Thesiss

This study is abroad based investigation of exorcism in the activities of the historical Jesus, particularly the connection between spirit possession and exorcism on the one hand and the socio-political context of first-century Galilee on the other. As such, it draws on research…

This dissertation offers a study of religious values with regard to how religious tradition is maintained when in conflict with social convention. Specifically, it concerns how Christian exorcism overcame stigmas of magic and superstition as it extended into Greek and Roman area…

This dissertation explores the performance of The Legend of White Snake (Bai she zhuan) during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Like many other famous narratives of late imperial China, White Snake does not have a dominant version, and the plot has changed over time and across geog…

This phenomenological ethnographic study aims to review different exorcism cases and the afflicted individual’s account, looking to disentangle the phenomenon from the labels it has attracted throughout history, such as psychiatric illnesses and religious fanaticism. These cases…

This dissertation explores the different ways in which early Jews understood demonic entities in their ancient and antique historical contexts. Unlike traditional scholarly studies which have often approached the topic primarily from the grand theological narratives of monotheis…

In the fourth century, both John Chrysostom, a priest in Antioch, and Cyril of Jerusalem delivered a series of baptismal orations in their roles as catechetical instructors for the lenten catechumenate. This eight week baptismal program involved candidates in ascetic practices, …