Opposing worldviews clash in "The Exorcism of Emily Rose"
Catholic ExchangeMovie Review: The Exorcism of Emily Rose
09/16/05
A line in the trailer for The Exorcism of Emily Rose, felicitously cut from the final film, observes that “There’s no pill for the devil.” More to the point, there’s no diagnostic test or scan for him, either.
In This Article...
A Study in Opposing Worldviews
Unsettling Persuasive Realism
Another Cinematic Point of Reference
A Study in Opposing Worldviews
by Steven D. Greydanus
[Editor's Note: This film contains intense, disturbing phenomena and imagery. It is suitable only for adults.]
Do the voices whispering in someone’s head come from his own subconscious, or from somewhere else? Is some syndrome or condition responsible for a patient’s disturbing behavior — or is the syndrome simply the name given by doctors to a particular set of symptoms and behaviors? Does a patient’s aversion to religious objects point to satanic influence, or is it merely obsessive-compulsive behavior with a religious bent?
The Catholic Church’s guidelines regarding possible cases of demonic possession, as with purported miracles and apparitions, insist on a default stance of skepticism. Naturalistic explanations are assumed until there is persuasive evidence to look beyond them (for example, displays of knowledge that seems impossible to account for in human terms, such as secrets known to the exorcist alone, or familiarity with unknown languages).
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See also my referral to John Zmirak' s review in GodSpy.
posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 1:37 PM
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