The Exorcist, both book and movie, provides a wide range of discussion topics, related to character development, social and religious themes, and the new ground broken by each in establishing genre conventions. The controversial reception of the novel at the time is also grounds for discussion, as are the universal religious and philosophical issues with which Blatty grapples in the book.

1. To what extent are charges of sensationalism valid against the book or motion picture of The Exorcist? Is the theological context in which Blatty places it enough to justify the explicit horrors?

2. Father Karras is depicted as having various problems, including a crisis of faith and guilt over his treatment of his dead mother. Are these successfully integrated, in terms of character and theme?

Further, are the problems that Karras brings to the exorcism successfully used in his ordeal during the exorcism?

3. Part of the...