"Demons," and other words that matter

Did Jesus perform exorcisms? What demons existed in his time? Do demons still exist now? If so, in what form? Can an entire culture be possessed?

“'Demons,' and other words that matter" is a reflection based on Mark 1:29-39.

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed by demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons, and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also, for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout all Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Works Referenced

Carter, Warren. Mark (Wisdom Commentary Series Book 42). Collegeville, Minnesota:  Liturgical Press, 2019. Kindle Edition.

Chandler, Kim and Sean Murphy. “Will other states replicate Alabama’s nitrogen execution?” AP News. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/nitrogen-execution-alabama-oklahoma-lethal-injection-c088b01aeb581da7bfb73e52aa6caf3f

Duran, Nicole Wilkinson. “Other People’s Demons: Reading Mark’s Demons in the Disbelieving West.” In Mark (Texts @ Contexts), edited by Nicole Wilkinson Duran, Teresa Okure, and Daniel Patte. Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fortress Press, 2011. 

Equal Justice Initiative. “Criminal Justice Reform.” Accessed February 2, 2024. https://eji.org/criminal-justice-reform/

Juel, Donald H. A Master of Surprise: Mark Interpreted. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 1994.

Lettsome, Raquel S. “Mark.” In Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha, edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., Matthew J. M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014. Kindle edition.

Perkins, Pheme. “Mark.” In New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume VII. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015.

Wikipedia. “Capital punishment by country.” Accessed February 2, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_by_country

Wise, Jenna. “Family wants to know why man had hypothermia when he died in county prison.” PennLive. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/02/man-who-died-at-dauphin-county-prison-had-hypothermia-in-62-degree-cell-da.html

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