Concise Dictionary of Religion | ||
EXORCISM:
the act of casting out DEMONS or EVIL SPIRITS in a RITUAL designed to free the individual from evil influences. In the ORTHODOX CHURCH exorcism is practiced prior to BAPTISM. As a result of RATIONALISM, BELIEF in EVIL spirits was largely discarded by most Western Churches in the nineteenth century. In recent years there has been a revival of the practice and an increasing demand for the services of exorcists by troubled individuals.
Concise Dictionary of Religion | ||