exorkismós

Exorkismós is Greek, from exorkízein (to bind by oath), from ex- (out) + horkos (oath). The word describes a specific ritual logic: the exorcist does not overpower the demon by strength but compels it by the authority of a binding oath — specifically, an oath in the name of God. The demon is adjured (sworn out), not defeated. The weapon is a word, not a sword.

Exorcism appears in the New Testament. Jesus casts out demons in multiple Gospel accounts. The early Church continued the practice: exorcism was part of the baptismal rite from at least the third century. Every catechumen (person preparing for baptism) was exorcised before being baptized — the ritual expelled any demonic influence before the person entered the Christian community. This baptismal exorcism persists in Catholic and Orthodox baptism today.

The Catholic Church maintains a formal ritual: the Roman Ritual (Rituale Romanum), most recently revised in 1999. A priest must receive permission from his bishop to perform an exorcism. The Church requires that natural explanations (mental illness, medical conditions) be ruled out before an exorcism is attempted. The Vatican established a course on exorcism at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in 2005. The practice is bureaucratized.

The 1973 film The Exorcist, based on William Peter Blatty's novel, transformed 'exorcism' from a theological term into a cultural phenomenon. The film was the highest-grossing movie of 1973 and one of the most profitable films ever made. Every subsequent horror film about demonic possession is in its debt. The Greek word for binding by oath became a Hollywood genre.