Demon Possession and Allied Themes : Nevius
$950
In stock
Description
Rare Account and Analysis of Demon Possession and Spirit Practices in 19th Century China by American Missionary Rev Nevius
Nevius, Rev J.L. Demon Possession and Allied Themes Being An Inductive Study of Phenomena of Our Own Time… Fleming H Revell Company. Chicago. 1894. First Edition.
Accounts of demon possession and spirit practices in rural China written by 19th century American missionary John L Nevius based in Chefoo (Yantai), who records stories of haunted houses, exorcisms, and biased accounts of traditional Chinese spirit practices and mediumship. Some of the accounts are quite colorful, including a Demon-possessed old woman speaking in Chinese that “God and Christ will not interfere. I have been here seven or eight years; and I claim this as my resting place. You cannot get rid of me.”
Based on his purported experiences in the 1870s, Nevius states he was inspired to further study the subject, sending out a circular letter to other missionaries asking for similar reports and insights which is reprinted along with many responses including other encounters. Nevius also considers manifestations and the traditional mythologies of India and Japan before engaging with all such phenomena like a psychical researcher, offering theories and explanations from trickery to psychological, evolutionary, spiritualist, occult and scriptural explanations. Especially interesting are the appendix of various case reports as well as an extensive bibliography of sources. The work was reprinted in 1897 and also had a UK edition of that same year.
One copy found in OCLC as of May 2024.
X + 482pp + [4] ads. Black cloth boards with red lettering and borders. Wear to edges and corners with pigment losses. Cloth losses to corners and spine ends. Text block and pages toned. Top text block darkened. Ownership ink stamp second free endpaper. Pages clean. Includes publisher’s [4]pp promotional pamphlet. Good.
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