The Exorcism Stories in Luke-Acts
A Sociostylistic Reading

This 2004 book situates the Lukan exorcism stories within the cultural contexts of both Judaism and popular belief.

Todd Klutz (Author)

9780521076050, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 August 2008

312 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.8 cm, 0.4 kg

Review of the hardback: 'This monograph is highly recommended to those who are interested in the field of Sociostylistics, exorcistic healing in the New Testament and the narrative of Luke-Acts.' Neotestamentica

This 2004 book in English integrates detailed literary criticism of the exorcism stories in Luke-Acts with wide-ranging comparative study of ancient sources on demonology, spirit affliction and exorcistic healing. Methods from systemic functional linguistics and critical theory are explained and then applied to each story. Careful focus is placed on each narrative's linguistic functions and also on relevant aspects of its literary co-text and the wider context of culture. Implications of the analysis for the new perspective on Luke-Acts, especially the implied author's relationship with Judaism, are explored in relation to the Lukan stories' original context of reception. Largely neglected interfaces between Luke's narrative representation of exorcism and emerging academic discourse about religious experience, shamanism, health care in antiquity, ritual performance and ancient Jewish systems of impurity are probed in ways that shed fresh light on this supremely alien part of the Lukan writings.

Introduction
1. Sociostylistics and the exorcism in Luke 4:33–37
2. Purity and the exorcism in Luke 8:26–39
3. Discipleship and the exorcism in Luke 9:37–43a
4. Paul, Jewish identity, and the exorcism in Acts 16:16–18
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC], Judaism [HRJ], Bible readings, selections & meditations [HRCG9], Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG], History [HB]