The Encyclopedia Of Demons And Demonology

Jesus 129
Jeanne died in January 1665. Her head was cut off and
placed in a silver and gold reliquary. The stained chemise
was already in its own reliquary. These relics were the
objects of popular devotion.
The convent commissioned an artist to paint a huge
image of the expulsion of Behemoth. In the center, Jeanne
knelt before Surin, Tranquille, and a Carmelite, a look of
ecstasy on her face. Royalty and commoners looked on.
A radiant St. Joseph, accompanied by cherubim, floated
overhead with three thunderbolts intended for the demons
leaving Jeanne’s mouth.
The painting hung in the chapel for more than 80
years, when a bishop ordered it removed. The nuns
hid the painting by covering it with another one. In
1772, the convent was suppressed. The painting, chemise,
and mummified head were sent into hiding and
disappeared.
FURTHER READING:
Certeau, Michel de. The Possession at Loudun. Translated by
Michael B. Smith. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2000.
Ferber, Sarah. Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Modern
France. London: Routledge, 2004.
Huxley, Aldous. The Devils of Loudun. New York: Harper and
Brothers, 1952.
Jesus The fight against evil, the DEVIL, and DEMONs are
central in the life and purpose of Christianity’s Son of
God. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy
the devil’s work,” affirms 1 John 3:8. Accounts in the
New Testament tell of Jesus’ ability to overcome evil
forces and to cast out demons afflicting people.
Baptism and Temptation in the Desert
Jesus’ BAPTISM by John the Baptist marked the beginning
of his ministry. Shortly after that, he spent 40 days in the
wilderness, where he was tempted by SATAN. He fasted for
40 days and 40 nights. Then Satan appeared and ordered
him to turn stones into loaves of bread to prove that he
was the Son of God. Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God’ ” (Mt. 4:4).
The Devil then took him to the holy city (Jerusalem)
and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. He told Jesus to
throw himself down and demonstrate that God’s ANGELs
would protect him. Jesus answered, “Again it is written,
‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’ ” (Mt 4:6).
Finally, Satan tried a third time to tempt Jesus. He
took him to a high mountain, where they could see all the
kingdoms of the world. “All this I will give you, if you will
fall down and worship me,” said the Devil (Mt. 4:9). Jesus
rejected him, answering, “Begone, Satan! for it is written,
‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall
you serve’ ” (Mt. 4:10).
Satan departed, and angels appeared to minister to
Jesus.
The offer of glory in exchange for worship implies
a PACT with the Devil, a concept that more than 1,000
years later weighed heavily in the WITCHCRAFT trials of
the Inquisition.
Casting Out of Demons
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke refer to many
instances when Jesus “cast out demons” or “unclean spirits.”
Such acts are differentiated from healing diseases
or defects. Some of the descriptions of the EXORCISMs
hint that epilepsy or seizures may have been responsible
for what were assumed at the time to be the effects of
demons.
The term exorcize is from the Greek word exousia,
meaning to “put under oath and command,” invoking a
higher authority to force compliance. To exorcize, then,
is to adjure (in Latin, adjuro) the spirits to depart in the
name of God. As such, Jesus was not technically an EXOR-
CIST, for he needed no higher authority.
The first instance of Jesus’ casting out demons occurred
after his return from the wilderness. Jesus began
selecting his disciples and went into Capernaum to teach.
Both Mark (1:23–27) and Luke (4:33–36) tell the story;
the text appears in the Authorized (King James) Version
translation in Mark:
And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean
spirit; and he cried out, saying, “Let us alone; what have
we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou
come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy
One of God.” And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Hold thy
peace, and come out of him.” And when the unclean
spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came
out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that
they questioned among themselves saying, “What thing
is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority
commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do
obey him.”
The man’s POSSESSION and exorcism follow the traditional
pattern. First, the demon recognized Christ.
Second, the spirit’s departure caused great pain to the
possessed, coupled with loud voices and cries. Third, the
demon ultimately yielded to Jesus’ higher power.
Jesus’ method of simple command over the demons
differed greatly from that practiced by other holy men
of his time. Most exorcists of the period relied on ritual,
chants, signs, and artifacts to expel evil spirits. Jesus used
only his word as the source of ultimate power. Not long
after the episode in Capernaum, Mark and Luke describe
Jesus’ healing the sick and casting out more demons in
Galilee (Mark 1:32–34, as follow; Luke 4:38–41):
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who
were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city
was gathered together about the door. And he healed
many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out
many demons; and he would not permit the demons to
speak, because they knew him.