Gabriele Amorth (1925–2016)

Repetitive, and disappointing. But perhaps more realistic than the stories about exorcists and their experiences. The exorcisms performed seemed mostly related to disturbances in the mind of the victim, rather than anything more supernatural or external influences; and it was simply prayer, and the willingness of the victim to ask for a cure that deemed the exorcism a success. Still interesting.

In the Catholic church, there is a huge mystique surrounding exorcism - a mystique which my 13 years of Catholic education did nothing to dispel. We were told that exorcism is a rite performed by priests on those who are possessed by the devil - end of story!

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of "Memoirs of an Exorcist: My Life Fighting Satan" from Open Road Media. It does much to fill in the gaps. The book addresses the reluctance of the current-day church hierarchy to discuss exorcisms show more and the devil. I learned that exorcism is not a single event, but rather a process that can take many years to complete. Of major concern, is the lack of a succession plan for today's exorcists.

I believe that evil exists. I believe in the power of prayer. I am a skeptic of the paranormal. I found this book to be informative and compelling. show less

Fr. Gabriel Amorth's work is worth the read. With the many questions about the paranormal, the spiritual realm, "beings" that the senses incompletely comprehend and the lack of reliable comprehensive informative materials, An Exorcist Tells His Story is a gift from above. It is well written, organized in a manner that the reader gets inside the world of an exorcist. If one is looking for thriller, scary stories on the influence of the devil, this is not the book. The presentation of stories show more and cases of exorcisms were written in detail to give light and explanation rather than induce fear and excitement. This book is not only theoretical or hypothetical because it presents real live experiences drawn for the many years of practicing the ministry. I commend the book for it is not only written in purely religious perspective but also touches the importance of science mainly the field of medicine and psychology. The last pages filled with prayers of deliverance and guides to help people against evil influences are a bonus! show less

This book follows Amorth's first book, "An Exorcist Tells His Story," and it follows in the same pattern. Each chapter progresses on one topic where he explains what it is and ends with several of his stories of where this knowledge applies. This approach does not lend itself well to reference his material and makes it hard to find something you read on short notice. However, if you read the book, this approach is very practical and almost makes you feel as if you are working directly show more underneath Amorth. I for the most part enjoyed this book, just as I enjoyed his first book. I have read plenty of guides and "how-to" books, but I love the approach and the connection of the material with the stories approach that Amorth takes. I would say that if this (or his first work) is something that you are considering reading, I would suggest reading a guide before hand. I would do this for many reason but above all, Amorth is going to differ from many of these books and he will bring up discussions about what they are saying and giving examples, it is important to know what he is referring to in order to evaluate his speech. The only true problem I had with this book was that Amorth was unapologetically Catholic, which I am not, which meant that I disagreed in many cases. This being said I can say that this book was well written and designed. show less