A Brief History of Christian Demonology

The roots of demonology are nearly impossible to trace. A brief study of world religions both current and past turns up a variety of malevolent beings that behave in similar ways to how Christians perceive demons. It is known for example that the grimoires, books of magic, used in Babylon and Sumeria refer to evil spirits that cause disease and other ills. These texts also contained spells for driving them off and recommendations of ways to ward them off. While this is the earliest written example of demonology it can also be reasonably inferred that traditions of malevolent spirits that were not of human origin go back even farther. Beliefs found both among the Native Americans and in Africa reference evil spirits that interact with human beings up to and including possession.

The forms of demonology most recognizable in the modern world really begin in Judaism. While the names given for the spirits are different records do exist of rabbi’s performing rites of exorcism. Of particular note here is the belief in dybbuks and Lilith. Dybbuks are spirits of the dead who possess human bodies to fulfill specific goals. These spirits can be either good or evil and ritual methods to remove them do exist. Lilith herself is one of the most interesting figures in demonology. She has been seen as: a fertility goddess, the first wife of Adam, the original old hag/succubus, mother of demons, Queen of Hell and wife, at least one of many, of Satan. Originally, at least in Jewish lore, she was simply seen as a demonic figure known for sitting upon her victims in the night and choking the life out of them. Later speculation arose that she was the original wife of Adam, who left the garden of Eden after growing tired of Adam’s demands she submit to him. The story goes on that three angels were sent to fetch her back. She refused, cursing them and again is believed to have become a demon with a particular taste for human children. While no version of Lilith’s story appears in the Bible it’s worth noting that the screech owl, or night monster depending on the translation used, referred to in Isaiah 34:14 is often thought to be a reference to Lilith.

Demonology, in the form most often seen today, begins with Jesus Christ and his followers. Jesus himself casts out demons several times in the gospels (Matthew 8:16, Matthew 8:28-33, and Mark 1:23-27) and gave authority to do so to his followers (Mark 3:15-16, Mark 6:7, and Matthew 10:1). This was important enough that in his own time the Pharisee’s were shocked enough by this behavior to accuse him of casting out demons through the power of a greater demon (Matthew 12:27). Even after his death on the cross the followers of Jesus continued to cast out demons in his name after his death and the records of the early church make it clear this tradition continued throughout the history of Christianity with the office of exorcist being mentioned as early as 253. Further a number of important Christian leaders, notably both Thomas Aquinas and Saint Augustine, wrote about Satan, his demons and their actions against humanity.

In 1614 the ritual of exorcism was printed for the first time in the Rituale Romanum. Drawing upon prayers that dated back to the apostles combined with over a thousand years of practical experience this ritual has continued to survive into the modern age. The ritual survived in this form, with the addition of sterner warnings about the differences between mental illness and possession, until 1999 when the entire ritual received a significant rewrite although a number of priests, with church permission, continue to use the original ritual.

The history of demonology during the middle ages in general is a complicated subject. While on the other had accounts of the witch hunts and inquisition are full of accounts of demonic activity and allegations of individuals making pacts with Satan it seems clear that in the majority of these cases, with a few possible exceptions, like the infamous serial killer Giles De Rais, a combination of mass hysteria, out right dishonesty and mental illness were really at the route of these accusations. It’s particularly worth noting that witches were not generally thought to be possessed by demons. They were thought to be people who made willing and active deals with demons and were guilty because of this.

In more recent times a number of protestant sects have begun a tradition they refer to as deliverance ministry. While the Catholic church relies on prayer, application of blessed objects and fasting drawing from Jesus’ warning that some demons could only be cast out by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29) deliverance ministers generally rely on commands in the name of Jesus Christ. The other major differences is that a Catholic exorcism can only be performed by an ordained priest with special permission from his bishop, while it’s believed all Christians can perform deliverance without special permission. Another difference is in the requirements before someone is considered for deliverance/exorcism. The Catholic church requires any one considered for exorcism to submit to psychological and medical testing and that they exhibit specific signs of demonic possession (supernatural strength, speaking a language unknown to the victim, hatred of blessed objects and God, and knowledge of secret, hidden or future events being the 4 principle signs) deliverance ministers work in a broader area without a single formal authority. Unfortunately this has lead to some ministers being too quick to assume the presence of demons leading to potential damage to those who are simply suffering from mental or physical illness.

While a number of cases have made headlines there can be no doubt the single most significant case of demonic attack in the 20th century was the events that occurred at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville New York. While rumors and urban legends abound regarding the case having been a hoax a number of facts cast serious doubt on this assertion. Most notably the chief architect of the hoax theory was the late Doctor Stephen Kaplan who’s record as a paranormal investigator ranges from ghost hunting to being the “father of vampirology.” Kaplan’s credentials as an investigator have widely been disputed and the Lutz’s themselves originally rejected him as an investigator in part because of his claims of being a vampirologist. While it’s impossible to completely discuss the entire debate regarding this (in) famous case its worth noting that despite popular myth no member of the Lutz family has ever gone back on their claim that the house was legitimately haunted. Both George and Kathy Lutz continued to insist the legitimacy of the case up till their deaths and the middle son Chris Lutz also stood by the claims during his appearance on “The Lou Gentile Show.”

No discussion of the history of demonology would be complete without discussing the late Ed Warren. Made famous for his involvement in the events of “The Amityville Horror”, his investigation of West Point military academy and a number of other high profile cases Ed was unusual in being a lay person formally recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as a religious demonologist. While Ed was not an exorcist he worked closely with a number of Catholic priests often gathering the evidence required so that the church would formally sanction the ritual. He spent his life traveling the world offering help to people who believed they were under demonic attack and drawing money from numerous lectures and books without charging his clients. Even after his death in 2006 Ed’s influence has continued to be felt particularly in the continued work of those he trained most notably Lou Gentile.

Based out of Philadelphia Pennsylvania Lou, like Ed, traveled the country helping people who claimed to be under demonic attack, again without asking for or accepting any fees. He appeared several times on television (fox family channel, history channel, TLC, discovery, and channel 4 In the UK) and in addition to being the director of Delaware Valley Demonology Research (DVDR) he is well known as the host of the nationally syndicated radio show “The Lou Gentile Show.” During its time the radio show interviewed a wide range of guests including having been fortunate enough to be the first radio interview George and Kathy Lutz, on whom the book and movie “The Amityville Horror” were based, before they passed away. Like his mentor Lou also spent a great deal of time training others to continue his work and despite his unfortunate passing in June of 2009 DVDR is still in operation offering its help to those who need it.

The last groups to consider in the history of Demonology are the exorcists. Most notable in the last century has been Father Gabrielle Armothe, and Father Malachi Martin. Father Armothe currently holds the distinction of being the chief exorcist of Rome. He is notable for having penned two major books on the subject (An Exorcist Tells His Story, and An Exorcist: More Stories), and his outspoken condemnation of all forms of the occult. Also of interest he has discussed an exorcism that the Church preformed remotely on Adolph Hitler during World War 2 which he believes failed. As of this reporting he continues his work in Rome casting out demons from clients who come to see him in Rome.
Father Malachi Martin was one of the most colorful exorcists of the 20th century. Most well known for his book “Hostage to the Devil” he is notable in part for having been formally released from his priestly vows, citing growing dissatisfaction with the reforms of Vatican 2. Despite his separation his book remains one of the most well known texts on demonology in modern times. He continued his work and his writing until his death in 1999.

Regardless of the deaths of these figures demonologists continue to operate through out the world. Both Lou Gentile's DVDR, and Ed Warren's New England Society for Psyhcic Research (NESPR) are in operation with the passing of their founders. With exorcists and demonologists world wide reporting an increase of demonic activity it also seems likely that the field of demonology will continue to exist into the forseeable future.