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exorcism

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exorcism

Rite used in a number of religions for the expulsion of evil spirits and ghosts. In Christianity it is employed, for example, in the Roman Catholic and Pentecostal churches.

Many conditions were attributed to possession by spirits in ancient history, and there are numerous examples of exorcism in the New Testament and in the early Christian church; the theologians Tertullian and Origen speak of it as an ordinary occurrence. The professional exorcist was known among the Jews, and the art was practised by women in Greece. The ancient rite of exorcism in connection with baptism is still retained in the Roman Catholic ritual, which also contains a special rite for the exorcism of possessed persons.

Popular folklore in Islamic countries includes beliefs about the binding of djinns, but Islam does not officially recognize this.



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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
It was in his mind to repeat over the exorcism proper to such attacks; but the two burst out a-laughing at his scared face, and turning on to their heads once more, clapped their heels in derision.
The White Company by Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan View in context
Chloroform, applied in the capacity of an exorcism, was entirely new to Sir Patrick.
Man And Wife by Collins, Wilkie View in context
The words shall scarce have left thy lips, ere thou wilt either be an hundred feet under ground, in the dungeon of the Preceptory, to abide trial as a recreant knight; or, if his opinion holds concerning thy possession, thou wilt be enjoying straw, darkness, and chains, in some distant convent cell, stunned with exorcisms, and drenched with holy water, to expel the foul fiend which hath obtained dominion over thee.
Ivanhoe by Scott, Walter View in context
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