Open AccessOpętanie i egzorcyzmy w apologetyce wczesnochrześcijańskiej II-III wieku
Author(s) -
Mariusz Terka
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
vox patrum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2719-3586
pISSN - 0860-9411
DOI - 10.31743/vp.4016
Subject(s) - exorcism , magic (telescope) , possession (linguistics) , theology , prayer , power (physics) , faith , cult , philosophy , religious studies , spirituality , art , medicine , linguistics , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics
The article is the attempt to analyze the teaching of early christian apologists about possession and exorcisms in Church. They recognize that possession in the strict sense applies to a human body. By contrast, spiritual enslavement consists in introducing someone into impiety. Evil spirits, after turning away from their Creator, envy people the grace of God and try to take them away from God and to enslave. They claim to be gods and demand sacrifices and a cult. Magic is also the way to enslavement, because the effectiveness of magic is connected with the power of demons. An exorcism is a kind of spiritual fight in which a christian, in the name of Jesus, commands demons and liberates the possessed person. Exorcisms are the manifestation of God’s power, which beats evil spirits and exposes their lies. Although the main reason of the liberation is the power of God’s name, faith and ardent prayer of a possessed person and these who pray for him have also an impact on that process. Christians who live in the grace of God are under the care of Christ, so they don’t have to fear demons.