The Occult: Five Lectures

Abstract

John Benagh’s five-part lecture series on the occult offers a thorough theological, historical, and pastoral analysis of occult phenomena from a confessional Lutheran perspective. In Lecture I: Divination, Benagh examines astrology, palmistry, psychometry, and other methods of seeking hidden knowledge, emphasizing their incompatibility with biblical faith and their spiritual dangers. Lecture II: Magic and Witchcraft explores the historical roots, classifications, and modern resurgence of magical practices, including astral projection, incantations, and healing magic, while drawing connections to contemporary movements such as charismatic Christianity. Lecture III: Spiritism addresses attempts to contact the dead through seances, mediumship, and phenomena like automatic writing and materializations, highlighting their theological errors and psychological risks. Lecture IV: Demonic Possession presents biblical and modern cases of possession, distinguishing them from mental illness and detailing symptoms such as supernatural strength, voice changes, and hatred of sacred things. Finally, Lecture V: Satanism confronts the overt worship of the devil, including the rise of the Church of Satan and the practice of the black mass, warning against the moral depravity and spiritual deception inherent in such movements. Across all five lectures, Benagh underscores the biblical prohibition of occult involvement, framing such practices as deceptive imitations of divine revelation and urging Christians to rely solely on God’s Word for truth, guidance, and protection. —Generated by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)