Halloween Special

Rev. J. Wesley Evans

Part I: Christian Demonology
Nature and Origin

Evil Supernatural Beings?

Whenever we talk about the concept of evil we have to remember the important
principle that evil is the privation of the good. This means that “evil” per se does
not have “existence”. Evil only exists as the absence of something good. An
analogy would be darkness/light. Darkness does not have an independent
existence, but is the absence of light photons. This means that demons cannot be
“wholly” evil, because existence itself is a good. (Moss, The Christian Faith, 144) If
something was entirely evil (in an ontological sense) it would cease to exist.

Why should a Christian then believe in demons?

1- It is reasonable to assume that God gave free choice to angels as well as
humans, thus they can abuse it similarly to us
2- Scripture gives indication that some spirits are in a state of rebellion
against God, and calls these demons
3- It keeps us from falling into gnosticism (the idea that spirit is always good
and matter is bad). Even the purest spiritual beings in the universe can fall
from grace. To believe in demons is to say that only God is ultimate
goodness, everything else derives their goodness from him.

Origin Theories
What demons are will depend on what is their origin. Many theologians
equate all demons with fallen angels based on phrases such as “the devil and his
angels”, (Matt 25:41, Rev 12:7-9) as well as passages such as 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude
6 which mention God’s judgment on angels. Not only the NT, but the OT as well
makes clear that some angels sinned (Job 4:18) and were judged by God. (Ps 82)
The time of this fall has traditionally been seen as prior to God’s creation of the
physical world. (cf Moss, The Christian Faith, 127) This fall was a result of pride to
be God on the part of Satan who then brought other angels with him. (cf
Aquinas, Summa Theologica, I.I.63 and Hall, Theological Outlines, 127) The problem
of timing the fall is effected by the interpretations of Genesis 6 and Revelation 12.
Based on 2 Peter 2:4 as well as Jude 6 there was an early tradition shared by some
modern theologians that Genesis 6 records the “mating” of human women with

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 1

angels who were then judged. This is a view found in some other writings,
notably The Book of Enoch and Jubilees. The problem of timing is that if this is the
fall then what of the serpent in the garden? Are there two falls? Secondly,
Revelation 12 seems to record the actual fall from Heaven, but the timing of
anything in Revelation is disputed, but this vision does not seem to be one from
the beginning of time whenever it may be. Some hold that this does not record
the fall from grace, but just the final expelling from Heaven.1 If this is true it
would still allow for a prior fall from grace.
Not all agree that demons are fallen angels, however. St. Justin Martyr for
instance believed demons to be the souls of the Nephilim from the flood in
Genesis 6:1-7. (1 Apo. 18, 2 Apo 5) This follows several ideas from some of the
intertestamental literature such as the Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees. Some
modern theologians point out that demons are never explicitly called fallen
angels, and in fact if Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 24 do not refer to Satan then neither is
the Devil classed in scripture as a fallen angel. As for the references to the “devil
and his angels”, the word “angel” merely means messenger and may not be used
in a technical sense. This does not rule out any angelic fall of course, but points
out that when scripture does mention fallen angels it mentions them as already
chained in Tartarus and thus not able to be free to possess people as seen in the
Gospels. (2 Peter 2:4)
It is more likely that demons are fallen angels, with some angels being
bound in Tartarus before all the rest. Although “angel” can mean messenger, and
is used of human messengers, by the time of the New Testament it had taken on
a much more technical meaning for spiritual beings created by God. Although
intertestamental literature does endorse an angel/human paring interpretation
of Genesis 6, it also combines this will a fall of angels at that time. It is also
important to note that not all of this literature is consistent. The Book of Adam and
Eve for instance records the fall as being the result of Satan’s refusal to bow
before Adam as God’s image, an idea popular among some early Christians and
eventually used by Mohammed in writing the Quran. It is also possible that both
are true. Remembering that “demon” primarily meant “lesser spirit”, perhaps
there are multiple origins based on the type of demon?

Satan and Demons in the Bible

The word “Satan” is a unique Hebrew word with no contemporaneous
cognate equivalent. (Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible 726) The meaning
must be determined from context within the Old Testament. When the word is
used, often is only means “adversary”. It refers to people in several places such
as 1 Kings 11:44 and Esther 8:1. Once it is even used in reference to the Angel of
the Lord who acts as an “adversary” to Balaam in Numbers 22:22-35. The word
“Devil” comes from the Greek translation of “Satan” in the LXX. The NT uses

1 See the Book of Job where “Satan” is allowed into the Heavenly Court

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 2

both “Devil” and the transliteration of “Satan”. (Rev 12:9) The Greek “Devil”
means “slanderer” or “accuser”.
In the Old Testament Satan appears very rarely. The few cases of a
supernatural being “satan” may not even refer to a specific individual. Although
there is no linguistic parallel, there is a conceptual once in the Ancient Near East
of a legal function of accuser. In these cases an accuser was the temporary legal
status of a person accusing someone else in a law court. In Job and Zechariah the
definite article is being used to de-emphasize the person and see the entity as
playing a particular legal function. (Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible
727-9, Page, Powers of Evil 24) This follows the cultural background and so may
indicate these are not references to “Satan” as articulated in the New Testament
which would make the word a proper noun with negative connotations.
The serpent in the Genies creation story is not specifically said to be Satan.
It is only in the New Testament that any connection is made, although the idea
was prevalent in intertestamental literature. The NT connection itself is also
somewhat indirect. Satan is called that “ancient serpent” (Rev 12:9, 20:2) but
never explicitly said to be the serpent in the Garden. Traditionally the connection
is nearly universal in the Church, and some argue that the Genesis story itself
portrays the serpent as more then just a member of the animal kingdom. (Page,
Powers of Evil, p.14)
Two passages in the OT have generally been taken to refer to Satan and
his fall from grace, Isaiah 14:4-27 and Ezekiel 1:1-19. In context these passages are
condemnations of the kings of Babylon and Tyre. Ezekiel, specifically, is part of a
set of condemnations on various rulers of the nations. Some take these are
references to more then just human kings due to the language in describing
them.
In Isaiah the king of Babylon is accused of his arrogance in exulting
himself. He is said to have declared that he would ascend into Heaven and
“above the stars of God”. This could just be a condemnation of the typical view
of kings in the Ancient Near East. Divine kingship was very common in the
surrounding nations and all of these are things the human king of Babylon
would have easily said about himself.
Ezekiel is more interesting in that God describes the king of Tyre as one
who was in the Garden of Eden, and as an “anointed cherub”. Although the
human king of Tyre may have had lofty thoughts about himself, it would be odd
for God to describe him in this way if it only referred to a human king. The
problem, however, with seeing Satan in this passage is the immediate context is
within a prophetic denouncement of the human nations. One solution some have
proposed is that the prophet is condemning the human king initially, but then
begins to condemn the wicked spiritual power that lies behind the king and the
kings opposition to God’s people.
Satan becomes much more prevalent in intertestamental literature.
Various names for Satan develop prior to the NT, such as Mastema, Sammael,

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 3

Melkira, and Beliar/Belial a name picked up and used by Paul. (2 Cor 6:15) Many
scholars take this as evidence of the evolution of the religious tradition. As far as
an observation this seems accurate. However, when we take into account the
idea of progressive revelation and development of doctrine, this seems more the
case of God’s people gradually coming to a better understanding.
In the New Testament the Devil functions primarily as tempter and in
opposition to God and his Church. His role as tempter is seen primarily in the
temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. (Mat 4:1-11, Luke 4:2-13) Satan is the one
behind the opposition to the Church (Matt 13:28-29, 1 Thess 2:18, 1 Pet 5:8) and,
like he tried with Jesus, temps Christians to sin. (1 Cor 7:5, 2 Cor 2:11) Satan in
the NT takes a prominent role as being the adversary of Christ, and as part of the
reason Christ came, to destroy the power of the Devil. (Heb 2:14)

“Demon” is a transliteration of the Greek word daimo,nion which occurs

throughout the NT and was used in the LXX for several Hebrew words. There is
no single Hebrew word for “demon”. Instead there are several passages, mostly
in reference to false gods, that were taken by the translators of the LXX for
daimo,nion. Some of these words may mean “hairy ones” such as ~ydIVe (shedim) in
Deuteronomy 32:17 (NRSV: “devils”), perhaps reflecting worship of goat
demons/spirits. (Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, 237) Originally
daimo,nion in the Greek world was the spirit of the dead, a shade from the
underworld or just a lesser spirit, and was a morally neutral term at least until
the time of Xenocrates. (Jeffrey Russell, The Devil, 142 and Bolt, The Unseen World,
75-102) Demons are seen primarily in the Gospels. There are sparse references in
the Old Testament, and most of the New Testament writings refer to Satan or the
Devil as the sum total of all evil spirits. When they are mentioned it is in
reference briefly to their functions as objects of false worship as well as false
worship and displays of power for deception. (1 Cor 10:20-21, 1 Tim 4:1, Rev 9:1)

Habitation

There are four places that Scripture mentions demons inhabiting:

1- Some are free to tempt and oppress humanity. These are the ones that
Jesus encountered in his ministry and the Bible warns us about.
2- Some are perhaps already in the “abyss”. For instance the ones that Jesus
cast out of the Gerasene Demoniac. (Luke 8:31, NRSV has “back into” for
some reason) The Abyss in Jewish thought of the time was the holding
place of some evil spirits.
3- Tartarus. Tartarus only occurs once in Scripture in reference to some
angels already under judgment perhaps related to Genesis 6. (2 Peter 2:4,
most translations to not transliterate but use other words) Tartarus was,
however, common in the classical world as the place where the Titans

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 4

 were bound in chains after their defeat by the Olympian gods. It is unclear
why Peter choose this word specifically.
4- Depending on the interpretation of Revelation, four are apparently bound
at the four corners of the Euphrates river until the last days. (Rev 9:14)
Although called “angels” the fact that they are bound seems to indicate
they are fallen.

Another common theme in Scripture is the idea that demons inhabit the
wilderness or other areas that have been deserted. Jesus went into the wilderness
to be tempted by Satan, (Matthew 4:1) and where the demons drove the
Gerasene demoniac. (Luke 8:29) Jesus says that it is in the wilderness that
demons go looking for a resting place. (Luke 11:24) In the Old Testament,
demons are connected with the aftermath of God’s judgment, in the uninhabited
cities are then inhabited by evil spirits. (eg Isa 34:14) Perhaps this is the origin of
haunted house stories?

Notice that Hell is not on the list because demons do not reside in Hell. Hell is a
prison created to Satan and his angels to be bound into, it is not a domain that he
rules over. (Matthew 25:41)

Activities

1- Temptation (Matthew 4:24; 8:28-33, Mark 5:1-10; Luke 8:26-29)

2- Oppose God and his Church (Matthew 13:36-39, 1 Timothy 4:1-3)
3- Deceive the nations (Daniel 10:4-12:13)
4- False signs, wonders, and prophecy (Acts 16:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:9)

NB: Satan and the demons are primarily deceivers. The MO is subtle deception
and temptation to evil, not flashy display of power. A Satan ruled world is more
likely to be a nice, clean, peaceful, “moral” society without God or Christ then
the last level of a video game dungeon of doom.

Possession and Exorcism

Nature of Possession
Because Demon Possession seems to be an all or nothing category, some
theologians prefer the term “demonization” that can encompass a larger variety
of experiences in conflict with the demonic. It is at times also preferred so as to
avoid any implications of legal ownership in the word “possession”. I do not see
a reason to abandon the language of “possession” entirely and when understood
correctly can be helpful.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 5

Levels of Conflict
(From the International Order of Exorcists with additions from Fr. Amorth and St.
Anthony)
1- Ordinary
a. Temptation [Sin]
b. Deception [Heresy]
2- Extraordinary [Demonization]
a. Infestation [Houses, Objects]
b. Oppression [Physical/Mental Attack, Similar to Job]
c. Obsession [Uncontrollable Evil Thoughts]
d. Possession Proper [Full Control of the Body]
e. Subjugation [Voluntary Control, Soul Compromised]

Paths of Demonization
1- God’s Permission (Job, 2 Cor 12:7)
2- False Religions (1 Cor 10:14 – 22)
3- Magic/Occult
4- Hardened Sin (?)
5- Ancestral Inheritance (?) Some would add this to the list but I am highly
skeptical.
6- Mental Trauma

Indicators of Possession/Demonization
1. Superhuman Powers 1. Impurity, supernatural
2. Fierce Aversion to the Holy, knowledge (Mark 1:21-28)
Fixation on Evil 2. Physical symptoms, blindness,
3. Clairvoyance, Telekinesis, dumbness (Matt 12:22-29)
Preternatural Phenomena 3. Violent, strong, self-destructive
4. Speaking in unknown languages (Matt 8:28-34)
5. Self-destructive behavior 4. Torment of the possessed (Acts
6. Non-medical sickness 5:16)
7. Obsessive compulsion to sin 5. Elymas, opposed to the Word
8. False Doctrine and preaching (Acts 13:8)
6. Divination, supernatural
(Dr. Horrell, DTS) knowledge (Acts 16:16)
7. Super strength and violence
(Acts 19:13-16)

(Dr. Pocock, DTS)

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 6

Christians and Possession
When it comes to Christians and there relation to demons even Dickason
concludes scripturally it is inconclusive.2 Some argue the silence itself is an issue.
Grimsley and Miller argue it is a silence that shows the lack of need for
Christians to engage demons because scripture "contains all that is needed for
life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3) and gives us no direct instructions on how to do
exorcisms.3 This is inadequate for two reasons. First, demon possession is linked
more with physical illness then moral sin, and so just as scripture does not have
to command us to use medicine or detail about medicine, so it does not have to
go into detail on exorcism. Second, scripture is not silent on the issue of exorcism,
it may be silent on Christians being possessed, but examples throughout the
Gospels and Acts are indicators that possession is a reality that must be dealt
with in at least non-believers.
Normal spiritual warfare, however, does not involve possession or
exorcisms. Most of the time the Christians' warfare is with their own sinful
nature, tempted by the world and the devil. We are to resist the devil and cling to
Christ, putting on the whole armor of God. For a non-Christian, the greatest
deliverance from Satan is salvation, through Christ the chief exorcist. The
question is, in extreme circumstances is it possible a Christian or non-Christian
can become so overpowered by a demon that they become under some form of
control that requires an exorcism. It seems reasonable to conclude that one can
come under coercive control of a demon by way of continual giving into
temptation, this would normally fall under what Powlison calls the "classic
mode".4 For a non-Christian, this seems to be the case, and is definitely provable
from all the scriptures were Jesus or the Apostles cast out demons.
Unfortunately, it is scripturaly inconclusive if Christians can be possessed
to any degree, even through continual giving in to temptation. Even Dickason
who advocates modern deliverance ministry argues that scripture does not say
and so one must go to clinical evidence.5 Opponents admit there is silence on the
issue, but deduce from theological objections that it does not happen.6 The
argument from silence has already been addressed. Although experience is
usually a bad indicator, in this case the evidence is weightier due to so many
Christians throughout history experiencing possession and exorcism. It is
begging the question to argue none of them were real believers or that as some
say the cause is demonically induced miracles to make one think they are
possessed.7

2 Dickason, Demon Possession and the Christian., 127

3 Grimsley, Can a Christian Be "Demonized"?(accessed).
4 Powlison, Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare., 35. Although by "classic" he really

means "puritan", and one gets the impression that he writes off all theology before not only the reformation,
but the puritan movement.
5 Dickason, Demon Possession and the Christian., 167
6 Grimsley, Can a Christian Be "Demonized"?(accessed).
7 Powlison, Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare., 135-7

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 7

 Here the argument becomes contradictory for those like Powlison. For if a
Christian is able to undergo changes in voice and enter a "demonic state" then
they fail to explain how this is in reality different from the control defined by
traditional possession. The question is what to make of theological arguments
against the idea, for if scripture allows no room for the issue then Theologians
like Powlison have a better accusation. Grimsley and Miller declare that
"possession implies citizenship in Satan's kingdom", yet they do not prove this
and only say it should be obvious.8 They also argue based on 1 John 4:4 that a
person can either have God or Satan dwelling within, but not both. This verse,
however, does not go this far. The question is not, who is greater when it comes
to possession any more then when it comes to disease. The context here is
standing firm against the errors of the world. Because post-Pentecost we now
have a different relationship with the Spirit, it is hard to deduce anything from
pre-Pentecost examples of Jesus' followers. With scripture not explicitly nor
implicitly going either way, then listening to experience can be legitimate.

The Church’s Response

Ordinary activity:

Sin is sin: Avoid “devil made me do it”

Acknowledge we do have an external enemy

Be aware of the devil’s “tricks”

Avoid temptation

Stay focused on God [spiritual disciplines]
o Basically, everything in Ascetical Theology
o NB: This is where the puritans have a lot to teach us! Also listen to
the wisdom of early monasticism
Obsession/Oppression:

Spiritual Discipline [prayer and fasting]

Prayer Community/Support Group

Minor Exorcism/Healing Prayer
Possession:

Evaluate
o Psychological examination
o Spiritual examination

Expel [Major Exorcism]
o “Christian Exorcism is the binding of evil powers by the triumph of
Christ Jesus, through the application of the power demonstrated by
that triumph, in and by his Church” The Exeter Report

Educate [Follow-up]
o Devotional Practices
o Lifestyle changes

8 Grimsley, Can a Christian Be "Demonized"?(accessed).

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 8

 Rev. J. Wesley Evans
Part II: Christian response to Witchcraft
Magic, Witchcraft, and Polemics

One problem in any discussion of magic and witchcraft are the very terms
themselves. As we will see Scripture does not give a specific definition for
“witchcraft”, and definitely not for “magic”. The Hebrew terms used as assumed
to be familiar to the readers. This is fine for them, but for us we are reading these
stories through our own history.

Magic all to often has become more of a polemical term in Christian circles. It
generally functions in a similar manner that the word “superstition” does for
many: a religious practice I disagree with. In fact, the word “superstition” is from
latin that was used by the Roman Empire for forbidden religious groups or
practices, Christianity at one point being on the list.

Even more so our culture often interprets practices though a lens of magic that
has been heavily influenced by the Reformation debates:
“From the reformation on, magic and sacrifice became battlegrounds that demarcated
true and false religion, generations of historians of religion have relied on protestant
polemics against catholic conceptions of the Eucharist as sacrifice, in such polemics
sacrifice and magic are identical, and both are bad” (Swartz, Sacrificial themes in Jewish
magic in Mirecki and Meyer, Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World p.304)

In a similar vein the enlightenment, in an attempt to distance it’s ideas from what
came before, used “magic” as a polemic for anything that did not conform to
particular scientific worldview presuppositions. Scientists today will describe
something as “pseudo-science” because it involves “magical thinking” which
(even if they are correct in their assessment) is essentially just a polemic against
older forms of philosophy about the way the natural world worked.

There are three major pitfalls we should avoid when understanding “magic”:

The first is any shallow definition of “magic”. Some theologians will say things
such as magic is any attempt to control or manipulate the forces of nature though
mechanical means. In fact, electricity is a force of nature that humanity binds to
our will through various mechanical means. Obviously our science of controlling
and manipulating electricity, nuclear power, and genetics is not witchcraft. As
seen above other inadequate definitions usually are those that say magic is when
something is a sacrifice [but there were those in the Old Testament as well] or

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 9

something that involves ritual [again, then the OT system would also have to be
labeled as “magic”].

The second follows from the first. This is the idea that what “we” do is prayer but
what “they” do is magic. Pagans often prayed to their pantheons and Christians
have sometimes gotten involved in magic. This statement is often sometimes
made within Christian circles, see again the statement about “superstition”.
Magic, as we will see, is more a matter of intent and mindset towards the
supernatural then it is any set of particular practices that can be labeled magical.
Even modern secular scholars sometimes fall into this trap by labeling various
pagan or Christian practices as “magical” when the practitioners themselves,
who in some cases are perfectly fine with magic, would likely deny they are in
any way magic, but would consider the actions to be prayer.

The third is the error of dogmatizing modern science. The error here is usually
taken when the prohibition on various forbidden religious/magical practices in
Deuteronomy 18:9-14 are broadly applied to various modern, or modern
concepts of older, practices not directly covered. Often this passage is taken as a
prohibition against something called “occultism” (a more modern term), and
thus anything that out modern culture would place under this label is also
placed under Deut 18. What this really means is that some practices that are
merely pseudo-science are then put in the same category as legitimately witchcraft
or magic. One example may be something such as telekinesis. There is no
scientific evidence for any human power, but the theory does not in and of itself
involve heresy. There mere false belief in a natural force and the human ability to
control it does not make something magical. Water dowsing may be another one,
depending on what the person believes is actually happening. It can be wrong,
but not witchcraft.

So what is magic?
There are several common traits from various cultures that seem to indicate a
pattern with which to define something as “magic”. The warning here is that for
most cultures there is not a real demarcation between magic and religion. This is
a division for Christians due to God’s revelation, not one that makes immediate
sense to many practitioners of non-Christian religions.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 10

Witchcraft in the OT and Ancient Near East

The first mentioning of magic/witchcraft in Scripture come from the Torah’s

prohibitions on particular religious practices.

9 When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you must not
learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations. 10 No one shall be found among
you who makes a son or daughter pass through fire, or who practices divination, or is a
soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts spells, or who consults ghosts
or spirits, or who seeks oracles from the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is
abhorrent to the LORD; it is because of such abhorrent practices that the LORD your
God is driving them out before you. 13 You must remain completely loyal to the LORD
your God. 14 Although these nations that you are about to dispossess do give heed to
soothsayers and diviners, as for you, the LORD your God does not permit you to do so.
(Deuteronomy 18:9-14)

This passage should be seen as an interconnected prohibition on various

religious practices, that although common for the surrounding culture and
maybe even for the Israelites, were to be forbidden under their covenant with
God.

There are several practices listed here. Because they are not explained, just listed,
they must have been known by the Israelites enough to understand what was
forbidden. It is also important to see that Scripture does not just use a single
word such as “occult” or even just “witchcraft”. This is because at the time there
was little distinction between what we would call “magic” and “religion”.
Remember that even in Scripture “witchcraft” is primarily a polemical term
against a set of forbidden religious practices.

The practices are:

1- “makes a son or daughter pass though the fire” (child sacrifice)
2- “practices divinization”
3- “soothsayer”
4- “augur”
5- “sorcerer”
6- “one who casts spells”
7- “seeks oracles from the dead”

All but the first and perhaps the 5th have to do with telling of the future or
divining the will of the gods/spirits. We see that most of this can be summed up
as “divinization” based on verse 14 as well as Leviticus 19:26 which gives a
shorter list as “augury or witchcraft” (the Heb here is the same as “soothsaying”

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 11

in Deut 18). Much magic in the ancient world was for the purpose of foreseeing a
calamity and doing something about it. This was the primary purpose behind
necromancy, not a control or talking to the dead as much as calling them up to
ask them questions. There is one biblical example of this is the witch of Endor
whom Saul asks to call up Samuel to ask him about the will of God. (1 Sam 28:3-
25)

To understand this verse it is helpful to understand magic in the Ancient Near

East. Unfortunately one problem we encounter is the same issue above about
“magic” as a post-Reformation and post-Enlightenment polemic. Some books on
ANE magic texts list “spells” that seem more like ancient science then what
Christian Theology would deem “witchcraft”. However beyond this are a few
similarities. First, Egyptian magic texts often involved becoming the god that had
the particular power desired.9 Other times the idea was a direct control over
some aspect of nature by mere recitation of the words. In Egypt a spell for
protection against fire says “I am one invisible of form in the midst of sunshine, I enter
into the fire, I come forth from the fire...”.10 Similarly a Mesopotamian spell for
protection against scorpions makes declarative statements that the person will
not be harmed, and instructs them to recite this over each foot three times.11

What the Old Testament condemns is, perhaps essentially, “playing god”. The
attempt at being able to directly impose a persons will on the will of someone
else or some animal with a mere word outside of God’s prerogative. Even worse
are any spells were an Israelite may think they can in some way “become”
Yahweh in such a manner as to have access to his power.

Witchcraft in the NT World

(In general see Klauck, The Religious Context of Early Christianity)

When we enter the New Testament and Greco-Roman world we see the same
concepts as in the Old Testament, although perhaps some new developments in
patterns of what magic was. One important note during this time is the
distinction between religious practices of the Romans that were considered
magic by Jews, and the pagan Romans own distinction between what they did
and what they called “maleficum”, often translated as “witchcraft” or “black
magic”. This was interaction with the supernatural world that was intended to

9 Examples can see seen in Faulker, The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts, vol.1 as well as Brier,

Ancient Egyptian Magic 283, 293

10 See text in Brier, Ancient Egyptian Magic p296
11 Finkel, Irving “On some dog, snake and scorpion incantations” in Mesopotamian Magic:

Textual, Historical and Interpretative perspectives, Abusch and Van Der Toorn (eds.) p236

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 12

harm, and was technically illegal in ancient Rome, although was quite common
as evidenced from the many curse tablets that have survived.

A few common themes during this time in addition to ones found in the ANE
are:
1- The use of nonsense words that were thought to have an inherent
power in their pronunciation. These words had no meaning in the
original language, but were important components of the spell, this is
why they often had to be written down.
2- Hebrew and Aramaic names of God or angels. These were popular at
the time even in non-Jewish texts, often listing various names of God
or angels in the middle of the nonsense phrases.
3- Binding of gods and spirits to do the will of the caster. This would
become the main aspect of magical texts during the Renaissance.

Witchcraft in the Middle Ages and Renaissance

The classical condemnation on maleficum would be an important part of

Medieval and Renaissance jurisprudence that eventually lead to the witch trials
in the 16-17th century.

Early in the middle ages magic was of course condemned, but the reason for it
had less to do with what was done so much as the source of power behind it. The
world was viewed by the Church to only have two sources of supernatural
power: God and Satan. Because God and his Angels could not be commanded,
then any spells which derived power by commanding spirits must involve the
communication with demons. (Ward, Miracles in the Medieval Mind p11) Instead
of magic, the people were pointed to the miracles of saints as the source of true
spiritual power, who were able to do what they did through lives of holiness
dedicated to God. These miracles were seen as the antithesis to magic, but
between these two ideas was a host of intermediary practices that relied on the
natural properties of things and formed part of the natural medicine of the time.
(Ward, Miracles in the Medieval Mind p12) These things may include healing
powers of herbs, or some created power of gems or stones. It could also include
acceptable ways to access the supernatural such as holy wells or dirt from holy
places.

People who were highly knowledgeable about this lore, or whom some believed
had special powers, were known as “clever folk” but not witches, because it was
not maleficum. In general these practices were at worst seen with suspicion, but
not early on as any type of threat to the Church. Frequently maybe even seen as
benign or helpful. They were considered to be some of the best medicine of the

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 13

time, and would often supplement their remedies with what post-enlightenment
would consider “incantations”.

Technically the Church at the time often condemned belief in real witchcraft.
Later during the witch trials Nicholas Remey in his Demonolotry would argue
that witches’ spells and potions have no real power per se. By this he meant that
witches were not really manipulating some powerful magical force. He goes on
to argue that the potions made by the witches were entirely ineffective outside of
the agency of demons who trick the witches into thinking the potions work.
Again, because if the roots, herbs, and rocks actually did perform these actions
then it would be part of God’s creation and not magic, and these would be more
like the “clever folk” and not witches.

(For a great lecture on Witchcraft in England at this time see Dr. Keith
Wrightson’s (Yale University) this can be accessed on iTunesU)

During the 16-17th century, however, the ideas surrounding withes came to
reactionary levels. It was during this time that witchcraft was not only viewed as
a crime, but as a heresy in the midst of the turmoil of Reformation Europe.
Witches were now said to fly to secret Sabbaths to give themselves (often
sexually) to the devil. Maleficum went from being seen as a sporadic event by a
few, to an organized satanic cult bent on destroying all or Christian Europe. This
lasted only for a short time, and in fact the Spanish Inquisition was the first to
stop prosecuting witches in 1610.

The issue with witchcraft was twofold: First, it was heresy. The Church believed
that some people had willingly given over their souls to Satan. Heresy was seen
as a danger to not only the persons soul but the souls of others. It was the hope in
some cases that the trial of a heretic might force repentance and save a soul, and
in other cases prevent the spread of something that would damn hundreds of
people to hell.

Secondly, it was a public safety issue. They believed that the witches where
doing this for one purpose only: to kill people and livestock! They did not think
that witches where merely summing some power in the natural world to bring
healing, but directly using the power of the devil to kill others. Many times the
crime of witchcraft was directly tied to murder.

As C.S. Lewis said:

“But surely the reason we do not execute witches is that we do not believe there are such
things. If we did–if we really thought that there were people going about who had sold
themselves to the devil and received supernatural powers from him in return and were
using these powers to kill their neighbors or drive them mad or bring bad weather–surely

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 14

we would all agree that if anyone deserved the death penalty, then these filthy quislings
[traitors] did?”

Interestingly England was unique at this time for several reasons:

1- England never fully embraced the idea that witchcraft was a diabolical
cult.
2- Unlike the rest of Europe, witchcraft was still only crime and not a
heresy in law for most of the period. This means that ordinarily a
person could be tried to killing a cow with witchcraft (and hung) but
not burned at the stake for being a witch per se. It was a felony to
invoke evil spirits to cause death in 1563, but if not to cause death it
was only imprisonment. 1604 statute was similar: only a second
offence ended in death if the calling on the evil spirit was not to result
in death or injury.
3- There is no evidence for a top-down organized witch hunt in England.
Instead there were small, sporadic pockets of activity (with a few
exceptions). Most cases were brought to the courts from those who
believed they had been personally wronged for a specific crime that
was done via maleficum.
4- Torture was much more rare, and only used in certain state crimes
authorized by privy councils.

Church’s Response to Witchcraft today

It should seem clear that, from a Christian perspective,

witchcraft/sorcery/magic is verboten. The problem is it attempts to circumvent
God, and make demands of the Almighty. Because God did not create a
impersonal spiritual force (unlike the physical ones such as electricity) there is
not one to manipulate. Which means that “real magic” must be interacting with
spirits instead. Now there are only three types of spirits: God, angels and
demons. God will not be commanded or manipulated, angels only do the will of
God, and demons cannot be controlled, but they can deceive. Modern
practitioners are from a Christian perspective engaging in a Faustian deal with
every spell, and what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

What is this magic that Scripture and the Church warn against? We saw that
giving a single definition was difficult but a few traits seem to emerge:
1- Most common is the binding of spirits to do the will of the person. This is
particularly true in renaissance ceremonial magic which is used by some
of the more organized occult groups such as the Rosicrucians and OTO.
2- Often there are nonsense “magic words” that mean nothing in the source
language but are ritually prescribed and must be said correctly. Magic is

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 15

 viewing language was a programming code, if you know the right code
you can use language to manipulate reality. Unlike Jesus calming the
storm, or miracles of the saints this is impersonal.
3- Most magic is based on the idea that the spell must be done correctly.
Prayer, however, in most religions can have mistakes and the assumption
is that the deity being addressed will be able to understand what is being
asked.
4- A lot of magic throughout the world involves some form of divining the
future. This is different from prophecy which is passive, whereas
divinization is more active. [But note that the Urim and Thummim may
fall into this category. God did approve one mechanical means of
determining his will, but not telling the future.]

On the other hand, modern day Wiccans are NOT to be confused with the
Medieval idea of witches. Most all Neo-pagans do not engage the “left handed
path” and the Wiccan Reede warns against “black magic”. It is neither accurate
nor fair to label modern Wiccans as “devil worshippers”.

Modern Wicca also has many good points the Church can acknowledge. Firstly,
as believers in the supernatural, they should be “allies” against the pervasive
western materialism and at times an arrogant scientism. Secondly, while we are
not pantheists, there is a “sacredness” to the physical creation and Wiccans
inherently respect, even if we would disagree with many of their reasons for
doing so. Thirdly, we have a common bond as Anglican catholics in similarity to
their respect for the “olde ways”, and traditional practices that respect
community and nature against some of the abuses of the modern western world.

The human drive for magic should also be given some sympathy. The fact is that
humans were made in the image of God, and perhaps were intended in a sinless
world to have the kind of power over creation that magic seeks. We see Jesus
calming a storm and cursing a fig tree, but its not magic because he has that
authority over them. Humanity is made in God’s image and was thus supposed
to exercise God’s authority over creation. Perhaps all magic is doing is an
attempt to restore that original connection with creation which is lost due to sin,
the problem being that only God can restore that connection, but Satan can
imitate it. So magic has a good impulse but in the end is dangerous because it is
circumventing God’s prerogative to grant the authority the magician seeks.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 16

Addendum: Magic in Fantasy

There is no need to be paranoid about fantasy either. This can be a gray area, and
for a Christian who believes fantasy movies or books are wrong, then as Paul
says we should respect that decision. (Rom 14:23, the context is food offered to
idols) It is true that the basis for fantasy is the old religious beliefs primarily of
northern Europe, however in the current form, I believe, is harmless.

Magic in fantasy is functional in that it provides a mechanism in a fictional world

to allow people to have super powers. In a sci-fi setting a person may have a
flamethrower, in the medieval one they have a fire spell. It is not the control over
nature per se that is problematic is magic, it is the necessary consultation with evil
spirits which is absent in most fantasy except for the bad guys (which should be
expected). This is also a gray area that Christians can disagree on, and so we
should respect differences in approach to fantasy.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 17

 Rev. J. Wesley Evans
Part III: Ghosts in Christian Theology

Death and the Afterlife

Christian Theology does teach the existence of a soul, being a part of a person
that continues after the death of the body. Based on this doctrine the church must
at least recognize that Christians do believe in "ghosts" in a broad sense, even if
this does not mean that there is any legitimacy to the idea of "ghosts" as human
spirits who continue on earth in any capacity. The issue with ghosts in the
second more popular sense is whether the human soul/spirit can be under any
circumstances heard or seen by those still living, or if they can reside on earth for
any length of time.

Experience of Apparitions

Ghost stories have been around for much of human civilization and can be found
across all cultures. Reported sightings of apparitions also span social classes and
education. Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, supposedly had a poltergeist type
spirit in his house when he was younger. C. S. Lewis is even said to have
appeared post-mortem to a friend who was a Biblical scholar!

In 1889 the Society for Psychical Research organized the "census of

hallucinations" covering the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany
and Italy, concluding that at least 10% of the population had seen or felt some
type of apparition. This is much higher than should have been expected by
chance according to the researchers. Even accounting for sickness, hallucination,
or other natural phenomena, not all apparitions can be ruled out completely.
Most notably are cases where more than one person sees the same event at the
same time. It is highly unlikely to see a mass hallucination in many cases.

It is hard to imagine all of these cases being merely overactive imaginations or

some for of hallucination. At the same time, much research into spirits and
psychical phenomena was done at major universities in the US with nothing to
show for it. Stanford University started studying ESP in 1911 and Duke
University in 1930. After a burst of activity in research during the 60’s and 70’s.
Modern ghost hunting uses various types of data collecting such as EMF and
temperature drops in an attempt to scientifically prove their existence. There are
several problems here, the first being the lack of evidence that these devices
could detect spirits even if they were haunting an area. It is difficult to prove the

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 18

existence of an unknown using equipment that needs to also be proven to work.
Also, from a Christian perspective “spirits” may be entirely immaterial (such as
pure Form in Thomistic metaphysics) at which point the equipment would not
be able to detect them anyway. This is not to entirely discount the idea, as there
may be more going on then we expect, but it is worth being cautious over any
“results”. In the end there is not enough evidence to prove their existence
scientifically. A decision for the existence of ghosts has to be made on the basis of
any possible theological possibility, explain the plethora of human experience,
and take into account the slim hard evidence.

Ghosts in the Bible

Scripture assumes that normally, in the fallen world, humans that die move
immediately to be either with God, or in Hades, both awaiting the resurrection to
New Creation or Hell. For believers, Paul expected that after death the soul
would go to be with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). This was also the expectation of
Stephen who prayed while dying that the Lord would receive his Spirit (Acts
7:59). Hebrews 9:27 also indicates the reality of passing to judgment after death.
Other scriptures that may not allow for a continuation of a human soul on earth
are Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 where it says the dead "no longer have a share in all that is
done under the sun", and Job 14:12 where Job laments that "Until the heavens be
no more, He [one who is dead] will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep." In
Jesus' parable of Lazarus in Sheol, some would see evidence that it is impossible
for the dead to return, and therefore would rule out any ghosts based on this
passage.

Unfortunately, even for the Lazarus passage there is no indication that Lazarus
would be unable to return of God permitted, only hat it would be useless.12
Further, even if the passage indicated impossibility of a return of sheol, it does
not answer the question concerning the possibility of a soul never making it to
sheol after death in the first place.

What prevents this from being conclusive is that no exhaustive theology of the
afterlife is ever presented. Instead each of these passages builds a normal pattern,
but do not indicate that there can not be exceptions to that pattern. Certainly
Paul assumes that for him, death would result in immediately going into God's
presence but does not discount the possibilities of exceptions. Likewise, Hebrews
does not prevent any additions to the pattern, it merely says that after death
comes judgment, the overall point being the atonement of Christ in general, and
not any exceptions. It does not exclude there being an intermediate step between
death and judgment, and certainly does not exclude God judging a spirit by
12 J. Stafford Wright, Christianity and the Occult (Chicago: Moody Press, 1972), 143.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 19

making them haunt an area for a time. Similar charges can be made against
taking Ecclesiastes and Job exhaustively. Ecclesiastes, by nature of genre, is not
absolute in all cases. In fact if 9:5-6 is to be taken in such an absolute sense, then
the statement "nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten"
would call into question any form of afterlife, including being with the Lord.
Scripture records Job infallibly, but does not say he is right. His statement must
be taken in the context of a lament. Two things can be said about the parable of
Lazarus: first, Abraham only says it would be useless to return, not impossible,
and second at most this means it is impossible to return once a soul is in sheol or
with the saints, not that a soul may not be stuck between the point of death and
entering one of those states.

7 Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, so that
I may go to her and inquire of her." His servants said to him, "There is a medium at
Endor." 8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes and went there, he and two
men with him. They came to the woman by night. And he said, "Consult a spirit
for me, and bring up for me the one whom I name to you." 9 The woman said to
him, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the
wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my
death?" 10 But Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As the LORD lives, no punishment
shall come upon you for this thing." 11 Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up
for you?" He answered, "Bring up Samuel for me." 12 When the woman saw
Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, "Why have you
deceived me? You are Saul!" 13 The king said to her, "Have no fear; what do you see?"
The woman said to Saul, "I see a divine being coming up out of the ground." 14
He said to her, "What is his appearance?" She said, "An old man is coming up;
he is wrapped in a robe." So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his
face to the ground, and did obeisance. 15 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you
disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress, for the
Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me
no more, either by prophets or by dreams; so I have summoned you to tell me what I
should do." 16 Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from
you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done to you just as he spoke by me; for
the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, David.
(1 Samuel 28:7-17)

Saul asked to see a medium (some translations say “witch”) this was the
main service condemned in Deuteronomy 18:9-14

One of the common forms of divinization was necromancy, calling up the
dead for information (modern day spiritism and séances are necromancy)

The medium was shocked after she called up Samuel. This was either
because a) she was really a trickster and didn’t expect it to actually work
(but if so how does this connect to her sudden knowledge of Saul?) or b)
the spirit of Samuel told her in some way.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 20


All indications of this passage show that Samuel actually did come back
from the dead to scold Saul. There is no indication that it was a
hallucination or demonic trick (God was glorified and his laws upheld).

Thus we have a real example of a real ghost in Scripture at least for this
one particular occasion, which bears the question, can God allow it again?

Ghosts in writings of the Church

Several early writers are negative: Theophilius (Book II:8) and Tertullian
(Treatise on the Soul, 57) argued that demons would play-act as souls of the
dead. Even Justin Martyr believed they were evil spirits, although he also
believed they were dead souls. For him they were the souls of the Nephilim
killed in the flood.

Later theologians such as Aquinas said the dead could return with the
permission of God (ST Suppl. 69.3), and there seemed to be the general idea of
the possibility during the Middle Ages.

Some modern works on exorcism mention the possibility of actual hauntings.

During the 1960’s the Church of England, diocese of Exeter did a report on
exorcism to standardize practice. In this report some of the possible phenomena
that exorcist’s encounter could be true hauntings of souls still on earth as well as
“place memories”.

Theories of Ghosts

General non-Supernatural
The first common and major theory is that the apparitions are a result of various natural
causes that the person thinks is an apparition or something paranormal. The human brain
is wired to put sensory data together, and at times this can create a “face” in a picture
where no one was. This is called “pareidoliac apophenia” and is when vague and random
stimulus (often an image or sound) is being perceived as significant. Seeing faces in the
clouds or finding hidden messages in music played backwards are two examples.

Unusual non-Supernatural
The apparition may be it is the result of something, which although highly unusual, is not
distinctly "supernatural". The Exeter Report suggests a "place memory" as one
possibility.13 Place memories are cases where some event in the past has imprinted itself
onto the surroundings so that, under the right conditions or person, the events can be
replayed in the present. The strongest evidences for this explanation are that it explains

13 Dom Robert Petitpierre, ed. Exorcism: The Findings of a Commission Convened by the Bishop of

Exeter (London: SPCK, 1972), 21-2.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 21

why the ghosts are seen in clothes; why they tend to haunt places frequented by the
deceased, and why the apparitions seem to go away when remodeling, construction, or
repairs are made to the area.14 As this does not require any action on part of the deceased
and as it is, in some sense, a natural phenomenon, this explanation would bypass several
theological issues dealing with the return of dead spirits. On the other hand it is difficult
to account for all apparitions this way, maybe 90% of apparitions no older than 400
years.15 Not only does this not account for poltergeist activity where the spirits actually
move objects, but it does not explain cases where the apparition is seen in places the
living person never was, and why some apparitions express emotional response to current
interactions.16 These last two especially would be hard to explain if the apparition is only
a playback of a recording.

General Paranormal
Another paranormal explanation is some form of telepathy or other paranormal
occurrence. Typically this can only account for what are known as "crisis apparitions",
where there is some form of communication to a loved one during severe trauma, like
death.17 This allows for apparitions that appear outside of place memories, but only in
cases immediate to the death of a person. Residual haunts cannot be explained by this
alone, as the nature of some apparitions doesn't fit a recording, but instead something
more conscious of its present state and surroundings.

Supernatural Demonic
The next possibility, and the one that is probably most common in Christian tradition, is
that of demonic entities appear as the apparitions of the dead. It only takes a quick read
through "Spirit of the Rainforest"18 to be convinced that demonic deception is very
plausible in all cases of spirits. Truly, "in the spiritual realm, nothing can be taken at face
value".19 Demons could be the explanation for all apparitions, and it would be hard to tell
the difference. It is at least safe to say those who actively seek the dead for counsel,
especially via mediums are, except in special cases such as the witch of Endor, dealing
with the demonic. The most prominent indicator of this is that many times they downplay
Jesus20 and their messages are "bland, trivial, or heretical".21

There is real biblical evidence for demonic hauntings as indicated in passages dealing
with God's judgment. In judgment against Edom in Isaiah 34:14, God says "wildcats shall
meet with hyenas, goat-demons shall call to each other; there too Lilith shall repose, and
find a place to rest". In the New Testament the idea is stronger in Revelation where part
of the judgment on Babylon is that she will become an abode for demons and foul spirits

14 Rider, Are the Dead Alive? , 204-5.

15 Supposedly these account for 9/10th of all disturbances, and are usually no older then 400
years, cf. Petitpierre, ed. Exorcism: The Findings of a Commission Convened by the Bishop of Exeter, 21-2.
16 Rider, Are the Dead Alive? , 205.
17 Mitton and Parker, Healing Death's Wounds, 79.
18 Mark Andrew Ritchie, Spirit of the Rainforest, 2 ed. (Chigaco: Island Lake Press, 2000).
19 Mitton and Parker, Healing Death's Wounds, 83.
20 Wright, Christianity and the Occult, 139.
21 Russ Parker, Battling the Occult (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1990), 44-5.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 22

(18:2). Spirits tend to appear where places of horrid deeds where committed,22 and in
these cases it is much more likely to be demonic than ghostly. This is true in the modern
era where some hauntings, especially poltergeists, seem to be the direct result of sin like
alcohol abuse,23 drugs,24 family problems,25 or occult practices.26 Several of these reasons
overlap both demons and ghosts, and demonstrate some type of connection possible
between them.

Tertullain held to ghosts being demons, saying that spirits during an exorcism sometimes
claim they are a departed beastiarius, or a god, or a relative or other dead person so that
the surrounding people may be mislead into thinking that not all souls go to Hades after
death.27

This is similar to the position hold by Fr. Taillepied who believed most ghosts who
actually haunt areas, especially near tombs, as demons as opposed to a human spirits.
Although this is most likely true in cases where the dead were sought by magic or
necromancy or spiritism, it is unclear if this is true in all cases of spontaneous ghost
sightings. Even in unclear cases it should still be held as a possibility, and even for safety
sake assume demonic first, before considering if the spirit is a human.

Another possibility of the demon/ghost relationship is that demons are ghosts, in that
instead of being fallen angels, demons are human spirits that still wander the earth. A
form of this theory goes back to Justin Martyr who believed that demons are the souls of
the Nephilim who died in the flood. Nephilim are angel/human hybrids (Gen 6:1-4), and
their death resulted in disembodied spirits roaming the earth seeking possession. In a
similar vein, Bolt argues that due to the cultural background of the NT, the people of the
time would have understood "demon" to mean "dead human spirit".28 The strength of this
idea is in explaining possession. Dead physical creatures, like humans or nephilim, would
suddenly be bereaved of physical sensation in death. If they were to possess a person then
they may recover some of this and so attempt to continue to live vicariously through
someone via possession. Two difficulties with this explanation arise; first, the evidence is
not conclusive as "demon" more likely meant "lesser spirit" which could include ghosts
but was not limited by them.29 Second, scripture seems to use "demon" and "angel" in
reference to Satan interchangeably, without making any logical distinctions. True,
scripture is not clear on this topic, but with the language used and the ambiguity of the
term in the culture, it is not likely that demons are ghosts even if it is very likely that most
ghosts are demons.

22 Fr. Noel Taillepied, A Treatise of Ghosts, ed. Montague Summers, trans. Montague Summers

(London: The Fortune Press, 1933; reprint, 2006), 98.

23 Rider, Are the Dead Alive? , 192.
24 Wright, Christianity and the Occult, 128.
25 Parker, Battling the Occult, 74.
26 Kurt E. Koch, Occult practices and beliefs (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1971), 64.
27 Tertullian A treatise on the soul, 57
28Peter G. Bolt in Anthony N.S. Lane, ed. The Unseen World: Christian Reflections on Angels,

Demons and the Heavenly Realm (Grand Rapids: Paternoster Press and Baker Book House, 1996), 75-102.
29 Taking into account the evidence by Bolt, along with the usage in Scripture. His arguments

do not fully support his final conclusion, as he lists various instances where "lesser spirit" would be just as
appropriate.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 23

However, not all cases of apparitions can be so easily dismissed as demonic. All
Christians would agree that spiritualism is demonic, but this does not explain cases where
the person, even Christians, have experienced an apparition when they were not seeking
one. Demons may still be behind even these, but not all cases have the spirits
communicating anything, let alone anything against Christ. In cases where the ghosts
seem to be helpful, and the living person is motivated to a deeper love for Christ, the
demonic would be an odd and self-defeating explanation.

Supernatural apparitions
The final possibility for apparitions is that of ghosts proper. This classification of ghosts
involves any presence of a person on earth after death. There are two types of ghost-
apparitions, intentional and haunting. In the case of intentional appearances the soul of a
person has returned for some specific purpose allowed by God. This purpose may either
be to give a warning, or make a post-mortem request. In the second case, the soul of a
person has, for various reasons, failed to move on to the next step of death and so is
lingering on earth at a specific area. Not all who hold to one will hold to both. Fr.
Taillepied30 is quite firmly against any idea that ghosts haunt areas or are tied to tombs
and only allows for the possibility of people returning intentionally. He sees all other
instances as demonic, whereas Rev. Mitton31 and Dr. Kreeft32 would both allow for dead
human spirits as haunting areas for reasons that are not specifically intentional.

Other instances of believing Christians holding to this view are such Theologians as the
Catholic Peter Kreeft,33 and the editors of the Anglican exorcism manual.34 Both testify to
various forms of activity by dead human spirits. One of the more famous events within
the Church being the poltergeist, or spirit which moves objects, haunting of John
Wesley's family,35 which demonstrates that Christians experience these events as well.
Intentional appearances are fairly easy to demonstrate. Where there are apparitions of the
dead when they are un-sought and provide information that leads to greater growth in
virtue or love of God, then there is little reason to doubt the apparition is not really a
deceased spirit, giving a Divinely ordained message. One negative case from scripture is
the witch of Endor (1 Sam 28). Samuel actually does return to rebuke Saul for seeking
him via a spirit medium. God allowing this in one case certainly opens up the possibility
of him allowing it in others. A positive case from scripture is the transfiguration, where
the spirits of Moses and Elijah appeared (Mat 17). Although no message was
communicated, it does indicate God has in the past allowed the return of post-mortem
spirits for specific reasons. Even in the present day there have been many testimonies of
occurrences,36 and can still happen in extraordinary circumstances. The case against these

30 Taillepied, A Treatise of Ghosts, 139.

31 Mitton and Parker, Healing Death's Wounds, 86-7.
32 Peter Kreeft, Angels (and Demons): What do we really know about them? (San Francisco: Ignatius

Press, 2004), 51.

33 Ibid.
34 Petitpierre, ed. Exorcism: The Findings of a Commission Convened by the Bishop of Exeter, 21.
35 Robert Southey, The Life of John Wesley, vol. 1, 2 vols. (London: Longman, ect. Paternoster-

row, 1820), 21-7.

36 Mitton and Parker, Healing Death's Wounds, 88-9.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 24

being demonic is the outcome, wherein the people who experienced the event grow in
dedication to Christ.

The major issue is over the residual hauntings where the soul of a dead person has
become stuck on earth, to a specific location, for some reason. The reasons given vary,
but have a few similarities. Sometimes they don't realize they’re dead, or maybe they are
too strongly attached to something in life and can’t move on; they have been left on earth
for some type of purification, or they are trying to console a loved one the best they can.37
Consoling a loved one is similar to the described intentional apparition, but differs in that
it is based on the volition of the people themselves as opposed to a direct Divine
command. Christian theologians debate true hauntings of this sort. Taillepied especially
condemns this idea and quotes St. Chrysostom who held that spirits cannot return by their
own volition nor by natural order.38 In the case of hauntings, demons instead are at work,
to deceive people into various heresies.39 Even Taillepied would allow for the case where
a soul undergoes some form of purgatory near a place where they offended God.40 When
evaluating this idea the problem facing any theologian is the lack of scripture on the issue
and the ambiguity of Christians down the centuries. In some instances these types of
hauntings may be possible. A few of the same arguments for intentional hauntings can be
presented for this one, namely that it is not all cases that are demonic, yet something is
experienced, and is personal enough to rule out a place memory. The non-demonic cases
are those in which God is glorified in some way. One way of ministry is the freeing of the
person from the haunt, as in a case where the ghost asked for prayer because he wanted to
go "be with Jesus."41

Conclusion

Scripture (and tradition) forbid necromancy. (Deut. 18:9-12) Yet, there are occasions
where people have (according to tradition) have seen saints and received revelation from
them. Is this the same as necromancy? It is good to note that even though the OT would
forbid the contact of any spirits for the sake of revelation, God did in many cases send
spirits (angels). So the issue seems to be intentionality and faith.

Necromancy in the context of Deuteronomy is the intentional summoning up of a dead

soul for the purpose of divinization. God sending a saint would not be necromancy, nor
would the catholic practice of asking the saints to pray for us.

However, some of the EVP work done by paranormal researchers does seem to cross the
line, as would use of a ouija board or being a medium (which is more directly what
Deuteronomy refers to).

37 Cf. Kreeft, Angels (and Demons): What do we really know about them? , 51. And Mitton and
Parker, Healing Death's Wounds, 86-7.
38 Taillepied, A Treatise of Ghosts, 137.
39 Ibid.
40 Ibid., 148.
41 Wright, Christianity and the Occult, 125.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 25

This does not mean, however, that all paranormal investigation is bad or “occultic”. It
could be scientifically wrong and still not be morally wrong, we must not confuse
scientific orthodoxy with Christian orthodoxy. There may even be something to some of
their investigations, but they also need to understand the nature of Christian revelation
concerning the very real danger of demons as deceiving spirits. Assuming the device
even detects the paranormal, there is no way a EMF meter can tell the difference between
a human soul and a demon pretending to be a human soul!

If there are human souls that still wander earth for one reason or another, some
theologians suggest a prayer for their soul or requiem mass. Others, some form of house
blessing. As scripture does not say, this is a very gray area.

Rev. J. Wesley Evans Halloween Special 26