The New Age Of American Exorcisms

Sam Kestenbaum at Harper’s Magazine:

It is a dark and swampy night outside Nashville, and thousands have gathered for deliverance from that which haunts them. The preacher is Greg Locke, a right-wing firebrand who, over the past three years, has plunged into the world of demonology, hosting at his ministry, Global Vision Bible Church, two conventions devoted to the subject in as many years. A cast of visiting preachers is scheduled to grace the stage and minister to the afflicted; other attendees will have the chance to learn something about performing exorcisms themselves, commanding demons to come out . . . out . . . out. The revelry starts early in the morning and continues past midnight.

If the scene has the sepia-toned feel of yesteryear—a sawdust revival with baptisms in a horse trough—then the organizers have done their job well. The tableau, when understood fully, is an artful, choreographed performance.

more here.

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