The Ethics of Exorcism: Hierarchical Violence in Humans’ Encounters with Demons

Exorcisms, whether portrayed in ancient texts or practiced in contemporary churches, imply violence. Rooted in an ontological hierarchy which both privileges human life over spirit (i.e., demon) life and also defines the demon as dangerous and worthy of expulsion, exorcisms utilize this hierarchy to justify shockingly violent action against any spirits who threaten the boundaries of this established order (e.g., by possessing a human). Inspired by this year’s AAR theme of “Violence, Nonviolence, and the Margin,” as well as by the ontological implications of critical posthumanism(s), this paper explores how exorcisms perpetuate violence upon a particular figure at the margins of ontology: the demon. Moreover, the paper analyzes the New-Testament roots of this violent response towards the marginal Other, as well as options offered by other traditions (e.g., Candomblé) for interacting with nonhuman spirits in nonviolent, and even cooperative, ways.