Exorcisms In The Early Church Essay

Between 2-4 CE, as the early Church was finding its footing, exorcisms were performed quite frequently. Notably, when discussing the early Church, it is done so using relatively broad observations. It is very likely that many of their practices of exorcisms did differ slightly depending on the specific institution. However, there are a significant amount of similarities in regards to this specific ritual, which allow for these conclusions. Moving forward, despite the passage of time, there were still no standard formulas or prayers that were required to perform the ritual. Rather, one simply needed to call upon the name of Jesus or the name of the apostles or patriarchs, such as Abraham or Jacob, in order to expel the demon from the victim …show more content…
The standardization takes place within the text called the Rituale Romanum (Grob, 150). The text defines exorcism as the sacrament of:
Adjuration addressed to the devil in order to force him to vacate a place, to abandon a situation, or to release a person whom he holds more or less in his power. The adjuration is made either in the form of a command given directly to the devil, but in the name of God or Jesus Christ, or in the form of a supplicatory invocation, addressed to God and to our Lord, entreating them to order the evil to depart or to ensure that the order is executed (Grob, 149).
This definition functions as the first standardized reflection of the theological significance of the rite. To expand, the main point is of articulating the power struggle between Christ and the Devil. More specifically, it demonstrates the power that Christ holds over the Devil. It is explained that through the use of exorcisms, the Devil is compelled to release his power over those afflicted in the name of God or Christ. This functions to affirm that Christ is always victorious over evil. It is interesting how throughout the centuries, this need to legitimatize and defend the credibility of the faith has