Most helpful customer reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An eye opener......, Jan 7 2003
I borrowed this book off my brother and read it in two days.
It is very good and well written. Fr Amorth could easily have taken the more sensationalistic route. Instead he also explores and challenges some conventional religious theories and explains these very well. His role is first and foremost a ministry, and an important one.
The case studies that he refers to are all very interesting. But more interesting than this is the importance of leading a spiritual life. Some of the sacraments actually are akin to exorcism, going to confession, taking communion and baptism for example.
He cites scripture to challenge and clarify some common perceptions.
Topics include: why the world and humankind was created, predestiny and freedom of choice, why bad things happen to good people, if God has ultimate control then doesn't everything happen with his permission. I had always struggled with the issue of predestiny until I read this book. It is finally explained to my satisfaction.
He has divided devilish interference into several categories. The most interesting to me were oppression which I did not even realise on a conscious level, and extraordinary activity.
For example, if you are subject to oppressive or negative thoughts or obsess about a person or situation, these may be signs of oppression. There are several great prayers in this book to help you deal with these issues.
I was expecting to read about a subject which I was curious about, but it relates to everybody's experience with the ordinary and extraordinary challenges we face as we try to lead exemplary lives.
This is a very important book which I would recommend to anyone interested in spiritual themes and not just people interested only in this subject matter. If you find this review helpful, please click yes.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why did it take so long for a book like this to be publishd?, Dec 28 2000
Since the II Vatican Council, the Holy Catholic Church has avoided to talk about the Devil. The Church seeks us to believe for the best reasons: love and not fear. Nevertheless, the Devil and its legions exist, and work. As St. Ignatius put it: Two armies coexist in this world: One that fights to broaden the kingdom of God, and one that fights for the kingdom of evil. Whether we like it or not, whether we are conscious of it or not, we are part of that metaphysical war. One battle after another takes place, in which our deeds and our words act as bombs, tanks and bullets would in a conventional material war. When we don't tell people about the other army, about the dangers they are going through, and also about the importance (to all of us) of every single deed of our lives, then we are misleading them, and we are rendering them powerless to participate in this epic battles. As C.S. Lewis said: The Devil's greatest achievement, is that of convincing us of his/her/its inexistence. The book I am reviewing contains the minimum information any good Catholic and Christian should know about "the other army". It is full of anecdotes, and an easy --if deep, read. Despite its soundness, the subject may lead to undesired side-effects. If the reader grows fearful, then he/she should leave the book for a while, and pray until he/she recuperates peace in his/her soul --but do then read on until the end: it is important. The other undesired side-effect, again, has more to do with the subject than with the author: Just like some persons tend to believe they are sick when they read medicine books, it is very easy to feel "sick" of "negative metaphysical influences" (or negativities) when one reads this book. It should not be recommended to people undergoing psychiatric treatment for paranoia and several other ailments --for example. But the truth is that many of us are suffering of diferent degrees of "negativities". I could only help three of my friends undergoing such ailments, once I read this book. This book becomes a must, therefore, in today's world, where God is seldom remembered, and the individual claims his/her rights to do what he/she pleases, disregarding the terrible consequences (to him/her and to others) that any bad deed brings naturally. A.M.D.G.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fascinating Read, May 27 1999
This is a surprisingly quick read considering how much information is in this book. Fr Amorth discusses multiple cases and reveals the many different types of evil activity that the exorcist may encounter, and how to deal with each. I found myself wishing for a lot more detail and a list of reference books. What will strike the average reader most is that all the grimness you expect in exorcism accounts, such as The Exorcist film or Malachi Martin's work, Hostage to the Devil, is largely absent. He presents the reality that the power of Jesus Christ is more than sufficient to overcome diabolic activity and protect the exorcist as well. I recommend the book wholeheartedly!
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