Following up his international best-selling book, An Exorcist Tells His Story , Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the renowned chief exorcist of Rome, expands on some of the key topics of his previous book, covering important details about demonic or occult issues. He uses concrete examples from his own experiences and those of other exorcists to illustrate and substantiate his points. Since satanic sects, occultism, sTances, fortune-tellers and astrologers are so widespread today, Father Amorth asks the question why is it so difficult today to find an exorcist, or a priest who is an expert in this field? The example and the teaching of Christ is very clear, as is the tradition of the Church. But today's Catholics are often misinformed. Exorcisms are reserved for appointed priests, while all believers can make prayers of liberation. What is the difference? What norms must be followed? What problems are still open and unresolved in this field? The new book by Father Amorth answers these and many other questions, supporting his discourse with a rich exposition of recent facts. A valuable, practical and instructive manual for priests and lay people, on how to help many who are suffering.
Italian Roman Catholic priest and the senior exorcist of the Diocese of Rome.
Amorth authored two books specifically on exorcism. The publications marked a defining moment in literary history, being the first public documents to treat this subject. The two books An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories are not official Roman Catholic documents, rather personal accounts of his office as Exorcist. The books use witness accounts and personal experience as evidence.
This book is included in the screenplay for The Pope’s Exorcist, with Russell Crowe, which has been out in theaters about 3 weeks now. The other book is Amorth’s An Exorcist Tells His Story.
There is nothing sensationalistic about either book. Fr Amorth simply describes his experiences which include trying to understand what is going on before proceeding with an exorcism, the exorcism itself, and follow up subsequent to the event and, hopefully, ongoing healing.
Whether your approach is in the category of the psychological or paranormal or religious, whether you come as skeptic, inquirer or believer, you will find the case histories interesting to read.
This is a very good book. I don't recall it being much different than the prequel, but I enjoyed that very much so seemingly more of the same (to me) was no problem.
It is not as sensational as one might expect, though it is still fascinating- but its true importance and interest lie in its exposition of the fact that the devil and demons do exist, and that they are actively battling to win our souls for Hell. We must fight for our salvation with prayer, fasting, and the sacraments. This book is an excellent wake up call to humanity and to bishops who do not believe in the activity of demons and are not helping their faithful in need of exorcisms- a very sad time in the Church. The author also exposes many of the means by which we open the doors to the evil one, for example, wicca, the ouija board, even astrology- some things which a great deal of people engage in and believe to be perfectly innocent and good.
Despite the grave subject matter, the author's tone is always peaceful, hopeful, and confident. God bless the good Father and his unending work!!!
This book was primarily a repeat of the first one with a little elaboration and some stories. A goodly portion of the book was spent on Father Amorth's opinion of the current state of exorcism within the Catholic church and the causes of evil in the world today.
Though it contained a few additional piece of information, it was so similar to the first book that I wouldn't recommend it unless you're interested in those two topics. There are other books with more information to read.
I gave this book a low rating, but Father Amorth is clearly a respected expert in his field. I would recommend reading his first book, "An Exorcist Tells His Story," for an introduction into the workings of exorcism.
Such important book. A continuation of the first part which became a bestseller pretty fast. Like this one too, actually.
People should wake up and realize that turning to magicians, whiches, diviners etc. is a truning to a satan. When this book was written, possesion was very common case. Especially nowdays after many years since published. Not only possesion but any other influence by demons, evil.
Is the world so "modern" to deride it? If it is, then it's not modern, it's in a great danger and ignorance, which is sad.
This book features more stories and detailed accounts of exorcisms from the renown exorcist. It is also a collection of memoirs and an insight into the man. There are many tales and recollections of exorcisms here. It is a sound piece of scholarly work that is written for the everyday believer.
"Nowe wyznania egzorcysty" wbrew temu co sugeruje tytuł, do zbyt nowych nie należą. Cała książka to powtórka z rozrywki, plus kilka świadectw wiernych. O ile pierwszą książkę autorstwa Amortha traktowałam jako swoiste źródło informacji na temat egzorcyzmów, tak w tej części zbyt wiele rzeczy mi po prostu nie pasowało. Podtrzymuję swoje zdanie, że to książki skierowane raczej do ludzi głęboko wierzących. Wystarczy, że ma się jakiekolwiek wątpliwości, a zaczyna się patrzeć na nią krytycznie, tak jak i ja - stąd tak niska ocena.
Do moich ulubionych teorii tym razem należy jedna z przyczyn opętań: "wpływ środków masowego przekazu przez takie formy, jak [...] filmy zawierające gwałt i horror, propagowanie muzyki rockowej [...]".
Książka dalej sporo mówi o takiej muzyce, przykładowo: "W kompozycjach muzycznych używana jest określona intensywność dźwięku [...] przewyższających tolerancję systemu nerwowego. Wszystko jest dokładnie zaplanowane: kiedy ktoś poddaje się tej muzyce przez pewien czas, narasta w nim pewien typ depresji, buntu, agresji. [...] Jest to natomiast przewidziana i dobrze zaplanowana metoda do osiągnięcia konkretnego rezultatu: doprowadzenia słuchaczy do stanu zmieszania i nieporządku [...]".
Słucham rocka i metalu od lat, jeszcze mi się nie zdarzyło, żebym odczuwała przez nie depresję, bunt czy agresję - wręcz przeciwnie, nic tak dobrze nie ładuje baterii jak kawałek niezłego gitarowego jazgotu. Może tylko nieporządek mi się zdarza, w końcu mam na co zwalić swoje bałaganiarstwo. Nie sprzątam pod łóżkiem, bo słucham metalu :) A po ostatnim maratonie koncertowym - Black Sabbath i Iron Maiden - powinnam właśnie znajdować się w stanie głębokiej depresji i mordować ludzi. Najlepiej takich, co do których można uzasadnić mój bunt, może do osobników niemyjących zębów?
Niestety, o ile kilka lat temu ta książka wywarła na mnie pewne wrażenie, obecnie nie potrafię jej już docenić w żaden sposób. Mam też wrażenie, że Amorth jest przekonany o własnej nieomylności, a to strasznie działa mi na nerwy. 3/10
I read An Exorcist Tells His Story, the precursor to this book, hoping for a personal narrative from Father Amorth's experiences as an exorcist. I'm already reasonably familiar with Catholic doctrine on the subject, so I wasn't so much looking for a doctrinal introduction (which the former book ended up being) as a personal memoir of the subject. I wanted to see the doctrine in action in Amorth's experiences. The first book was disappointing in that regard, treating me instead to a work more of theology (some of which I find questionable) rather than personal history.
This book follows a similar format, and does tackle those theological questions (and I still disagree with some of Amorth's opinions), but actually does a lot of what I'd hoped the former book would do as well. Each chapter concludes with an example, sometimes from Amorth's own experience and sometimes from letters he's received, that document people's experiences with diabolic influence and exorcism. These examples are what really make the book worth reading because, though they're poorly documented and certainly open to all kinds of skeptical rebuttal, they nevertheless portray the experience of possession and exorcism in the way Amorth sees them, and there's a lot of value in that.
Furthermore, a question and answer chapter at the back does a great job of succinctly answering the kinds of common questions I think most people would think to ask when pondering these subjects. Some of the answers are doctrinal and others are from Amorth's own opinion, but he does a reasonably good job of separating the two and explaining which is which.
The end result is a book that still doesn't have as much memoir or nearly as much detail as I would like, but does a better job than its predecessor of providing a hint of what it would be like to fill Father Amorth's shoes during one of his exorcisms, and in that, it has a lot of value for readers of both faithful and skeptical disposition.
"An Exorcist: More Stories" by Gabriele Amorth is a compelling continuation of his exploration into the realm of exorcism. Building upon the foundation laid in his previous book, Amorth offers a deeper dive into his experiences as an exorcist, sharing additional stories, insights, and reflections on the spiritual battle against evil forces.
One of the notable strengths of this book is the authenticity and credibility that Amorth brings to his accounts. As an esteemed exorcist within the Catholic Church, Amorth's years of practical experience and expertise shine through in his storytelling.
Amorth's writing style remains accessible and engaging, allowing readers to easily connect with the subject matter. His storytelling abilities evoke a sense of tension, urgency, and empathy, creating an immersive reading experience. The author masterfully balances the gravity of the situations with a compassionate approach, ensuring that readers develop a genuine understanding of the struggles faced by those affected by possession.
The book also touches upon the challenges faced by exorcists, both within and outside the Church. Amorth discusses the skepticism and resistance encountered by exorcists from various quarters, emphasizing the need for proper discernment, support, and training within the Church. He addresses misconceptions surrounding exorcism and seeks to dispel myths by providing a clear and informed perspective on the subject.
It is worth noting that due to the nature of the content, "An Exorcist: More Stories" may not be suitable for all readers. The book delves into the dark and unsettling subject matter, describing the disturbing manifestations of demonic possession. Readers who are sensitive to such themes or easily disturbed by graphic descriptions should approach the book with caution.
I didn't really relate to the author in regards to the spiritual aspects of exorcism and the responsibilities of being an exorcist. For that, the responsibilities of an exorcist, is not clear, which subjectively... isn't the problem, but what is the problem is that - "The revolving understanding of what exorcism is, and the spiritual relationship of exorcism with that of a person's wellbeing, spiritual identity, spiritual life, and overall generalized existence... contradicts itself. Which makes me, feel very uncertain with the intentions of exorcism.
The stories, of exorcists facilitating exorcisms, all just sounds like... they're just copying each other, without even knowing whether the practice is safe, true, real, beneficial, helpful, healthy, and within Spiritual standards, which is - "In God's word."
I just completely think and believe the exorcism industry and community, are just persons' whom are trying to be exceptional in being associated as a person whom God's provided and gifted with exceptional "supernatural" or "spiritual" gifted abilities. It just sounds like a competition, which is very scary because exorcisms deal with people's lives in the connotation of "life and death". Not something to play around with.
I greatly respect Fr. Amorth and this book is very insightful. The only reason I give 4 stars instead of 5 is this second book is very repetitive of the first.
Very interesting book. The author talked about staying away from superstitions, etc. and yet at times I felt he felt prey to them. The other part of this book is he himself has gone through alot, and helped alot of people take their ground as victorious in Christ...and he provides a realistic view that sometimes it takes longer and sometimes less time to fully exorcise demons from people/places.
Also realistic in terms of talking about how demon possession/oppresion can have very few symptoms, and yet at the same time we shouldn't go around saying how everything is demonic, etc.
A good book, not necessarily one I'd recommend, but quite eye opening to get a glimpse within the Catholic Rites and a challenge to Protestants: why do we not reject Satan at the time of our initiation into faith? Be it "born again" or "Confirmed" why do we not have that part of rejection as we accept? It's something more to ponder!
Not sure where I personally stand on some theological positions propogated by the author, but more to think about!
On the one hand, Amorth is obviously a very intense, passionate and dedicated man. Exorcism that takes years, if not decades, to complete must stretch anyone. To have completed tens of thousands in his tenure as a Master Exorcist shows an immense focus. I can see he feels that many in the Church have lost their way and no longer recognise the full extent and powers given to them by right of their priesthood and faith.
But, one the other hand, this book shows the blinkered and quite unsettling narrow-mindedness of the Church and the belief that innocuous behaviors cause an awful corruption of the soul. That Wicca, violent TV or 'punk' can cause satanic possession seems an antiquated and regressive viewpoint of societal norms and personal freedoms. I fear that in Amorth's eyes my interest in Dungeons & Dragons or my son's fascination with console games like Dark Souls would be enough to set the exorcist to prayers of liberation on my behalf.
An interesting enough read, but not one I could wholeheartedly recommend to anyone.
Conoscevo molti degli aneddoti presenti in questo libro, in quanto presentati dallo stesso padre Amorth a Radio Maria, ma non per questo l'ho apprezzato meno. Anzi, il libro mi è piaciuto moltissimo, in quanto scritto in maniera semplice, scorrevole, dunque accessibile a chiunque. Aggiungo soprattutto che è preziosissimo a livello contenutistico. Il Signore renda merito a questo santo ministro di Dio per tutto il bene fatto durante la sua vita terrena in qualità di sacerdote, di esorcista, di scrittore, di mariologo (e non "mariolo", come ci teneva a precisare lui scherzosamente!). Consiglio a tutti questo libro, così come tutti gli altri scritti da padre Amorth!
An excellent follow-on to the first book. If you enjoyed reading the first, you will like this one too, although you don't have to have read the first to follow this. Different versions of similar scenarios, I was just as intrigued to read this as the initial and it kept my attention throughout.