Review by Choice Review
In Having the Spirit of Christ, Bazzana (Harvard Divinity School) argues that central to understanding the content of early Christian claims, especially biblical assertions and the practices therein, one must examine the role of spirit possession and exorcism. Spirit possession and exorcism, he explains, allowed early Christian groups to define themselves and justify their actions in light of an opposition. There are various ways to approach the question of possession--it can be negative (demonic) or positive (possessed by the holy spirit)--and Bazzana looks at the concept of possession in great detail. This is a book for specialists engaged in early biblical critical studies. Since it engages with a fairly narrow topic, it will not be of much benefit to those interested in basic New Testament critical studies. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. --Andrew Jaeger, Benedictine College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
