عنوان

Exorcism and the Defeat of Beliar in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

Number

LA128875

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

Exorcism and the Defeat of Beliar in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

General Material Designation

[Article]

First Statement of Responsibility

Graham H. Twelftree

Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.

Leiden

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Brill

Text of Note

In the light of a growing consensus that the Testaments is a Christian work, perhaps from Syria and, arguably, from the middle of the second century, it has potential to shed light on the understanding of exorcism in proto-orthodox Christianity of the period. As Beliar's adverse impact on people is seen to be expressed in terms of inner struggles and broken relationships, rather than physical affliction, his defeat is proposed primarily in terms of acts of the mind and behaviour. The few references to exorcism show its use as part of the defeat of Beliar, though also primarily as a metaphor for the ministry of Jesus and his followers. This locates the Testaments over against those documents that show no interest in the demonic or exorcism, and between those texts that promote exorcism and those that take the demonic to be defeated in other ways. In the light of a growing consensus that the Testaments is a Christian work, perhaps from Syria and, arguably, from the middle of the second century, it has potential to shed light on the understanding of exorcism in proto-orthodox Christianity of the period. As Beliar's adverse impact on people is seen to be expressed in terms of inner struggles and broken relationships, rather than physical affliction, his defeat is proposed primarily in terms of acts of the mind and behaviour. The few references to exorcism show its use as part of the defeat of Beliar, though also primarily as a metaphor for the ministry of Jesus and his followers. This locates the Testaments over against those documents that show no interest in the demonic or exorcism, and between those texts that promote exorcism and those that take the demonic to be defeated in other ways.

Date of Publication

2011

Physical description

170-188

Title

Vigiliae Christianae

Volume Number

65/2

International Standard Serial Number

1570-0720

Subject Term

Beliar

Subject Term

defeat of Beliar

Subject Term

exorcism

Subject Term

Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

Graham H. Twelftree

Call Number

10.1163/157007210X515916

Electronic name

p

[Article]

275578

a

Y