Demons, Deliverance, Discernment : Separating Fact from Fiction about the Spirit World is a recently released book by Fr. Mike Driscol which is published by Catholic Answers Press.

This book takes a different focus then other books I have read on the subject. Often even when there is a serious look at the subject there can be more sensationalist elements. Not surprising since elements such as those fictionalized in The Exorcist are a draw for many. I found the treatment of the subject in The Rite to be rather balanced, but its main focus was just on exorcism and the training of a priest as an exorcist.

One of the points regarding exorcism that I have heard stressed multiple times in Catholic circles is that the Exorcist has to be the greatest skeptic. That every possible cause must be investigated first and that many seemingly apparent cases may well have a psychological or material foundation. This is a focus of this book as Fr. Driscol is a counselor and has a doctorate in the area. He did his doctoral dissertation on the area of possession and exorcism and came to do many interviews with exorcists concerning this. The Church has long made such distinctions throughout history and he points out that even in the Rite of Exorcism published in 1614 distinguished between demon possession and psychological disorders.

The books first chapters investigate possession and exorcism in cultures through the ages and then their history in scripture. This is built on with information on the theology of Demonology and the various classification used as to levels of Demonic attack from temptation, oppression, up to possession. As discernment is a major focus of this there is much information regarding how these diagnosis are made. I actually found this whole process of discernment to be quite fascinating regarding how much rooted in a psychological problem can be taken for possession. The authors review of such discernment is totally in agreement with what the Church officially teaches regarding this. He is also very careful to identify these areas with his own opinions.

I really found his chapter on two approaches to exorcism as a classification of Exorcists to be very informative. He classifies two basic styles in what he calls narrow approach and wide approach exorcists. These are his own classifications which he developed after all the interviews he made with Exorcists. I won’t go into the details of these classification, but again I found the distinctions made to be useful. He has some skepticism to wide approach exorcists which from the little I know I am inclined to agree with.

One aspect of this book not normally seen is a look at deliverance ministries. While I was aware of this growing trend in Protestantism, I did not realize how much it had come into Catholic circles. This is an area of “ministry” that is not officially sanctioned by the Church for the laity and so it is an area with little oversight. He offers plenty of caveats regarding this along with what would be the actual role for the laity here.

Along the way I found plenty of questions addressed that either I had previously wondered about or that I had just never considered. Really so much about this subject is shaped more from Hollywood then from the Church’s careful teaching on the subject.

Overall I found this to be a very useful book on the subject that makes necessary distinctions. That while there are actual possessions and other forms of Demonic attacks, that is much to learn about other causes of such traits. Also while this book does not concentrate on the more sensationalist aspects of actual exorcisms, there are stories peppered throughout regarding such phenomenon.

The first appendix includes prayers for protection and the second appendix includes advice for pastors and ministers.

Recently due to the much publicized “Charlie Charlie Challenge”, he posted on the subject and provided a good counterbalance to this practice.

I had certainly been looking forward to Jimmy Akin’s newest book The Drama of Salvation: How God Rescues You from Your Sins and Delivers You to Eternal Life as it has been teased for awhile on Catholic Answers.

The doctrine of salvation (Soteriology) is of course of supreme importance and like many important things it can be both easy and hard to understand. The subtitle of the book is actually a pretty good simplification of this branch of theology. The question “So what can I do to be saved?” is really the starting point to delving into this question.

One of the seeming goals of this book was to clear up confusion regarding this topic between Catholic and Protestants. Often there is no common vocabulary even when we are using the same words. So easy to talk past each other when we don’t spend time to define terms ourselves and also coming to understand how different groups use those same words. Another difficulty is that Protestantism in not monolithic when it comes these terms and different groups will have different understandings or nuances. As Jimmy Akin mentions:

“This is precisely the kind of situation that St. Paul was addressing when he warned about quarreling over words. He instructed St. Timothy to charge his flock “before the Lord to avoid disputing about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers” (2 Tim. 2:14).”

Another points he makes is that often there can be different insights and that these insights do not necessarily conflict. Different emphasis can lead to a deeper understanding.

Jimmy Akin is really gifted when it comes to explaining things at a basic level. He grounds this book with a canvas of scripture showing how scripture uses words like justification, salvation, forgiveness, etc. This understanding, like most things in scripture, was revealed more fully over time until being made more manifest in the New Testament. His use of the Church Fathers and others show how the early Church also understood what was revealed by scripture.

I know I am describing this book badly as it is so filled with information and insights that it is hard for me to summarize. Still I will try. This book certainly deepened my understanding regarding salvation. Even in areas I was familiar with he was able make concepts more substantial. I especially liked the helpful terms he used to categorize areas, especially in places where there is not a common vocabulary.

One topic area I found especially helpful was the one on “Outside the Church, no Salvation” (“Extra Ecclesiam, nulla sallus”). While I already generally understand the nuances involved and where the rigorists go wrong, I really enjoyed the fuller historical context. Other areas of interest regarded the Council of Trent’s teaching on justification and also the discussion on the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church. There are extensive bonus materials included in the book with many of the documents addressed in the book.

You don’t have to be a theology nerd to be able to read this book. This is written for a general audience and Jimmy Akin’s clear writing makes it worthwhile for everyone.