Editing Demon (section)

== Christianity ==
[[Christianity]] conceptualizes demons as occasionally visible, evil beings sowing destruction in the world and disguising themselves as pagan gods.<ref>Anderson, S. (2018). Demonology/Demons. In Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/2589-7993_EECO_SIM_00000897</ref> According to Christian theology, demons are fallen angels.<ref name="M657">Martin, Dale Basil. "When Did Angels Become Demons?" ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', vol. 129, no. 4, 2010, pp. 657. {{doi|10.2307/25765960}}. Accessed 5 Jan 2025.</ref><ref name="ReferenceE">Joad Raymond ''Milton's Angels: The Early-Modern Imagination'' OUP Oxford 2010 {{ISBN|978-0-19-956050-9}} p. 77</ref> They are believed to have been created as [[angel|good angels]] who then turned evil by joining [[Lucifer]] in his rebellion against [[God in Christianity|God]].<ref name="Heinz Schreckenberg 1992">Heinz Schreckenberg, Kurt Schubert, ''Jewish Historiography and Iconography in Early and Medieval Christianity'' (Van Gorcum, 1992, {{ISBN|978-90-232-2653-6}}), p. 253</ref><ref name="ReferenceD">David L Bradnick ''Evil, Spirits, and Possession: An Emergentist Theology of the Demonic'' Brill 2017 {{ISBN|978-90-04-35061-8}} p. 42</ref> This [[Christian mythology|mythology]] is not shared by [[Judaism]] or found as such in the [[New Testament]].<ref name="M657"/> The story of fallen angels is a result of interpretation of different Biblical passages in the second and third century.<ref>Martin, Dale Basil. "When Did Angels Become Demons?" ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', vol. 129, no. 4, 2010, pp. 657–77. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/25765960. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.</ref> [[Augustine of Hippo]] (5th century) established the position, that demons are spirits (angels) who turn away from God, for [[Christian demonology|Western demonology]] and for the [[Catholic Church]].<ref name="ReferenceC">David L Bradnick ''Evil, Spirits, and Possession: An Emergentist Theology of the Demonic'' Brill 2017 {{ISBN|978-90-04-35061-8}} p. 39</ref>

=== Old Testament ===
The existence of demons as inherently malicious spirits within Old Testamental texts is absent.{{sfn|Greenbaum|2015|p=127}}<ref name="Kitz 2016">Anne Marie Kitz. "Demons in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East". ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', vol. 135, no. 3, 2016, pp. 447–464. {{JSTOR|10.15699/jbl.1353.2016.3074}}. Accessed 16 May 2021.</ref>{{rp|447}} Though there are evil spirits sent by [[God in Christianity|YHWH]], they can hardly be called ''demons'', since they serve and do not oppose the governing deity.<ref name="Kitz 2016"/>{{rp|448}} First then the [[Septuaginta|Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek]], the "gods of other nations" were merged into a single category of demons ({{Lang|grc-latn|daimones}}) with implied negativity.{{sfn|Greenbaum|2015|p=129}}

The Greek Daimons were associated with demi-divine entities, deities, illnesses and [[fortune-telling]]. The Jewish translators rendered them all as demons, depicting their power as nullified comparable to the description of ''{{Lang|hbo-latn|shedim}}'' in the [[Tanakh]]. Although all these supernatural powers were translated, none were angels, despite sharing a similar function to that of the Greek Daimon. This established a dualism between the angels on God's side and negatively evaluated demons of pagan origin.{{sfn|Martin|2010|p=664}} Their relationship to the God-head became the main difference between angels and demons, not their degree of benevolence. Both angels and demons might be fierce and terrifying. However, the angels act always at service of the high god of the Israelites, differing from the pagan demons, who represent the powers of foreign deities.{{sfn|Martin|2010|p=666}} The Septuagint refers to evil spirits as demons (daimon).{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

=== New Testament ===
[[File:Ottheinrich Folio051r Mc5A.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Medieval illumination]] from the Ottheinrich Folio depicting the [[exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac]] by Jesus]]

Through the New Testament, demons appear 55 times, and 46 times in reference to [[demonic possession]] or [[exorcisms]].<ref name="Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum 2015. pp. 136-138">{{harvnb|Greenbaum|2015|pp=136–138}}.</ref> Some old English Bible translations such as [[King James Version]] do not have the word ''demon'' in their vocabulary and translate it as 'devil'. As adversaries of [[Jesus]], demons are not morally ambivalent spirits, but evil; causes of misery, suffering, and death.<ref name="Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum 2015. pp. 136-138"/> They are not tempters, but the cause of pain, suffering, and maladies, both physical and mental. Temptation is reserved for the devil only.<ref>H. A. Kelly (30 January 2004). ''The Devil, Demonology, and Witchcraft: Christian Beliefs in Evil Spirits''. Wipf and Stock Publishers. {{ISBN|9781592445318}}. p. 104</ref> Unlike spirits in pagan beliefs, demons are not intermediary spirits who must be sacrificed for the appeasement of a deity. Possession also shows no trace of positivity, contrary to some pagan depictions of [[spirit possession]]. They are explicitly said to be ruled by the Devil or [[Beelzebub]].<ref>''Demons and the Devil in Ancient and Medieval Christianity''. 2011. Netherlands: Brill. p. 104</ref> Their origin is unclear, the texts take the existence of demons for granted. Many early Christians, like [[Irenaeus]], [[Justin Martyr]], [[Clement of Alexandria]], and [[Lactantius]] assumed demons were ghosts of the Nephilim, known from Intertestamental writings.<ref>Annette Yoshiko Reed (2005). ''Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity: The Reception of Enochic Literature''. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|978-0521853781}}. p. 149</ref> Because of references to Satan as the lord of demons and evil angels of Satan throughout the New Testament, other scholars identified fallen angels with demons.{{sfn|Martin|2010|p=670}} Demons as entirely evil entities, who have been born evil, may not fit the proposed origin of evil in free will, taught in alternate or opposing theologies.<ref>James W. Boyd (1975). ''Satan and Māra: Christian and Buddhist Symbols of Evil''. Brill Archive. {{ISBN|9789004041738}}. p. 47</ref>

=== Pseudepigrapha and deuterocanonical books ===
[[File:Demon. A miniature from the Georgian manuscript of the 12th century.jpg|thumb|upright|A demon from ''[[The Ladder of Divine Ascent]]'', written in Georgian by [[Nikrai]].]]
{{Main|Pseudepigrapha|Deuterocanonical books}}
{{See also|Book of Tobit|Book of Enoch|Book of Jubilees}}
Demons are included in biblical interpretation. In the story of Passover, the Bible tells the story as "the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt" ({{Bibleverse|Exodus|12:21–29}}). In the [[Book of Jubilees]], which is considered canonical only by the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]],<ref name="Harris">[[Stephen L Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]], ''Understanding the Bible''. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. It is considered one of the [[pseudepigrapha]] by [[Protestant]], [[Roman Catholic]], and [[Eastern Orthodox]] Churches</ref> this same event is told slightly differently: "All the powers of [the demon] Mastema had been let loose to slay all the first-born in the land of Egypt. And the powers of the Lord did everything according as the Lord commanded them." (Jubilees 49:2–4)

In the [[Genesis flood narrative]], the author explains how God was noticing "how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways" ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|6:12}}). In Jubilees, the sins of man are attributed to "the unclean demons [who] began to lead astray the children of the sons of Noah, and to make to err and destroy them" (Jubilees 10:1). In Jubilees, Mastema questions the loyalty of Abraham and tells God to "bid him offer him as a burnt offering on the altar, and Thou wilt see if he will do this command" (Jubilees 17:16). The discrepancy between the story in Jubilees and the story in Genesis 22 exists with the presence of [[Mastema]]. In Genesis, God tests the will of Abraham merely to determine whether he is a true follower, however; in Jubilees, Mastema has an agenda behind promoting the sacrifice of Abraham's son, "an even more demonic act than that of Satan in Job".<ref>Moshe Berstein (2000). "Angels at the Aqedah: A Study in the Development of a Midrashic Motif". ''Dead Sea Discoveries'' 7, p. 267.</ref> In Jubilees, where Mastema, an angel tasked with tempting mortals into sin and iniquity, requests that God give him a tenth of the spirits of the children of the watchers, demons, in order to aid the process (Jubilees 10:7–9). These demons are passed into Mastema's authority, where once again, an angel is in charge of demonic spirits.

In the [[Testament of Solomon]], written sometime in the first three centuries C.E., the demon [[Asmodeus]] explains that he is the son of an angel and a human mother. Another demon describes himself as having died in the "massacre in the age of giants". ''Beelzeboul'', the prince of demons, appears as a fallen angel, not as a demon, but makes people worship demons as their gods.{{sfn|Martin|2010|p=670}}

=== Christian demonology ===
{{Main|Christian demonology|Exorcism in Christianity|Exorcism in the Catholic Church|Demonic possession#Christianity}}
[[File:Michelangelo Buonarroti - The Torment of Saint Anthony - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|''The Torment of Saint Anthony'' (1488) by [[Michelangelo]], depicting [[Anthony the Great|Saint Anthony]] being assailed by demons]]
[[File:Jheronimus Bosch 050 detail 01.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Death and the Miser]]'' (detail), a [[Hieronymus Bosch]] painting, [[National Gallery of Art]], [[Washington, D.C.]]]]
[[File:St._Francis_Borgia_Helping_a_Dying_Impenitent_by_Goya.jpg|thumb|Painting of [[Francis Borgia, 4th Duke of Gandía|Saint Francis Borgia]] performing an [[exorcism]], as depicted by [[Francisco Goya|Goya]]]]
Since [[Early Christianity]], demonology has developed from a simple acceptance of demons to a complex study that has grown from the original ideas taken from Jewish demonology and Christian scriptures.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Orlov|first1=Andrei A.|title=Divine Scapegoats: Demonic Mimesis in Early Jewish Mysticism|date=2015|publisher=SUNY Press|location=New York|isbn=9781438455846|page=4}}</ref> Christian demonology is studied in depth within the [[Roman Catholic Church]],<ref>[http://www.sanctamissa.org/EN/resources/books-1962/rituale-romanum/57-exorcism-introduction.html "Exorcism"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325121444/http://www.sanctamissa.org/EN/resources/books-1962/rituale-romanum/57-exorcism-introduction.html |date=2019-03-25}}. ''Sancta Missa – Rituale Romanum''. 1962. Canons Regular of St. John Cantius</ref> although many other Christian churches affirm and discuss the existence of demons.<ref>Hansen, Chadwick (1970), ''Witchcraft at Salem'', p. 132, Signet Classics, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 69-15825</ref><ref>Modica, Terry Ann (1996), ''Overcoming The Power of The Occult'', p. 31, Faith Publishing Company, {{ISBN|1-880033-24-0}}</ref>

Building upon the few references to {{Lang|grc-latn|daimon}} in the New Testament, especially the poetry of the Book of Revelation, Christian writers of [[apocrypha]] from the second century onwards created a more complicated tapestry of beliefs about "demons" that was largely independent of Christian scripture.

While daimons were considered as both potentially benevolent or malevolent, [[Origen]] argued against [[Celsus]] that daimons are exclusively evil entities, supporting the later idea of (evil) demons. According to Origen's cosmology, increasing corruption and evil within the soul, the more estranged the soul gets from God. Therefore, Origen opined that the most evil demons are located underground. Besides the fallen angels known from Christian scriptures, Origen talks about Greek daemons, like nature spirits and giants. These creatures were thought to inhabit nature or air and nourish from pagan sacrifices roaming the earth. However, there is no functional difference between the spirits of the underworld and of earth, since both have fallen from perfection into the material world. Origen sums them up as [[fallen angel]]s and thus equal to demons.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell (1987). ''Satan: The Early Christian Tradition''. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. {{ISBN|9780801494130}}. p. 132.</ref>

Many [[ascetic]]s, like Origen and [[Anthony the Great]], described demons as psychological powers, tempting to evil,<ref>David L Bradnick (2017). ''Evil, Spirits, and Possession: An Emergentist Theology of the Demonic''. Brill. {{ISBN|978-9-004-35061-8}}. p. 30</ref> in contrast to benevolent angels advising good. According to ''Life of Anthony'', written in Greek around 360 by [[Athanasius of Alexandria]], most of the time, the demons were expressed as an internal struggle, inclinations, and temptations. But after Anthony successfully resisted the demons, they would appear in human form to tempt and threaten him even more intensely.<ref>Brakke, D. (2009). ''Demons and the Making of the Monk: Spiritual Combat in Early Christianity''. Harvard University Press. p. 157</ref>

[[Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite]] described ''evil'' as "defiancy" and does not give ''evil'' an ontological existence. He explains demons are deficient creatures, who willingly turn themselves towards the unreal and non-existence. Their dangerous nature results not from the power of their nature, but from their tendency to drag others into the "[[Kenoma|void]]" and the unreal, away from God.{{sfn|Russell|1986|p=37}}

[[Michael Psellos]] proposed the existence of several types of demons, deeply influenced by the material nature of the regions they dwell. The highest and most powerful demons attack the mind of people using their "imaginative action" ({{Lang|grc-latn|phantastikos}}) to produce illusions in the mind. The lowest demons, on the other hand, are almost mindless, gross, and grunting spirits, which try to possess people instinctively, simply attracted by the warmth and life of humans. These cause diseases, fatal accidents and animalistic behavior in their victims. They are unable to speak, while other lower types of demons might give out false oracles. The demons are divided into:
* ''Leliouria'': The highest demons who inhabit the ether, beyond the moon
* ''Aeria'': Demons of the air below the moon
* ''Chthonia'': Inhabiting the land
* ''Hyraia/Enalia'': Dwelling in the water
* ''Bypochtbonia'': They live beneath the earth
* ''Misophaes'': The lowest type of demon, blind and almost senseless in the lowest hell
Invocation of Saints, holy men and women, especially ascetics, reading the Gospel, holy oil or water is said to drive them out. However, Psellos' schemes have been too inconsistent to answer questions about the hierarchy of fallen angels. The devil's position is impossible to assign in this scheme and it does not respond to living perceptions of felt experience and was considered rather impractical to have a lasting effect or impact on Christian demonology.{{sfn|Russell|1986|p={{page needed|date=December 2023}}}}

The contemporary Roman Catholic Church unequivocally teaches that angels and demons are real beings rather than just symbolic devices. The Catholic Church has a cadre of officially sanctioned exorcists which perform many [[exorcism]]s each year. The exorcists of the Catholic Church teach that demons attack humans continually but that afflicted persons can be effectively healed and protected either by the formal rite of exorcism, authorized to be performed only by bishops and those they designate, or by prayers of deliverance, which any Christian can offer for themselves or others.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fathercorapi.com/articledet.asp?articleID=1928275639 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040405135007/http://www.fathercorapi.com/articledet.asp?articleID=1928275639 |archive-date=2004-04-05 |title=Angels and Demons – Facts not Fiction |website=fathercorapi.com |first=John |last=Corapi |date=February 9, 2004}}</ref>

At various times in Christian history, attempts have been made to classify demons according to various proposed [[demonic hierarchy|demonic hierarchies]].

In recent times, scholars doubted that independent demons exist, and rather considers them, aking to Jewish ''satan'', to be servants of God. According to S. N. Chiu, God is shown sending a demon against Saul in 1 Samuel 16 and 18 in order to punish him for the failure to follow God's instructions, showing God as having the power to use demons for his own purposes, putting the demon under his divine authority.<ref>{{cite journal |first=S. N. |last=Chiu |title=Historical, Religious, and Medical Perspectives of Possession Phenomenon |journal=Hong Kong Journal of Psychiatry |year=2000 |volume=10 |issue=1}}</ref> According to the ''Britannica Concise Encyclopedia'', demons, despite being typically associated with evil, are often shown to be under divine control, and not acting of their own devices.<ref>"Demon" in Britannica Concise Encyclopedia,</ref>