Pronunciation key ( ek′sôr-sizʼm ) |
ex•or•cism
n.
[LL. exorcismus; Gr. exorkismos].
- The act or process of expelling evil spirits. An exorcising.
- A ceremonial spell or formula used in exorcising. Verbal ritual used in the practice of exorcising.
A Bishop exorcising a demon from a church member (15th century woodcut).
The belief in hostile spirits as the culprit behind disease or mental illness is of great antiquity and still known today among both primitive and civilized cultures, alike. Seldom practiced today, the act of breaking the power of the Devil and similar evil spirits with the use of magic or incantations, that possess and therefore, influence or control a person. Exorcism presupposes the existence of a devil as the source of evil that works in the personal lives of people. The Devil's influence has many degrees. He can tempt a person to do something wrong such as to tell a lie. He can even dominate an individual by temporarily taking control over the individual's body. This event is known as possession.
When an evil spirit takes control of a person's body or actions, they may go into convulsions, have extraordinary strength or shout curses with no apparent explanation. Sometimes these spirits of evil may affect objects near the possessed person such as causing objects to fly through the air. It is presumed as well the spirits can take control of a room or an entire building.
Claims of possession are difficult to verify because the phenomenon could result from causes other than evil spirits. For instance, such a person might actually be suffering a mental or physical illness.
Some religions including Christian denominations have ceremonies and rituals to cast out such spirits. In the New Testament it is claimed Jesus exorcised devils and also endowed the apostles with the same ability. In the Roman Catholic Church, an exorcism is a ceremony that consists of a series of prayers recited over the afflicted person.
In the modern Church, the rite of exorcism is connected with baptism and a form of service for possessed persons and still retained in the ritual. The exorcist signs the possessed with with the figure of the cross, compels the individual to kneel and sprinkles then with holy water. Followed by the exorcist asking the devil his name, and adjures him by the holy mysteries of the Christian religion not to further afflict the possessed. He then lays his right hand on the possessed's head, repeating the form of exorcism:
"I exorcise thee, unclean spirit in the name of Jesus Christ: tremble , O Satan, thou enemy of the faith, thou foe of mankind, who hast brought death into the world, who has deprived men of life, and hast rebelled against justice, thou seducer of mankind, thou root of evil, thou source of avarice, discord and envy."
Houses and other places presupposed to be haunted by such unclean spirits are also exorcised with similar rituals.
During the first two centuries of the Christian Era the power of exorcism was considered a special gift that might be bestowed on any layperson or cleric. However in the 200's A.D. the church established the office of exorcist for one who performs an exorcism. About AD 250, there appeared a special class of the lower clergy to whom was entrusted to perform this special function. Around the same time, exorcism became one of the ceremonies prepatory to Baptism and it remained a part of the Roman Catholic baptism ritual. Priests hold this office but the practice is today regulated by canon law and required to receive a Bishop's permission to perform the rituals on a person. The name exorcist is given to the members of the third of the minor orders, which was reputedly established by Pope Fabian in the 3rd century. Rites used in blessing holy water and oil contain exorcistic elements, as does the rite of baptism for in accordance with the doctrine of original sin all unbaptized persons are considered to be subject to Satan and demonic forces. The sacrament of baptism and blessing of holy oil and holy water include prayers that ask God for protection from attacks by devils. In various Pentecostal churches, "Driving out of devils" is practiced in the curing rites, in the United States as well as missionary activities which may involve exorcism of native deities.
In Islam the practice is called daʼwah.
In traditional Judaism there is a large body of literature dealing with evil spirits and exorcism dibbukim. Exorcism was a well-established practice among ancient Greeks and was practiced by women as was charged against the mothers of Epicurus and Aeschines by the Stoics and Demosthenes, Jews and Early Christians. It still survives in European and other folklore.
In Japan, Nichiren Buddhist monks perform exorcisms based on the teachings of Lotus Sutra.
Widespread in ancient times and today, in more primitive peoples is a shared belief that most sicknesses have been caused by direct result of such spirits. Various levels of demonic activity have been believed to occur, therefore the rites of exorcism have varied accordingly. Exorcism may involve both spiritual and physical methods-for example, prayer, scourging the victim, or the use of incense.
Specific customs and practices involved in performing exorcism vary widely. In many tribes a professional magician, wizard or medicine man is employed to rid the individual or the area; a person, animal, object or given locality from such beings. In some cases the ritual is performed by the whole community at regular intervals, for purpose of expelling all maleficent demons from the community for definite periods. These customs may take the form of a general expulsion of evils, either once a year or at regular intervals, either immediately through spells, purifications or some form of coercion; or by transfer of the evil to a scapegoat or other material vehicle. Magicians may cast out or drive away such hostile spirits by having his followers beat through the village with whips or knives, by employing iron which are believed to hold spirits at bay, and other materials believed to frighten demons, or by means of masked dances or similar rituals. Evil spirits are believed to be compelled by the assaults with warlike weapons or sticks, noise of musical instruments or the human voice, and invocations of good spirits. He may cajole them with gifts, which in some tribes are set afloat on a raft to lure the spirits away along with their sickness, drought, and other human afflictions. In others, it is performed only on specific occasions, as when a natural disaster or epidemic threatens lives of the community, of which the belief is held the event has been caused by spiritual forces. Practiced more commonly is that practiced on individual persons, places and things suffering from or associated with some affliction and therefore "possessed" by spirits of evil. For instance, a sick person or a house whose occupants are ill. Exorcistic rituals may involve armed attacks upon the places believed to harbor demons, including the use of loud noise, masks, or figures to frighten the spirits away. In some cases, supplication of beneficent spirits to counteract the machinations of the evils ones, or utilizing fire or water in various rituals. Malay magic is largely based upon this belief; so are the shamanistic practices of many American Indians and of the people of Siberia, Africa, Asia, Europe and elsewhere. Such rites and practices of primitive people to ward off or to expel evil spirits, considered to be a form of exorcism belongs properly in the field of magic and witchcraft. The supposed ability of the so-called medicine men, wizards, et cetera to exercise exorcist rituals won them great spiritual powers.
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