Deliverance: New Wave Exorcism Part 1
The United States' growing political dichotomy and the continued evolution of Evangelical churches has created the perfect environment for a new, mass scale, form of exorcism.
These new exorcisms are referred to as deliverance. Similar to traditional exorcisms, these involve breaking "a link" between an entity and an individual before removing the entity. Rather than following the Vatican's protocols on this break and removal, deliverances utilize breath to physically force demons and spirits from the body.
This practice's growing popularity can be marked by its presence is megachurch teachings. Deliverance teachings also makes up a significant slice of the 1.2 billion dollar religious publishing industry. Isaiah Saldivar, is a streamer, podcast host, and preacher of a nondenominational church who has generated a map of 1,402 deliverance practitioners across the united states.
WHERE THESE IDEAS CAME FROM?
Deliverances are part of a concept called spiritual warfare. This ideology was created by missionary, prominent theologian, and ordained Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, C Peter Wagner. After working as a missionary in Latin America from 1956 to 1971, his ideas surrounding religion began to reflect Latin American values- specifically the belief that biblical good and evil operate in the every day world. Wagner preached that demons and the devil were literally and physically in the world and that it was the duty of Christians to battle these evils.
WHY IN THE USA RIGHT NOW?
Wagner's early descriptions of spiritual warfare not only claimed that the occult was real and among us. He also stated that the goal of these evils is to "rule over governments". This ideology lends itself to those who feel ostracized and abandoned by the government. Additionally, "Deliverance warriors believe that problems such as illness and poverty are the result of spiritual sickness, not earthly afflictions". Meaning that deliverance warriors in a Post-Trump era can biblically align with values of the far right.
The average political perspective among deliverance warriors appears to be hovering around "everyday Maga-ism and closer to QAnon". Recently Marjorie Taylor Greene signaled her commitment as a deliverance warrior when speaking about her own presence in government.
âI think it just shows weâre in a true spiritual war in America,â she said, âand you can see the attacks on me are proof of it.â
As the United States becomes an increasingly secular country and rates of christianity drop nationwide, the most successful churches are those that are able to grab the attention of disenfranchised christians. You won't find spiritual warfare believers in traditional Christian spaces. Like many other self help ideologies, they have instead made a footing in online spaces. Religious organizations that believe in spiritual warfare often have a strong digital literacy and online celebrity prophets. Additionally spiritual warfare dug deep digital roots in facebook communities. The claim that all ailments are due to demonic possessions and not worldly afflictions, brings a wide range of people to these groups.
"Cyndi wrote she suffered from 'Slumber; Apathy; Passivity; Laziness'; Karen said that the devil had been waging war against her. Mary-Ann wanted her 'diabetes GONE', and Ryan had fallen off the wagon after nine months of sobriety and hit a meth pipe the day before; he hadnât been to sleep since."
Demons Be Gone - Meeting Americas New Exorcists
Exorcism: Increasingly frequent, including after US protests
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