Demon Possession and Allied Themes

by John L. Nevius

Being an inductive study of phenomena of our own times. Some of the readers of these pages will in all probability be disappointed in finding the characters and doings of spirits much less interesting and creditable than they are as represented in the familiar writings of Dante and Milton. It must be borne in mind that this is not a work of the imagination, and that the author is not responsible for the characters he introduces. His object is to present a truthful statement of facts, confident that from such a course, nothing but good can come to the cause either of science or religion.

Genres: Christian, Religion

540 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1895

About the author

John Livingston Nevius was an American Protestant missionary in China. He was the author of a number of books on Chinese religions and customs, and on missionary work.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

a step back in time. Although the focus is mainly on China, a great deal of the information is universal. It focuses on whether or not demon possession still exists in the modern world. It also looks at what affect Christianity is having on the whole world, as well as medicine and science. We no longer believe in Demons, spirits and ghosts as we once did. We now look at the supernatural as entertainment, not as something to be worshiped. Gone is our fear and awe, replaced by games and silliness After all, it use to be only seers and medium could hear voices in the air, now it's my phone. How the world has changed.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and thorough study of possession in China in the mid-19th century. The author shares his experience dealing with demonic possession and also provides anecdotal reports from other pastors and missionaries in China who experienced similar situations. He then explores the topic of possession, interacting with scientists, psychologists, and others who seek to disprove the idea of possession and does well providing convincing responses to their arguments.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The format of the book was poor,the information about celestial beings,demons etc was good
The subjects were mainly focused on china…
But Yeahh overall it’s good for those who believed in supernatural!

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

A well written book, sadly this presentation of it is poorly formatted which makes reading it digitally challenging at times.

[Ty mader · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am lucky enough to own an original copy of this book, which i feel certainly enhances the enjoyment of reading this book. this is an incredible work in my opinion. nevius was able to gather not only his own evidence but also that of many others in asia to present a through study. very informational, well written. he mentions many other authors of that period who also dealt with demon possession and similar themes. these authurs are footnoted and are giving ample additional reading on the subject. he conducts scientific type analysis which gives some credibility to his work that it is not a hokus-pokus type affair.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being written by a Christian missionary from the 19th century, this work is still of interest for its mainly objective descriptions of possession. It is also of worth for its depictions of Chinese superstition and folk practices, such as the references to the "incense burners" and to the beliefs in the cause of an individual's possession. Spiritualism is also accounted for as well as a helpful bibliography of works on psychic science, spiritualism, folklore and demonology (works up to the late 19th century). The author planned further volumes on the Devil, which unfortunately never came to pass.

[Cory Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well documented

I only gave it 4 stars because of the confusing typo's in the book. Price is great. The subject material is scarey. This book is not for every one. However if your relationship with God is rock solid check out to see how powerful the name of Christ is!