Roy Clements

Until the late nineteenth century, mental illness was often blamed on demonic possession. Although the idea of demonic possession is still deeply rooted in many faith traditions, it is generally seen as obsolete and superfluous from the perspective of contemporary psychiatry. The classic symptoms of demonic possession-malevolent inner voices, erratic behavior, and a tendency to think of oneself as irreparably evil-are symptoms of several common mental disorders.

Roy Clements, the author of the following selection, is an ordained Baptist minister with a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. He is currently on the staff of Imperial College, London. In this essay, which was intended for a conservative Christian audience with a high view of the Bible, he argues that the biblical model of demonic possession can still be meaningful to those suffering from mental illness. Rejecting what...