source=20
> materials available on it.)</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thanks very much. </FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sincerely,</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Kevin Jang</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
> **********************************************************************
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> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_00AC_01C54763.0AD65440--
>
--
Robert A. Kraft, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
227 Logan Hall (Philadelphia PA 19104-6304); tel. 215 898-5827
[log in to unmask]
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html
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