The Penguin Book of Exorcisms, Joseph P. Laycock
The Penguin Book of Exorcisms, Joseph P. Laycock
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The Penguin Book of Exorcisms

Author: Joseph P. Laycock

Narrator: Dennis Logan

Unabridged: 10 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 09/08/2020


Synopsis

Haunting accounts of real-life exorcisms through the centuries and around the world, from ancient Egypt and the biblical Middle East to colonial America and twentieth-century South Africa

A Penguin Classic

Levitation. Feats of superhuman strength. Speaking in tongues. A hateful, glowing stare. The signs of spirit possession have been documented for thousands of years and across religions and cultures, even into our time: In 2019 the Vatican convened 250 priests from 50 countries for a weeklong seminar on exorcism. The Penguin Book of Exorcisms brings together the most astonishing accounts: Saint Anthony set upon by demons in the form of a lion, a bull, and a panther, who are no match for his devotion and prayer; the Prophet Muhammad casting an enemy of God out of a young boy; fox spirits in medieval China and Japan; a headless bear assaulting a woman in sixteenth-century England; the possession in the French town of Loudun of an entire convent of Ursuline nuns; a Zulu woman who floated to a height of five feet almost daily; a previously unpublished account of an exorcism in Earling, Iowa, in 1928--an important inspiration for the movie The Exorcist; poltergeist activity at a home in Maryland in 1949--the basis for William Peter Blatty's novel The Exorcist; a Filipina girl "bitten by devils"; and a rare example of a priest's letter requesting permission of a bishop to perform an exorcism--after witnessing a boy walk backward up a wall. Fifty-seven percent of Americans profess to believe in demonic possession; after reading this book, you may too.

For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

About The Author

Joseph P. Laycock (editor) is an associate professor of religious studies at Texas State University; coeditor of Nova Religio, the premier journal for the study of new religious movements; the author of several books about religion, including Speak of the Devil, The Exorcist Effect, and Satanism; and the editor of The Penguin Book of Cults. He has written for Quartz and The New Republic and been featured on the television documentary series Mysteries Decoded and The History Channel’s Holy Marvels with Dennis Quaid and The UnXplained with William Shatner.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Arthur

A 10 hour and 40 minute unabridged audiobook. An anthology ranges from the earliest writings on exorcisms to more modern ones. After reading a biography on Stalin I felt I needed this. Particularly interesting to me, at least because I knew least about these, are Islamic and Judaic exorcisms. But al......more

Goodreads review by Grace

A very interesting read, I would say for both skeptics and believers. The format and organisation of the chapters makes this easy to read. I liked the introduction at the start of each chapter, especially for some of the older or foreign cases. I found the experience of reading through the timeline......more

Goodreads review by Dani

Like the other penguin books, this one starts with pretty dense, not-that-interesting original texts. As the book goes on, the writings tend to become clearer, and thus more enjoyable to read. I liked the second half of the book, particularly the modern exorcisms and the sections of different cultur......more


Quotes

Winner of the 2020 Whirling Prize in Horror

“Suitably chilling reading for Halloween . . . Shows in illuminating detail how the belief in demonic possession stretches back more than 2,500 years.” ―The Economist

“What better way to embrace spooky season than with this collection?” ―Mental Floss

“Fascinating.” ―Dax Shepard, Armchair Expert (podcast)

“Gripping . . . Thoroughly researched . . . [with a] descriptive flare in rendering the ‘goblinlike entities,’ jealous demons, and evil spirits . . . This is a boon for anyone curious about exorcism and its wide-ranging, spiritually diverse legacy.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Spellbinding . . . Gripping . . . Fascinating . . . Demons, devils, dybbuks, jinn, zar and Chinese fox-spirits abound in accounts dating back to ancient times. . . . The editor's introductions are sharp and cogent. . . . [For] readers hungry for illumination―and a touch of terror.” ―Shelf Awareness