Demons in the Ancient and Modern Worlds

Demons in the Ancient and Modern Worlds offers a concise yet substantial prolegomenon to the study of demons and spirit possession in the New Testament. Rather than focusing narrowly on exegesis, Craig S. Keener and Joy L. Vaughan survey ancient Mediterranean demonology and contemporary anthropological research, providing crucial context for interpreting accounts of spirits and exorcisms in the Gospels and Acts. Challenging post-Enlightenment assumptions that dismiss such phenomena as premodern superstition, the authors present thoroughly documented examples from both the ancient and modern worlds. By drawing on global perspectives, they question dominant Western materialist frameworks and argue that New Testament exorcism narratives reflect a genuine range of human experience. Written by an award-winning scholar and a specialist in anthropological approaches, this volume combines historical, biblical, and cross-cultural expertise. With an extensive bibliography to aid further research, it serves professors, students, scholars, and pastors seeking a deeper, globally informed understanding of the biblical witness.