demonology

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Are there any saints or writings in the church that teaches demonology?
 
I have heard of books of demonology, but they treat them like zoo animals that can be caged and studied. That isn’t a possibility so I would avoid those works as fiction.

I think the largest resource of information on demons comes from exorcisms.

These books on the subject are pretty good…

Hostage to the devil - Malachi Martin (5 cases of possession)
An excorcist tells his story - Gabrielle Amorth (chief exorcist of Rome)
An excorcist: More stories - Gabrielle Amorth

I don’t know what you need it for but if you’re catholic the most you can do is passively pray for someone. It’s the bishops job to deal with a case.

Gabrielle Amorth did mention one book under the heading of “demonology” in his second book. It’s in latin though, and I forget the name of it. He also mentioned it was mostly wrong so no real loss there I guess.
 
billcu1 said:
Are there any saints or writings in the church that teaches demonology?
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Demons are not something we should have much interest in. We should know enough to keep ourselves out of trouble, but esp at the beginnings of our spiritual lives, we should not seek out this type of information unless we have a problem, in which case, talking with a priest is probably the best thing to do.
 
Here’'s a website by a RC layman named Adam Blai. His FAQ’s are good.

One of the most profound lines:

Q: How do I become a demonologist?

A: Why would you want to?..
 
billcu1 said:
About the types of different demons that exist. What they do and how they live.
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WHO CARES they are all damned to hell where they belong. As my much loved friend and Deacon Arney Hyland says, “The only thing you can say GO TO HELL to is the devil and his minions, so do it.”
 
The Screwtape letters 😉

In all seriousness, that book actually is really great. It gave me a healthy perspective on the devil. I’ve read it several times and each time I get something new out of it. Not just about the devil, but just living the Christian life in general. I think it’s one of my favorite Lewis books.

I don’t think we should be interested in the different types of demons and how they live though. Seems pretty risky. Just knowing they exist and what some of their tricks are is enough. After all, they’ve already lost 👍
 
ellzeena said:
WHO CARES they are all damned to hell where they belong. As my much loved friend and Deacon Arney Hyland says, “The only thing you can say GO TO HELL to is the devil and his minions, so do it.”
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Yes and don’t forget to pray the St. Michael prayer.
 
St_Francis said:
Demons are not something we should have much interest in. We should know enough to keep ourselves out of trouble, but esp at the beginnings of our spiritual lives, we should not seek out this type of information unless we have a problem, in which case, talking with a priest is probably the best thing to do.
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Why not?
 
Debora123 said:
Why not?
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“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, 1942
 
Arizona_Mike said:
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, 1942
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This doesn’t answer my question
 
Debora123 said:
This doesn’t answer my question
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For some people, learning too much can lead to fear, for others, dangerous temptations, and for still others, it can provide an opening for demons to excessively influence the person.

One must have a very strong spiritual life to deal with all this.
 
billcu1 said:
About the types of different demons that exist. What they do and how they live.
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These are rather dangerous subjects to study or investigate. It is best to leave them alone. Studying them or even thinking too much about such persons will attract their attention. The last thing you want is for one of them to develop an interest in you.

Some people have indeed dabbled in such subjects and survived to tell their story, for instance Aleister Crowley (others of course say that he was a fraud).
 
St_Francis said:
For some people, learning too much can lead to fear, for others, dangerous temptations, and for still others, it can provide an opening for demons to excessively influence the person.

One must have a very strong spiritual life to deal with all this.
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Gotcha. Thanks! 🙂
 
St_Francis said:
For some people, learning too much can lead to fear, for others, dangerous temptations, and for still others, it can provide an opening for demons to excessively influence the person.

One must have a very strong spiritual life to deal with all this.
Click to expand...
IMO God is not the author of fear. I’m hardly afraid of demons but they’re just like anything else. Some would if they could kill you on the spot. Others are more mischeivious that anything else. We should be in prayer all the time anyway. Angels are quite likely the same. Some are involved with us and others aren’t involved with man at all. Still others might not even like us much.
 
Here’s some info.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qliphoth

But notice the last sentence I have quoted here.

In Hasidic thought, the kabbalistic scheme of Kelipot is internalised in psychological experience as self-focus, opposite to holy Deveikut self-nullification, underlying its Panentheistic Monistic view of Kelipot as the illusionary self-awareness of Creation.

Now does this mean Judaism is panentheistic? I don’t think we bear that view. Atleast I don’t. God may be part of the universe but he is separate from it and it came from him. btw my question about demons was more ontological.
 
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