My First Exorcism: What the Devil Taught a Lutheran Pastor about Counter-Cultural Spirituality - Paperback

by Harold Ristau (Author), John W. Kleinig (Foreword by)

What the scientific community dismisses as a mental disorder, Christians have often labeled "demon possession." While classifications may offer limited help in explanation, the Reverend Dr. Harold Ristau explores the nature and meaning of demonic activity by drawing from his own experiences with exorcism. Ristau shares life lessons, spiritual applications, and religious wisdom from his personal encounters with the dark realm. Primarily intended for clergy, his reflections offer a springboard intended to stimulate critical thinking, challenge metaphysical presuppositions, and inspire a belated conversation on a topic that has traditionally been avoided, not because of a lack of empirical evidence, but due to the fear that it incites inside of us. Yet if the claims of the historic Church are true--that demons do in fact exist and seek our destruction--then an honest examination of the phenomenon, and its impact on the ways in which we live and reason, is an essential endeavor for any practitioner of the ministry of deliverance.

Author Biography

Harold Ristau (PhD, McGill University), Lutheran pastor, Reformation scholar, military chaplain, and author of At Peace with War: A Chaplain's Meditations from Afghanistan and Understanding Martin Luther's Demonological Rhetoric in His Treatise Against the Heavenly Prophets (1525) has served in various multicultural settings providing pastoral ministry and crisis counseling in unique contexts.