Exorcisms Said to Be 'Booming' In U.K., Prompting Experts to Warn Against 'Christian Over-Spiritualizing'
A British think tank has warned about the sudden rise in exorcism incidents in the U.K., saying this could pose serious danger to people whose mental health problem could be mistaken for demonic possession.
In a recent report, the faith and culture research institute Theos said exorcisms have become a "booming industry" in the U.K., noting the "astonishing increase in demand ... in defiance of any actual rules or procedures put in place by any church," according to Charisma News.
The report traced the growth in demand for exorcisms partly to immigrant communities and Pentecostal churches, "which are very open about their exorcism services."
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Theos found from Christians working in the field of mental health that in a majority of exorcism cases, the person being exorcised of alleged demonic possession was actually suffering from a mental health issue which required psychiatric assistance.
The report said these Christian medical professionals are often frustrated with Christian patients with mental health issues who stop taking their medication because they've been told that prayer is enough. This often results in mental health relapse.
Theos pointed out that although Jesus Christ Himself told His followers to cast out demons, to heal the sick and cast out demons are two different things. It called on Christians to seek a clearer understanding of mental illness and not force exorcisms on people.
The report warned that mental health illness is nearing the level of a national crisis in the U.K., noting that about one in 10 adults in the county are suffering from mental illness.
"Faced with such a social issue, we need Christians to get involved, but we also need them to get involved well, confident in the ground on which they're standing, and without the danger of making things worse by over-spiritualizing medical issues," it wrote.
Theos noted that churches sometimes turn to spiritual warfare tactics in trying to fight something as common as depression.
Exorcism has also become prevalent in the United States.
"It is a big phenomenon," J. Gordon Melton, a Methodist minister who directs the Institute for the Study of American Religion told ABC News. "There is a lot of exorcism going on."
Michael Cuneo, a sociologist at Fordham University and author of the book "American Exorcism," said the Catholic Church has at least 10 official exorcists around the United States, nine more than a decade ago.
However, he said the vast majority of exorcisms today are performed by a variety of Protestant religions.
"By conservative estimates, there are at least five or six hundred evangelical exorcism ministries in operation today, and quite possibly two or three times this many," he said.
