Having the Spirit of Christ

Spirit Possession and Exorcism in the Early Christ Groups

Bazzana Giovanni B.

The earliest Christian writings are filled with stories of possession and exorcism, which were crucial for the activity of the historical Jesus and for the practice of his earliest followers. Possession, besides being a harmful event that should be exorcized, can also have a positive role in many cultures. Often it helps individuals and groups to reflect on and reshape their identity, to plan their moral actions, and to remember in a most vivid way their past.

About the Author

Giovanni B. Bazzana is professor of New Testament at Harvard Divinity School. He is the author of "Kingdom of Bureaucracy: The Political Theology of Village Scribes in the Sayings Gospel Q" and serves on the editorial board of the Harvard Theological Review.

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