The over-policing of the devil: A sociology of exorcism
Discussing the social construction of the phenomenon of exorcism, this article illustrates how it is located in contemporary culture and specifically in the religious field. Following the study done by Michel de Certeau on the mass possession of the Ursulines’ convent of Loudun (France) in the 17th...
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage
[2016]
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| In: |
Social compass
Year: 2016, Volume: 63, Issue: 4, Pages: 444-460 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Certeau, Michel de 1925-1986, La possession de Loudun
/ Possession
/ Exorcism
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| IxTheo Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy CD Christianity and Culture KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history RG Pastoral care |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | Discussing the social construction of the phenomenon of exorcism, this article illustrates how it is located in contemporary culture and specifically in the religious field. Following the study done by Michel de Certeau on the mass possession of the Ursulines’ convent of Loudun (France) in the 17th century, the authors differentiate between the ‘possessed’ and the ‘possessionists’, that is between those who are possessed by the devil and those who are convinced of the reality of possession., Although the authors cannot claim that there has been a growth of possessed people, they make the claim that there has been an increase of ‘possessionists’ through the over-policing of the devil: the more the over-policing of the devil is practiced, the more people are likely to become ‘possessionist’ and believe in the increase of the presence of the devil. |
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| ISSN: | 1461-7404 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Social compass
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0037768616663982 |