Power and Exorcism in Luke: An Indonesian Reading

Dany Christopher

dc.contributor.author	Dany Christopher
dc.date.accessioned	2025-05-06T03:46:11Z
dc.date.available	2025-05-06T03:46:11Z
dc.date.issued	2025-04-29
dc.identifier.isbn	9781540962966
dc.identifier.uri	https://bakeracademic.com/p/The-New-Testament-around-the-World-Mariam-Kamell-Kovalishyn/598803
dc.description	A story goes that there was a person being possessed by a demon. The people tried everything to cast it away but to no avail. Finally, a Christian minister came and successfully exorcised the demon. Upon seeing this, the people responded, "No wonder, it is a Christian demon." This story, whether it actually happened or not, fittingly describes the Indonesian view of the spirit-world. For most Indonesians, the main question regarding spirits and demons is not whether they exist. The question, rather, is which demon or spirit, and, consequently, how to deal with the many spirits that intertwine and affect the human world. This contrasting worldview inevitably results in a different emphasis or interpretive impulse when reading the biblical text. In a more secular context such as the West, the focus is on proving the plausible existence of the spirit-world' or interpreting such phenomena in a different way (e.g.. symbolically or psychologically). In Indonesia, the emphasis is on the manner of dealing with the spirit-world and its beings, especially the evil spirits. There is a sense of fear when facing malign spirits. Such fear requires the service of someone who has the knowledge and power to protect the people from harm. It is within this context that the notion and story of Jesus's power to exorcise demons have great significance. The goal of this chapter is to read Luke 4:33-37 in light of a spirit-world perspective in line with the context of Indonesia. I will begin by describing how Indonesians understand the spirit-world. Then I will explain in brief how Luke depicts Jesus's encounter with the activities of the malign spirits. Finally, I will discuss our particular passage, which records the first exorcism of Jesus. In discussing Luke 4:33-37, 1 will also venture to other spirit-encounter stories in Luke and Acts to see whether consistent patterns can be found.
dc.language.iso	English	en_US
dc.publisher	Baker Academic	en_US
dc.subject	Power and Exorcism	en_US
dc.subject	Luke	en_US
dc.title	Power and Exorcism in Luke: An Indonesian Reading	en_US
dc.title.alternative	The New Testament around the World
dc.type	Book chapter	en_US