''American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of the Plenty'' is a 2001 book by Michael Cuneo and published originally by

Doubleday Doubleday may refer to: * Doubleday (surname), including a list of people with the name Publishing imprints * Doubleday (publisher), imprint of Knopf Doubleday, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House * Doubleday Canada, imprint of Penguin Random ...

. It follows the experience of Cuneo while he toured the United States of America and witnessed over 50

exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be do ...

Summary

''American Exorcism'' discusses the history and popular culture representation of exorcism in the United States, juxtaposed with Cuneo's experience attending over 50 exorcisms in person. Through his research, Cuneo highlights important figures, such as

Malachi Martin Malachi Brendan Martin (23 July 1921 – 27 July 1999), also known under the pseudonym of Michael Serafian, was an Irish-born American Traditionalist Catholic priest, biblical archaeologist, exorcist, palaeographer, professor, and writer on ...

, Frank and Ida B. Hammond, and Peter Blatty, as well topics such as the difference between Catholic exorcism and

Deliverance ministry In Christianity, deliverance ministry refers to groups that perform practices to cleanse people of demons and evil spirits. These groups attribute certain people's physical, psychological, spiritual, and emotional problems to the activities of the ...

. This text discusses the meteoric rise of exorcisms in the United States, especially alongside other technological advancements. Mark Dery, writing for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', explained that

Cuneo reads the phenomenon as a backlash by religious conservatives, adrift in a secular society that they perceive as amoral, while at the same time feeling alienated from an increasingly secularized Protestantism or a post-Vatican-II Catholicism. To him, the charismatic ministers and renegade priests are casting out the demons of social change: feminism, the sexual revolution, New Age spirituality and the loss of faith in traditional institutions.

Reception

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' called ''American Exorcism'' "an engaging and detailed document of a provocative subculture ..that will neither confirm nor confound the reader's demonic fears". ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' referred to the book as "mesmerizing", noting that the book is "lucidly written and riveting as any horror novel". They concluded that "Cuneo's excursion into the darker paths of American faith offers a deeply disturbing, ironic vision of what he sees as the unintended consequences of popular culture for the modern religious imagination." Mark Dery, writing for ''

'', noted that the book is "armed with a wry wit and girded in the armor of an inquiring but 'open-mindedly skeptical' intellect". ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...

'' also reviewed the book.

Summary

Reception

References

Further reading