An Analysis of the Demonic
Abstract
The reasons behind my choosing "An Analysis of the
Demonic" as subject of my S.I.P. research were varied. Undoubtedly,
I was strongly influenced by the presentation of
the late Dr. Daniel Day Williams at the Kalamazoo College
Armstrong Lectures in 1973. I also cannot help but believe that the general high level of popular interest in the occult
and in demonology at that time, resulting from the release
of the book and the movie, "The Exorcist", contributed its
fair share to my decision to pursue this particular theme.
However, the most significant factor, I'm sure, was a compelling
personal desire to resolve the conflict which I was
experiencing between mind and faith, and the form this took
was influenced by the existing situation. Simply, I decided that that which is to speak to my soul must not offend my mind
in the process, or that the faith I believe in must be believable. Demonology was not my terms of encountering existence,
so I felt the urge to test the validity of literal
Christian beliefs at this which seemed to be its weakest
point. Further, this seemed to be an area in which my academic
majors of religion and psychology could be brought
meaningfully into service.