Corpus-Paul

["David C. Hindley" <DHindley AT compuserve.com>]

On 05/05/99, "Carol Bateson <bateson AT rcf.usc.edu>" wrote:
> I am currently writing a paper on exorcism for an undergraduate Religion
> seminar.  I have located several books on ancient and modern exorcism,
> along with books on that focus on Jesus as exorcist.  My question to the
> list is this:
> 
> Can anyone recommend a book on Paul as exorcist, that is, if there is such
> a book?  
> 
> Thank you in advance,
> Carol Bateson
> University of Southern California

Carol,

Are you restricting "exorcism" to mean only a religious exorcism, or can 
you consider it in the context of magical practices?

Based on the wording of your post, I'd suspect that you already have 
consulted Morton Smith's _Jesus the Magician_, who -does- comment on 
passages in Acts and the Pauline epistles that could be taken to refer to 
-magical- practices.

Magic, in spite of the lack of a consensus as to definition (see J. P. 
Meier's _A Marginal Jew_), is clearly related to the manipulation of 
"demons" (in the sense of spiritual entities possessing some sort of power 
over actions occurring in the material world) to achieve a goal. In 
exorcism, the goal is the return of an individual to sound mind or health. 
The manipulation is the expulsion of the demon.

As you may be aware, there is a grey area between religious ritual and 
magic ritual. I might also suggest looking at Hans Deiter Betz's _The Greek 
Magical Papyri in Translation_, and look for practices that resemble 
actions attributed to Paul in Acts, or statements made in the epistles. You 
may have to draw your own inferences.

Good luck!

Dave Hindley, BA
Cleveland, OH
Dhindley AT compuserve.com