Book 1: Explore the sharp wit and satirical brilliance of “The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce.” Ambrose Bierce, known for his biting humor and keen observations, provides a collection of cynical and humorous definitions that serve as a satirical commentary on various aspects of society. Bierce's Devil's Dictionary is a literary gem that challenges conventional thinking with its wit and clever wordplay. Book 2: Dive into the psychological complexities and societal critiques of “The Possessed (The Devils) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel delves into the lives of characters grappling with political and ideological turmoil. This profound work explores the destructive forces of radicalism and the impact of societal upheaval on individuals, making it a compelling exploration of human nature and society. Book 3: Unravel the mysteries surrounding demonology and folklore with “Demonology and Devil-lore by Moncure Daniel Conway.” Moncure Daniel Conway delves into the historical, cultural, and religious aspects of demonology. This comprehensive work explores the various manifestations of the devil across different cultures and periods, offering readers an insightful journey into the realms of superstition, belief, and folklore.

The Devil exists. We know that since the very beginning he was there, deceiving our first ancestors. He knows the human soul very well. He observed the most hidden desires while tempting the human being. The evil spirit is hidden. It deceives while in many occasions it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And it likes to be ignored by people, for than the damage is even bigger. Oh, poor people, those who overlook this fact! He can scent the innocence in people. The purest the soul the more valuable it will be. Don’t take him for granted. He might be dirty and condemned but he is not shy; he is rather wise and can use his tricks to drag people away from the bright path, making their lives questionable. He is the “father of the lies” and only “one person” can fight him: our almighty Lord, the Creator of the universe. This book tells the story of three innocent children and their families, to whom the Devil presented himself, stalking and inflicting torment upon them. This is not a work of fiction. All the facts are real. The characters’ identities were preserved.

By Authors Possessed examines the development of the demonic in key Russian novels from the last two centuries. Defining the demonic novel as one that takes as its theme an evil presence incarnated in the protagonists and attributed to the Judeo-Christian Devil, Adam Weiner investigates the way the content of such a book can compromise the moral integrity of its narration and its sense of authorship. Weiner contends that the theme of demonism increasingly infects the narrative point of view from Gogol's Dead Souls to Dostoevsky's The Devils and Bely's Petersburg, until Nabokov exorcised the demonic novel through his fiction and his criticism. Starting from the premise that artistic creation has always been enshrouded in a haze of moral dilemma and religious doubt, Weiner's study of the demonic novel is an attempt to illuminate the potential ethical perils and aesthetic gains of great art.

This book is exclusively devoted to demonic possession and exorcism in early modern England. It offers modernized versions of the most significant early modern texts on nine cases of demonic possession from the period 1570 to 1650, the key period in English history for demonic possession. The nine stories were all written by eyewitnesses or were derived from eyewitness reports. They involve matters of life and death, sin and sanctity, guilt and innocence, of crimes which could not be committed and punishments which could not be deserved. The nine critical introductions which accompany the stories address the different strategic intentions of those who wrote them. The modernized texts and critical introductions are placed within the context of a wide-ranging general Introduction to demonic possession in England across the period 1550 to 1700.

In this highly original study of possession by demons and their exorcism, Sarah Ferber offers a challenging study of one of the most intriguing phenomenon of early modern Europe. Looking also at the present day, she argues that early modern.

A number of cases of serious child abuse have resulted from beliefs that children may be possessed by evil spirits and may then be given the power to bewitch others. Misfortune, failure, illness and even death may be blamed on them. The 'cure', nowadays called deliverance rather than exorcism, is to expel the spirits, sometimes by violent means. This book draws together contributions on aspects of possession and witchcraft from leading academics and expert practitioners in the field. It has been put together following conferences held by Inform, a charity that provides accurate information on new religions as a public service. There is no comparable information publicly available; this book is the first of its kind. Eileen Barker, founder of Inform, introduces the subject and Inform's Deputy Director goes on to detail the requests the charity has answered in recent years on the subject of children, possession and witchcraft. This book offers an invaluable resource for readers, whether academic or practitioner - particularly those in the fields of the safeguarding of children, and their education, health and general welfare.

It is August 18, 1634. Father Urbain Grandier, convicted of sorcery that led to the demonic possession of the Ursuline nuns of provincial Loudun in France, confesses his sins on the porch of the church of Saint-Pierre, then perishes in flames lit by his own exorcists. A dramatic tale that has inspired many artistic retellings, including a novel by Aldous Huxley and an incendiary film by Ken Russell, the story of the possession at Loudun here receives a compelling analysis from the renowned Jesuit historian Michel de Certeau. Interweaving substantial excerpts from primary historical documents with fascinating commentary, de Certeau shows how the plague of sorceries and possessions in France that climaxed in the events at Loudun both revealed the deepest fears of a society in traumatic flux and accelerated its transformation. In this tour de force of psychological history, de Certeau brings to vivid life a people torn between the decline of centralized religious authority and the rise of science and reason, wracked by violent anxiety over what or whom to believe. At the time of his death in 1986, Michel de Certeau was a director of studies at the école des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris. He was author of eighteen books in French, three of which have appeared in English translation as The Practice of Everyday Life,The Writing of History, and The Mystic Fable, Volume 1, the last of which is published by The University of Chicago Press. "Brilliant and innovative. . . . The Possession at Loudun is [de Certeau's] most accessible book and one of his most wonderful."—Stephen Greenblatt (from the Foreword)