Possession, dispossession, and exorcism in early modern England: Casting out divells in the light of John Darrell’s cases
Author
Bokhari, Rimliya Tariq
Advisor
Latimer, Paul
Date
2018-06Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
This study analyzes the phenomenon of demonic possession and the rite of exorcism in
early modern England and traces the debates over the reality of demonic activity such as
possession in both Catholic and Protestant circles, particularly through the dispossession
cases of the controversial minister, John Darrell. It examines the pamphlets, treatises, and
texts which shaped the demonology of the early modern period, and which contributed
significantly to the development of the image of the Devil as man’s tormentor and
corroborated his influence in the physical world. In doing so, it argues that demonic
possession was regarded as an actual phenomenon in the early modern English society
which cannot be explained only through medical and/or psychological reasons, and that
it was a combination of social, economic, religious, and political factors in addition to
medical explanations that gave rise to cases of demonic possession and ensuing
exorcisms.