Literature Review #2

Citation:

Simon Usborne. “I Have Witnessed 20 Exorcisms.” Independent (London, England : 1986), Independent 

    Digital News and Media Limited, 2009, p. 11–.

Summary:

The article is about the author interviewing Matt Baglio and his first-person recount of learning and witnessing exorcisms. Baglio took a course at a university associated with the Vatican and met an American priest, Father Gary Thomas, and while getting to know him, Baglio witnessed 20 exorcisms done by the priest. The article talks about the different symptoms and actions the people who were going through the exorcisms had faced and done. The article also briefly explains what the exorcism itself entails and how different people had responded to them. 

Author:

Simon Usborne

Key Terms:

exorcism, priest, ritual

Three Quotes: 

"The exorcist's prayer stimulates the demons, forcing them through the pipe, as it were, and they take over the body."

"There are famous cases, perhaps the most notoriously that of Anneliese Michel, a German who died as a result of exorcism, but another thing that surprised me was the ritual itself is often very mild."

"Usually, though, it's enough for the exorcist to place his hand on top of the person's head and say the prayer. There's no shouting or screaming - just a sense of calm."

Value:

While looking for more sources pertaining to the case of Anneliese Michel I came across this article that briefly explained how modern-day exorcisms were done and how they were very different compared to the portrayals of them done in media. I thought researching more in-depth about modern-day exorcisms and comparing them to ones held in the past, as well as the way the media portrays them would be an interesting aspect to add to my essay. I also found that the person who was interviewed, Matt Baglio, also has a book entitled The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist and I will also be looking into that in hopes to learn more about modern-day exorcisms. While the article itself does not contain any detailed research or information pertaining to modern-day exorcism, it provided me with a new outlook towards exorcism and its negative connotations.